As we approach the end of a year in which the Israel-Palestine conflict and the war in Gaza have found their way to many film industry debates — from the Film Workers for Palestine petition signed by over 4,000 Hollywood professionals calls for boycott of Israeli film institutions to ongoing controversy over MUBI’s investment from Sequoia Capitalwhich also invested in three Israeli defense companies—the Another Israel Film Festival trying to offer common ground. The festival, which aims to offer a nuanced perspective on Israeli life by programming the work of both Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, has announced the lineup for its 19th annual edition, which will once again take place at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan in November.
The festival begins with the North American premiere of “The Sea,” Israel’s official Oscar entry from director Shai Carmeli-Pollak that follows a Palestinian boy who sneaks into Israel in an attempt to see the sea. The rest of the program includes a mix of narrative and documentary films about Israel and Palestine, many of which deal with the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, such as Nurit Kedar’s “I Cried in Gaza,” Stephen Apkon’s “There Is Another Way,” and Jérôme Sesquin’s “Israel: Ministers of Chaos.”
“At a time when both governments and the public are working to silence Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, we are committed to amplifying their voices,” Isaac Zablocki, executive director of the Other Israel Film Festival, said in a statement. “Film and conversation remain the most powerful tools for cultural change.”
The festival did not immediately respond to IndieWire’s request for further comment.
Other Israel Film Festival 2025 runs November 6-13 at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Read on for the full line-up, with language about the films from the festival.
Opening night: “The Sea”
North American premiereYou. Shai Carmeli-Pollak, Story | Israel 2025 | 96 min
Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, travels to the sea for the first time during a school trip. But at the military checkpoint he is denied entry and sent home. Deciding, Khaled sneaks into Israel and embarks on a journey to the sea. When his father, an undocumented worker working in Israel, learns that his son is missing, he risks everything to search for Khaled.
“I cried in Gaza”
International premiereYou. Nurit Kedar, Documentary | Israel | 2025 | 55 min
After October 7, Israeli women were recruited for active combat for the first time since 1948. According to Israel’s Rehabilitation Department at the Ministry of Defense, 5,000 female combat soldiers have undergone mental health treatment. The film shares the experiences, memories and post-traumatic stress of female warriors who fought in Gaza and Lebanon.
“Rabbi Capoeira”
Premiere in New YorkYou. Barak Heymann, documentary | Israel | 2024 | 69 min
How does a shy ultra-orthodox guy become a world champion in capoeira? And how does the ultra-Orthodox community of his town, Bnei Brak, react to the revolution he is determined to bring about? Rabbi Capoeira follows Miki Hayat’s five-year Sisyphean journey to connect spirit and body, overcoming fears and dreams.
“There’s Another Way”
You. Stephen Apkon, Documentary | Palestine/Israel/USA | 2025 | 67 min
In the midst of the escalating conflict, the two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee “Combatants for Peace”, a group of former enemy combatants, Israelis and Palestinians, work together to find common ground and shape a more hopeful future. This film claims an alternative to war and that another path is possible for humanity.
“A place of your own”
The Lord. I will want God to know, that it is Palay, Document | It’s Arahy | 2025 | 60 min means.
In Jisr az-Zarqa, a poor Arab village, a group of women take the chance to build a long-awaited community center. As violence shakes the village and a luxury development threatens their land, their hopes for change are tested as they strive for a place of their own.
“The Smugglers”
World premiereYou. Tony Copti, Yaniv Berman, Documentary | Israel/Palestine | 2025 | 86 min
In the heart of Jaffa’s Old City is a rare Arabic bookstore cafe dedicated to preserving its language and literature. When the bookstore faces closure, owner Michel George El-Raheb and his nephew travel the Middle East, with one mission: to launch a public Arab book festival in Jaffa, designed to spark a cultural revival.
“Liat Holding”
You. Brandon Kramer, Documentary | USA | 2025 | 97 min
On October 7, 2023, Israeli-American Liat Atzili and her husband, Aviv, were kidnapped during a Hamas attack and taken hostage in Gaza along with 250 other people—12 of whom, like Liat, are American citizens. Caught between international diplomacy and a rapidly escalating war, their family must face their own insecurities and conflicting perspectives in the pursuit of Liat and Aviv’s release.
“Israel: Ministers of Chaos”
East Coast PremiereYou. Jérôme Sesquin, documentary | France | 2025 | 58 min
An investigation into the rise of Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two ministers who run the government of Israel, as they pursue a controversial agenda to reshape the nation’s democracy and expand its borders under a biblical vision.
“Eid”
Premiere in New YorkYou. Yousef Abo Madegem, Story | Israel | 2024 | 90 min
Eid, a young man from Rahat, dreams of becoming a playwright. When his parents arrange a marriage for him against his will, his life takes an unexpected turn. Trapped between tradition and his own desires, he fights for his freedom and his dreams within Bedouin society while grappling with his childhood trauma.
Starring Shadi Mar’i (“Fauda,” “Our Boys”), who won an Israeli Oscar for his role, this is the first feature film directed by a Bedouin filmmaker.
“The Village Leagues”
International premiereyou. Tal Michael, David Ofek, Documentary | Israel 2024 | 60 minutes
It was Israel’s great political experiment in the West Bank and Gaza before the intifada. Tahsin Mansour, once mayor of the Palestinian village of Azzoun, now lives isolated by war and a roadblock that turned his home into an enclave. Reflecting on his role in the Village Leagues – an Israeli-backed attempt at Palestinian-Israeli peace – he recalls both the promise of diplomacy and the devastating backlash, as members were denounced as traitors and persecuted.
“Open wound”
North American premiere.. You are one of my coramalal, and of their age of the coin, document | It’s Arahy | 2024 | 51 is.
The identity crisis for the Negev Bedouin has only intensified since October 7, as they are torn between Palestinian roots, family in Gaza and their Israeli citizenship. The stories of five people, each dealing with the crisis in their own way, reveal the complexities and internal conflicts of dealing with a changing reality.
“Some Notes on the Current Situation”
North American premiereYou. Eran Kolirin, Story | Israel | 2025 | 79 min
A philosophical tragicomedy about space, time, film and war, composed of six episodes, all of which together form an absurdist footnote – somewhat detached from reality – to the current events of the known universe.
Closing night: “Bella”
You. Jamal Khalaily, Zohar Shachar, Story | Israel, Belgium | 2025 | 75 minutes, Director’s presentation
When Yaki’s only inheritance, an extremely valuable pigeon, is taken by his childhood friend, he embarks on a wild road trip through Israel and Palestine. What follows is a series of comic misadventures – navigating checkpoints, ruining a wedding and even carjacking – all in a desperate race to get the pigeon to a beauty pageant in Jerusalem.
