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This week, we are pleased to introduce Rushes Extra, a new series of reported pieces that go beyond the headlines to take a closer look at developing stories from throughout the film world. In this first installment, Vikram Murthi reports from the picket lines of the New York cinema workers strike at Alamo Drafthouse.Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSFerris Bueller’s Day Off.Chinese authorities are reportedly considering “reducing or banning the import of US films” in response to President Trump’s global tariffs. Though US studio earnings in China have decreased as the country has invested in their own film industry, losing access to the world’s second-largest film market would be a major blow to the American film industry.The...

Elizabeth Olsen seems like a force to be reckoned with. Outside of her role as the Scarlet Witch, she has made a reputation for herself as a decorated and talented actress who has spent years refining her craft. While her professional life has been extremely successful, it has also been divided like most Marvel stars.

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision | Credits: Marvel Studios

Having to balance two completely different scales of projects, fame, and genres can be quite difficult. Recently, Olsen talked about how her role as Wanda Maximoff has influenced her own perception of her career, as well as the insecurities that came with it.

Elizabeth Olsen still feels the need to prove herself

The complexities that come with being an actor can be quite challenging. Over the years, there has been a consistent theme of actors trying to balance their fame with their passions, attempting to...

The ratcheting up of the Israel-Gaza conflict and recent attacks on pro-Palestinians activists loomed large at the opening of the Doha Film Institute’s annual talent and project meeting on Friday.

Some 300 attendees gathered for the welcoming meet and greet at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, followed by a masterclass by Brazilian director Walter Salles, fresh from his Best International Feature Film win for I’m Still Here.

In a strongly worded opening speech, Dfi CEO Fatma Al Remaihi voiced her concerns over “attempts to erase voices in the region” and raised the case of the recent attack on Oscar-winning Palestinian No Other Land director Hamdam Ballal.

Referring to the fact the Dfi is marking its 15th anniversary, Al Remaihi said the institute’s founding mission to nurture untold stories from the region was more relevant than ever.

“Today, as we celebrate this milestone, we find ourselves at a complex...

Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute (Dfi), spoke out against the attack by Israeli settlers on and arrest by Israeli police of Hamdan Ballal, co-director of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.

“The recent attack on Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal proves that even winning the most prestigious award, an Oscar, does not offer any safety from violent oppression by the occupation,” said Al Remaihi, speaking at the opening of the 2025 edition of the Dfi’s Qumra lab. Ballal was released the day after his arrest.

Remarking that this year marks the 15th anniversaryof Dfi, Al Remaihi said, “We...

Exclusive: Hamdan Ballal and his fellow No Other Land filmmakers are thanking top members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for signing a letter that pushed AMPAS leadership to take a firmer stance condemning an attack on Ballal by Israeli settlers.

Palestinian filmmakers Ballal and Basel Adra and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor wrote a note which has been distributed today to all the signatories of Friday’s letter. “Dear friends,” the note says, “We wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved over the past few days and he is at home with his children. The letter you wrote in support of him has been deeply moving for us personally, and also important politically, especially as the attacks on the Masafer Yatta community continue every day. At a time when we felt ignored by the Academy it meant a...

On “Tantrum,” one of the most visceral moments from Will Smith’s new album, Based on a True Story, the 56-year-old growls, “Oh, y’all forgot I ain’t new with the pen/First hip-hop Grammy, I’ll do it again.” With an album as trite as this one, that’s hard to imagine, but that sort of flex is true to the spirit of the genre he’s helped mold and the type of shit-talking he’s absolutely earned the right to.

For long after the Oscars in 2022, where...

New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) will celebrate the upcoming awards season at its annual ceremony on January 6, 2026.

David Ehrlich will serve as 2025 chair of the NYFCC and Stephen Garrett will continue as the group’s general manager.

The 2025 ceremony marked the group’s 90th anniversary and honoured The Brutalist for best film, while RaMell Ross was named best director for Nickel Boys, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste forHard Truths and Adrien Brody forThe Brutalist earnedlead acting honours.

Ehrlich said he expected “a rich and rewarding year for the movies”, adding: “I suspect that NYFCC will kick off its 10th decade by...

