Major Palestinian Film and Culture Festival comes to Yorkshire this autumn
Culture lovers across South Yorkshire should note their calendars! The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival is set to return for its 11th edition, running for over three weeks from November 12 to December 6. The event aims to provide a vital platform for Palestinian voices, offering a deep dive into the nation's culture, history, and current life through the medium of cinema.
The festival, which has become a staple of the regional cultural scene, will showcase a diverse and thought-provoking line-up across ten venues in and around Leeds, making it accessible to attendees travelling from Rotherham and the wider area. Organisers promise "over three transformative weeks of cinema that refuse to be silenced," focusing on "stories of resistance, resilience, and unbreakable spirit."
This year’s programme features a compelling mix of documentaries, shorts, and feature films.
The festival opens on Wednesday, November 12, at the Hyde Park Picture House with Yalla Parkour, presented in partnership with Leeds International Film Festival.
The main highlight is on Thursday, November 20, at the same venue, featuring the exclusive Yorkshire-wide premiere of Palestine 36—Palestine's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.
A particularly special element of the 2025 festival will be a series of new films made by Gazan women, screened as part of the Gaza International Festival for Women’s Cinema, designed to give a voice to their unique experiences.
The festival directors stress that the event is an essential opportunity for local audiences to engage with the human stories behind global news.
Frances Bernstein, festival co-director, explained: “While Palestine is regularly in the news, cinema offers us something deeper—the chance to truly understand the stories and connections behind the headlines. Our main highlight, the powerful new drama Palestine 36, provides compelling insights into historical events that continue to resonate today. The festival is much more than a series of film screenings; it's a vital space for community, discussion, and cultural exchange. We invite the people of Rotherham to come and explore, discuss, and be inspired by this year's incredible lineup."
Their message was amplified by playwright and screenwriter Sir David Hare, who stated: “The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival has always been an outstanding event, throwing brilliant light on how Palestinians manage to continue their lives in such unique circumstances. Obviously, in 2025, the festival is more necessary, more urgent and more important than ever.”
The full programme, featuring titles like The Loud Silence and Legendary Women in a Time of Genocide, will be available to book from their website today.