Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Zoe Saldaña Boards Short Film on Palestinian Womanhood, ‘It’s Complicated,’ as Executive Producer (Exclusive)
Actress Zoe Saldaña has joined the narrative short film "It's Complicated" as an executive producer, ahead of its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in August. The project centres on Palestinian womanhood, telling the story of a diasporic friendship formed amid conflict, and marks the latest instance of an internationally acclaimed star lending support to emerging Palestinian filmmakers.
Written by, produced by and starring Iman Karram, the film follows Yara, a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles, whose online Arabic lessons with Hana, a poet and teacher in Gaza, develop into a close friendship that is then tested by war. Directed by Darine Hotait, the film is produced by Karram alongside Alana Duqum, Zoe Marie Jimenez and Matt Van Tine, with Eli Zavala also serving as an executive producer. Saldaña, who won an Oscar in 2025 for "Emilia Pérez," praised the film's honesty and heart, while Karram described it as inspired by a real relationship with her Arabic tutor. "It's Complicated" will premiere at the 22nd HollyShorts Film Festival, running 13–23 August 2026 in Los Angeles, an Oscar-qualifying event showcasing more than 400 short films.
In short
- Zoe Saldaña joins short film "It's Complicated" as executive producer.
- Film explores Palestinian womanhood via a cross-border friendship story.
- World premieres at HollyShorts Film Festival, Los Angeles, 13–23 August 2026.
Explained simply
Palestinians live in the Palestinian territories and across a worldwide diaspora, including in the United States. Many Palestinians in Gaza have family and personal ties abroad, while people in the diaspora may maintain connections to the region through language, culture and relationships.
The film’s two central characters are Yara, a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles, and Hana, a poet and Arabic teacher in Gaza. Their lessons bring them together across distance, with the story exploring how friendship can be affected by conflict.
Iman Karram wrote and stars in the film, which is directed by Darine Hotait. Zoe Saldaña is an American actor whose executive producer role connects a major Hollywood name with a project by emerging Palestinian filmmakers.
Celebrity Entertainment Film Middle East World