The global filmmaking community voiced its outrage some days ago after Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning Palestinian co-director of the documentary film No Other Land, was detained by Israeli authorities amid the ongoing occupation of Gaza. Ballal was subsequently released, alleging mistreatment at the hands of the Israelis. Coincidentally, No Other Land managed to pass a domestic box office milestone in the immediate aftermath of the incident, having survived over two months theatrically without proper distribution. The film's inability to find studio backing has been described as soft censorship, especially in the context of its global success.

This weekend, No Other Landpassed the $2 million mark at the domestic box office, after getting a one-week Oscars qualifying run last year. Having opened theatrically in January, the movie made around $135,000 this weekend; at the same time, another film about the Israel-Palestine conflict, The Encampments, delivered a record per-theater average thanks to sold-out screenings...

The Encampments has turned out looks like the highest per-screen average opening for a documentary with an anticipated $80k+ and sold-out screenings at an exclusive run at the Angelika Film Center in New York.

It’s a major step for indie distributor Watermelon Pictures, a new label, which had moved up the doc’s release given the timeliness of its subject matter. It follows students at Columbia University who in 2024 launched a movement protesting the war in Gaza. The film features detained activist Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student active in the demonstrations who also served as a spokesperson for the group with the University. He was arrested by Ice agents on March 8 and has been held in a detention center in Louisiana, where he faces deportation amid a legal fight over where his case should be heard.

“This film matters, and people are ready for it. It confirms our decision...

One of the directors of No Other Land is calling out the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science letter, and he isn't alone as he has support from major A-list stars. On Mar. 24, Hamdan Ballal, the co-director of the Oscar-winning Best Documentary Feature film No Other Land, was assaulted by Isreali settlers and detained near his home by the Israeli armed service. After 24 hours, when he was blindfolded and held at an Israeli army base and fearing for his life, Ballal was released.

No Other Land's Yuval Abraham, one of the film's four co-directors alongside Ballal, criticized the Academy's failure to support Hamdan following his arrest. It wasn't until after the director publicly criticized the Academy leadership that they sent out an open letter to Academy voters. Via Deadline, the Academy's letter said they were against “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints” but also...

Letter signed by 700 members offers support to Hamdan Ballal after initial statement had failed to name director

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has apologised after criticism for its failure to support the detained Palestinian Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal.

Almost 700 voting members, including multiple A-list actors, signed a letter apologising for not directly acknowledging Ballal and the film by name.

The Academy Awards, which recently appreciated Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal during the 2025 event, came under fire after CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang refused to address his recent assault and abduction by Israeli authorities. That’s when Mark Ruffalo joined Joaquin Phoenix, Elizabeth Olsen, and 500 other actors to condemn the Academy’s move.

After Hamdan Ballal was detained by the Israeli army on suspicion of throwing stones and causing property damage, the Academy Award committee issued an open letter condemning the harm or suppression of artists, without mentioning Ballal’s name. This controversial move raised eyebrows and led actors to rally behind Ballal while slamming the Academy.

A still from No Other Land (2024) | image: Cph:Dox, Hi Gloss Entertainment Academy’s controversial move after Hamdan Ballal’s detention by the Israeli army

Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, who recently won an Oscar for his co-directorial work on the documentary No Other Land,...

The Academy has apologised for its initial response to the reported attack on ‘No Other Land’ co-director Hamdan Ballal, which drew the ire of the filmmakers and Academy members.

Following a hastily-convened emergency session of the governors on Friday morning, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang issued a statement.

“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” they said.

“We sincerely apologize to Mr.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent a statement to members, apologizing for not publicly supporting No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal after his recent assault and arrest in the West Bank, in the village of Susiya, his hometown.

On Monday, Yuval Abraham — an Israeli director and one of the four directors behind No Other Land, which won the Oscar for best documentary feature film — claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that a group of settlers had beaten the Palestinian filmmaker, who members of the Israeli military later detained. Abraham said Ballal was released the following day but had “injuries in his head and stomach.”

Following the attack, Academy leaders Bill Kramer and Janet Yang released a statement on Wednesday suggesting that the beating and arrest of Ballal is something Academy members will have “many unique viewpoints” on, refusing to name the filmmaker. Kramer and Yang were quickly...

