Watermelon Pictures Co-Founders Talk Future Plans & Growing Hollywood Support For Palestinian Stories: “We’ve Been Seeing A Renaissance With A Lot Of The A-Listers”
Watermelon Pictures co-founders Badie and Hamza Ali say they plan to expand the company’s reach while continuing to back Palestinian and other underrepresented stories. They describe growing support in Hollywood, including interest from prominent actors, and say the success of their films is helping bring these stories to wider audiences.
The company’s documentary *American Doctor*, about three US physicians who treated injured children in Gaza, won the Cinema For Humanity Audience Award at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival. Watermelon Pictures also represents *Who Killed Alex Odeh?* in North America and is developing work aimed at mainstream audiences. The brothers hope eventually to become a global distribution company; their previous awards-season titles included *The Voice of Hind Rajab*, *Palestine 36* and *All That’s Left Of You*.
In short
- Watermelon Pictures plans to broaden its global reach.
- Its Gaza doctors documentary won an audience award in Egypt.
- The co-founders report stronger Hollywood interest in Palestinian stories.
Explained simply
Watermelon Pictures is a film company founded by brothers Badie and Hamza Ali. It produces and distributes films, including documentaries and dramas, and has focused on Palestinian stories and other voices that have had less space in mainstream cinema.
Film distribution means helping a film reach cinemas, streaming services and audiences in different places. Watermelon Pictures has handled films such as *Who Killed Alex Odeh?* in North America and has backed titles including *The Voice of Hind Rajab* and *Palestine 36*.
Palestinian stories can reach audiences through news coverage, documentaries and fiction films, each offering a different perspective. Wider distribution and interest from established actors may help such films find larger audiences, while a global company would give Watermelon Pictures a role in bringing films to viewers around the world.