The top brass at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an apology today for not mentioning Oscar-winning No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballan or the film by name in its initial response to his West Bank attack and detention on Monday.

The note from AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang to members comes hours after the Academy’s Board of Governors held an urgent special meeting — as Deadline reported exclusively — to discuss the fallout over its midweek response to the attack on No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal.

“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression,” Kramer and Yang wrote to members today. “We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name.”

They added: “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal...

Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Gere, and Penélope Cruz are among the A-list actors who’ve signed an open letter criticizing Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences leadership for their response to the alleged assault and arrest of Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian filmmaker who won an Oscar for co-directing No Other Land, just weeks prior.

“We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank,” read the letter. “As artists, we depend on our ability to tell stories without reprisals.

Update 6:55pm Et: The Academy has released a new letter to its members on March 28 co-signed by CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang apologizing for omitting “No Other Land” co-director Hamdan Ballal’s name from their initial statement that obliquely referenced his attack by settlers in the West Bank earlier this week. IndieWire has acquired the letter.

“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of ‘No Other Land,’ connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” the letter read. “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”

Original Story:...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized Friday for withholding explicit support for the Oscar-winning co-director of documentary “No Other Land” Hamdan Ballal after he was beaten and detained in the West Bank last week.

The film organization had sent an email to its members on Wednesday condemning violence. That email did not name the documentary’s title or the name of its co-director, and it drew widespread condemnation from members, around 700 of whom at the time of publishing signed an open letter on Friday morning that read, in part, “It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later.”

On Friday afternoon, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang sent an email to their nearly 11,000 members that read, “On Wednesday, we sent a letter in...

As the reigning Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land and its quartet of filmmakers — Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal,Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor — should be taking a victory lap. Despite a significant theatrical boost (it's now the top-grossing documentary since Free Solo in 2018), the film and its directors have been unable to fully enjoy the fruits of their Academy Award victory. Here's a brief look at everything that has gone wrong.

'There is much less space for this kind of criticism'

No Other Land chronicles a developing alliance between Adra, a Palestinian activist, and Abraham, an Israeli journalist. They collaborate to show the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers. The film became an immediate sensation on the international scene, winning the Best Documentary prize at last year's Berlin Film Festival. It went on to score top honors from the International Documentary Association,...

Updated: Hamdan Ballal and his fellow “No Other Land” filmmakers are expressing gratitude to top members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for signing a letter urging Academy leadership to take a stronger stance in condemning an attack on Ballal by Israeli settlers.

The Academy released a statement Wednesday condemning “harming artists” but did not name the individuals involved. By Thursday morning, a letter began circulating among AMPAS members criticizing the Academy’s leadership for failing to publicly support Ballal.

As of Monday afternoon, nearly 900 Academy members — including actor Mark Ruffalo, director Ava DuVernay and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón — had signed the letter denouncing the Academy’s silence following Ballal’s reported detainment by Israeli authorities. Most recent signatories include J.J. Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, Ben Affleck, Jane Fonda and more.

Ballal and his fellow “No Other Land” directors shared the following letter with all the signatories:

Dear friends,...

Meeting follows letter signed by prominent members urging more forceful response on Hamdan Ballal’s arrest

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has convened an extraordinary meeting to address a crisis over its tepid response to the arrest and detention of the Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal, of the documentary No Other Land, by Israeli authorities.

The meeting on Friday morning Pacific time, first reported by Deadline, follows a strongly worded letter signed by many prominent members – including the actors Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, Penélope Cruz and Emma Thompson, directors Ava DuVernay, Alfonso Cuarón, Adam McKay and Jonathan Glazer and writer Tony Kushner – calling for a more forceful response from the Academy’s board of governors than an initial statement that did not refer to Ballal or No Other Land by name and cited the Academy membership’s “many unique viewpoints”.

British leading lights Olivia Colman, Jonathan Glazer, Riz Ahmed, and Jessie Buckley are among hundreds of Academy members who have signed a letter circulating on Friday in which they lambast the Oscar body’s response to the reported attack on and detention of No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal.

The missive has been sent to Academy members and decries the Academy’s “indefensible” position, after CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang sent a letter to members on Thursday in which they condemned harm or suppression of artists based on their viewpoints, but did not mention Hallal by name, and...

British leading lights Olvia Colman, Jonathan Glazer, Riz Ahmed, and Jessie Buckley are among hundreds of Academy members who have signed a letter circulating on Friday in which they lambast the Oscar body’s response to the reported attack on and detention of No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal.

The missive has been sent to Academy members and decries the Academy’s “indefensible” position, after CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang sent a letter to members on Thursday in which they condemned harm or suppression of artists based on their viewpoints, but did not mention Hallal by name, and...

A new open letter signed by around 600 Oscar voters, including Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman and Javier Bardem, has criticized the leadership of the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its initial response to the recent assault and arrest of Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal.

“It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later,” the open letter updated Friday and signed by AMPAS members across a range of genres, including documentaries, stated.

The AMPAS voters were reacting to a statement put out Wednesday by Academy leaders Bill Kramer and Janet Yang that suggested the beating and arrest of recent Oscar-winner Hamdan Ballal is something Academy members will have “many unique viewpoints” on.

Other well-known Academy members who signed the letter include Mark Ruffalo, Oscar-winning Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer,...

Updated, 12:50 Pm: More than 900 Academy members have now signed the letter, including actors Carey Mulligan, Glenn Close, Andrew Garfield, America Ferrera, Edward Norton, Jane Fonda, Pedro Pascal, Kristin Scott Thomas, Frances Fisher and Elizabeth Olsen; actor-directors Taika Waititi, Ben Affleck and Todd Field; filmmakers Denis Villeneuve, Michael Moore, Stephen Frears, Abigail Disney, Asif Kapadia, Jay Roach, J.J. Abrams and Michael Mann; composer Carter Burwell; Board of Governors VP/Secretary Howard Rodman (writers branch); and all three documentary branch Governors — Simon Kilmurry, Chris Hegedus, and Jean Tsien.

Exclusive: Deadline has learned the Academy’s board of governors is meeting in extraordinary session this morning to confront a deepening crisis over its response to the beating and detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, one of the directors of No Other Land.

As that meeting nears an 11 am Pacific Time start, Deadline can report a new statement has been signed by...

While co-host Ryan Lattanzio is off at the Cph:dox festival in Copenhagen, “Screen Talk” co-host Anne Thompson is joined by Marcus Jones, Awards Editor at IndieWire, to provide an overview of the Primetime Emmys race, and which series seem set up for success come September.

Hear their take on the Drama, Comedy, Limited, and Anthology Series categories, from whether HBO will tie its record of most shows nominated in one category, if any other comedy besides “Hacks” is able to eclipse the record-setting winner “The Bear,” and what upcoming Limited Series to look out for, on the slight chance there is any room to surpass major breakouts “Adolescence” and “The Penguin.”

But first, the pair follow up on some past talking points, including recent Best Documentary Feature Oscar winner “No Other Land.” Unfortunately, one of its directors, Hamdan Ballal, reportedly was attacked by a group of the same Israeli settlers...

Believe it or not, this review was scheduled shortly before the buzz hit. Sadly, yesterday, Hamdan Ballal was assaulted during a settlers’ raid and arrested by the Israeli army, only weeks after “No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. But let’s assume you do not know anything about the film and start with the beginning.

In the south of the West Bank lies a handful of small Bedouin villages known as Masafer Yatta. The area has been designated a military zone by the Israeli authorities, and its residents are therefore being forced out. “No Other Land” documents the resistance of these inhabitants against this decision. Four people – two Israelis and two Palestinians, journalists and activists that met in action – unite to fight this situation with their cameras. Among them, Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian photographer already involved in fighting the occupation and Rachel Szor, an Israeli...

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here taking you through another super busy week of news. Sign up here.

‘No Other Land’

American Film Academy criticism: On Monday, Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham wrote in an X post that his Palestinian No Other Land co-director, Hamdan Ballal, had been attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and was later detained by Israeli soldiers. The story has since moved fast. Abraham posted the next day that Ballal had been freed but was badly beaten while in custody. The 24-hour incident then sparked outcry in the film community, with strong statements from institutions including the European Film Academy. Filmmakers and actors such as Christine Vachon, Ezra Edelman, and Mark Ruffalo lent their names to public calls for Ballal’s release. The incident occurred less than a month after No Other Land won the Best Documentary Oscar, a grim fact that Abraham highlighted as...

Maiken Baird’s Untitled Edward Said Documentary, about the Palestinian-American writer and activist, was among the winners at the Industry platform of Cph:dox.

Baird’s film took the inaugural €10,000 Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Co-Production award, for a project in the Forum that highlights urgent matters of our times.

Scroll down for the full list of Cph:Industry winners

Said, who died in 2003, was a cultural critic who wrote books including 1978’s Orientalism, which critiqued how the Western world perceives the Orient. The film will be told using his voice and archival footage; and is produced by acclaimed US documentarian Alex Gibney,...

Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy’s statement defending its silence after Israeli settlers attacked his co-director Hamdan Ballal

The Israeli director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land has condemned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its response to a violent attack on his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal, who was beaten by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Monday.

Earlier this week, Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy for failing to publicly speak out in support of Ballal. Now he has criticised a statement issued by the Academy to its members on Wednesday, in which it appeared to defend its silence.

A number of documentary branch members have reacted angrily to a statement put out Wednesday by AMPAS leaders Bill Kramer and Janet Yang, which suggests that the beating and arrest of recent Oscar-winner Hamdan Ballal is something Academy members will have “many unique viewpoints” on.

Ballal, who won an Oscar earlier this month for co-directing best documentary feature winner No Other Land, was attacked and arrested by the Israeli military on Monday night during a confrontation with settlers that took place on the West Bank, in the village of Susiya, Ballal’s hometown. The Palestinian filmmaker sustained injuries to his head and stomach, and was zip-tied and blindfolded, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, before being released the next day.

In an email sent today to Kramer and Yang, Aj Schnack — a documentarian, branch member and founding director of the Cinema Eye Honors awards ceremony — wrote: “It’s hard for me...

Congratulations Colorado. You are now hosting two of the world’s premier Film Festivals. This morning, in a historic decision, the Sundance Institute picked Boulder, Colorado, to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027. This decision means the festival will leave its current home, Park City, Utah, after four decades.

Read More: Oscar-Winning “No Other Land” Co-Director says Academy “Refused” to publicly support Hamdan Ballal after settler attack

Sundance joins the Telluride Film Festival, a summer staple for 50 years, in the Centennial State.

Continue reading Sundance Film Festival Goes Blue To Boulder For 2027 And Beyond at The Playlist.

Oscar-winning No Other Land filmmaker Yuval Abraham is continuing to exert pressure on the Oscar Academy for the way it has responded to a violent settler attack on Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal and his Israeli military detention earlier this week.

Israeli director Abraham, who had previously criticised the organisation’s failure to publicly support Hamdan in the wake of his arrest, has hit out at a letter co-signed by Bill Kramer and Janet Yang sent to Academy members on Wednesday, seemingly in response to what happened to Ballal.

They condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints”, but also noted that the Academy represented “close to 11,000 global members with many unique viewpoints.”

Abraham slammed the letter.

“After our criticism, the academy’s leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan’s assault: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints’,” wrote Abraham in an X post.

The Academy has drawn backlash after issuing a statement to members seemingly addressing criticism for not speaking out in support of Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal — one of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” — who earlier this week was attacked by Israeli settlers and then detained by the Israeli army, according to the Associated Press. The statement, which was sent Wednesday night and signed by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, did not mention “No Other Land” or Ballal by name.

“The Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints,” reads the statement in part. “We are living in a time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty — across the globe, in the U.S. and within our own industry. Understandably, we are often asked to speak on behalf of the Academy in response to social, political and economic events. In these instances,...

Head over to Auditorium Three at the Laemmle Theater’s Monica Film Center in downtown Santa Monica one afternoon this week and you’ll catch a screening No Other Land, the Oscar-winning documentary about the Israeli government’s efforts to evict Palestinians from the southern West Bank community of Masafer Yatta with a decidedly negative view of the Israel Defense Forces.

Stick around after the closing credits for the next showtime, though, and a rather different movie will come up: October 8, the newly released film about the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and Jewish students bullied on American campuses with a decidedly negative view of the academic left.

The screening-room convergence offers a concrete example of what is fast becoming a kind of cinematic ballot box: Two documentaries mainstream Hollywood wouldn’t touch, each becoming hits with sharply different views and audiences.

“We believe that all kinds of...

Yuval Abraham, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has hit out at a letter the Academy sent to members after he previously criticised the Oscar body for not commenting publicly on the arrest and detention of Palestinian colleague Hamdan Ballal.

After Abraham posted his disappointment with the Academy on X earlier this week for not responding with a statement on Ballal’s arrest, despite similar moves by the Berlinale, Cph:dox, International Documentary Fund, and Channel 4, Academy chairman Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang reached out to members on Wednesday.

”After our criticism, the academy’s [sic] leaders sent...

Mark Cousins says ChatGPT presented him with an “exact summary” of a book he wrote almost 30 years ago, when he was researching his new film Story Of Documentary Film.

The Northern Irish filmmaker was speaking in a ‘A Morning With’ conversation at Cph:dox, with Toronto film festival documentary programmer Thom Powers.

“When I started this project, I asked ChatGPT, ‘What is the history of documentary?’” said Cousins, in response to a question about his thoughts on AI technologies. “If it can do it, I don’t need to,” joked the director.

“You know what it did? It was an exact...

After “No Other Land” co-director Yuval Abraham took to Twitter/X earlier March 26 to criticize the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for not releasing a statement in support of his co-director and fellow Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, following Ballal’s beating and arrest in the West Bank earlier this week, AMPAS has sent a letter to its membership clarifying its position on political issues.

Without naming Ballal directly, the Academy’s letter, co-signed by CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, condemned “harming or suppressing artists.” It was sent to the Academy’s membership by email the evening of March 26.

What follows is the entire letter:

Dear Academy Members,

At the heart of the Academy’s mission is a commitment to honoring excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences and connecting the world through the power of cinema. We do this through our work on the Oscars,...

One of the more frustrating industry news stories this week was the horrific treatment of recent Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Hamdan Ballal of “No Other Land” at the hands of violent Israeli settlers who attacked him and then was detained/beaten by the Idf (alongside Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh) in the West Bank.

Ballal’s co-director of “No Other Land” Yuval Abraham (an Israeli investigative journalist and filmmaker), on the compelling documentary focusing on the troubles in the West Bank and settler violence, has now highlighted that the Academy has “refused” to support the recent winner after the reports of his brutal abuse and detainment along with his high-profile Oscar win being brought up during his taunting and torture.

Continue reading Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Co-Director Says Academy “Refused” To Publicly Support Hamdan Ballal After Settler Attack at The Playlist.

The Palestinian co-director of Oscar winning film No Other Land, Hamdan Ballal, has spoken to UK newspaper The Guardian about his attack by Israeli soldiers and settlers in his West bank home this week, saying: “I thought I was going to die.”

“It all started around 6pm on Monday,” said Ballal in an interview with Jerusalem based Lorenzo Tondo, having being released on Tuesday(March 25) after Israeli forces detained him in a police station in the West Bank.

“We had finished our daily Ramadan fast in Susya in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron, when someone called me to...

Hamdan Ballal says Israeli soldiers beat him with their rifle butts and threatened to kill him

The Oscar-winning Palestinian film director Hamdan Ballal has said that Israeli settlers who attacked him were aided by two Israeli soldiers, who beat him with the butt of their rifles outside his home and threatened to kill him.

In an interview with the Guardian, Ballal, one of the four directors of the film No Other Land, which documents the destruction of villages in the West Bank and won best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, recounted how on Monday two Israeli soldiers first encircled him while a settler was assaulting him, before violently striking him on the head and threatening to shoot him.

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.News No Other Land.Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was violently attacked by a group of masked Israeli settlers and subsequently arrested by the army, apparently under suspicion of “hurling rocks.” The following day, Yuval Abraham, who codirected No Other Land (2024) with Ballal, wrote that “after being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.” According to the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, there have been at least 43 attacks against the Palestinian residents of Susya since the beginning of the year. “This might be their revenge on us for making the movie,” says Basel Adra, who also codirected the film. “It feels like a punishment.

Hamdan Ballal‘s co-director Yuval Abraham is calling out the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Academy Awards.

The Oscar-winning No Other Land filmmaker spoke out following the horrifying news that his Palestinian co-director was beaten by settlers and detained by Israeli military in the West Bank days ago, until he was ultimately freed.

“Sadly, the US Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” Yuval wrote on X.

Keep reading to find out more…

“The European Academy voiced support, as did countless other award groups and festivals. Several US Academy members—especially in the documentary branch—pushed for a statement, but it was ultimately refused. We were told that because other Palestinians were beaten up in the settler attack, it could be considered unrelated to the film,...

“No Other Land” co-director Yuval Abraham is detailing what he claims is the lack of support from the Academy for fellow Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal after he was attacked by settlers while in the West Bank and then taken by Israeli soldiers.

Abraham and Ballal co-directed “No Other Land,” which showed the systematic territorial dispossession of a Palestinian community in the West Bank. The film won Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Oscars. Palestinian director Ballal was beaten by Israeli settlers at his Susiya home on March 24 and was later detained by authorities. The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police have denied being involved in any beating. Israeli authorities said that Ballal was detained along with several others on suspicion of throwing stones, damaging property and compromising the security of the area. Ballal was later freed and received hospital treatment on March 25.

Now, Israeli director Abraham is calling out the Academy...

Filmmaker Yuval Abraham is calling out the Academy for not publicly supporting Hamdan Ballal after the No Other Land co-director was beaten and detained in the West Bank.

Abraham, one of four directors of the documentary — which won an Oscar earlier this month — had taken to X earlier this week to say that Ballal was arrested Monday night after being assaulted by a group of settlers in Ballal’s home village of Susiya. An eyewitness to the detainment told The Hollywood Reporter that there was “a pool of blood” outside Ballal’s front door and two other Palestinians, Khaled Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh, were also taken.

On Tuesday, Abraham posted an update to say that Ballal had been released following an interrogation by the Israeli police.

The creative is now speaking up again to express anger that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that oversees the Oscars,...

A day after “No Other Land” co-director Hamdan Ballal was released from his brief detainment in the West Bank, his fellow filmmaker Yuval Abraham has called out the Academy for not publicly supporting one of their own.

“Sadly, the U.S. Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” Abraham wrote early Wednesday morning.

“The European Academy voiced support, as did countless other award groups and festivals. Several U.S. Academy members — especially in the documentary branch — pushed for a statement, but it was ultimately refused,” he added. “We were told that because other Palestinians were beaten up in the settler attack, it could be considered unrelated to the film, so they felt no need to respond.”

Indeed, Ballal and Abraham were part of the Palestinian and Israeli filmmaking team who won...

Yuval Abraham, one of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” has criticized the Academy for not commenting on the attack of his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal.

Ballal was released by Israeli authorities on Tuesday after Abraham wrote on X the day prior that he had gone missing after being attacked. “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land,’” Abraham said. “They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”

Reports of Ballal’s attack and detainment sparked a petition calling for his release and statements from organizations like the International Documentary Association. On Wednesday, Abraham called out the Academy in a post on X for not speaking out.

“Sadly, the U.S. Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined...

No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham has claimed that the “US Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers”.

Israeli filmmaker Abraham, who has been active on X in recent days documenting the attack on his co-director Ballal, drew a contrast today between the Academy’s silence and support from The European Academy and “countless other award groups and festivals”. He added: “Several US Academy members—especially in the documentary branch—pushed for a statement, but it was ultimately refused. We were told that because other Palestinians were beaten up in the settler attack, it could be considered unrelated to the film, so they felt no need to respond.”

https://twitter.com/yuval_abraham/status/1904828586009252249

Abraham called on the Academy to condemn the attack: “While Hamdan was clearly targeted for making No Other Land...

It’s been a day of dramatic developments for No Other Land, the Oscar-winning documentary about life for Palestinian residents in the rural West Bank area of Yasafer Matta.

Hamdan Ballal, one of the two Palestinian filmmakers who joined two Israeli directors to make the film, was released from custody by Israeli authorities Tuesday after prominent members of the documentary community, including Alex Gibney and Maite Alberdi, demanded his release (so did Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo). Israeli police held Ballal overnight after questioning him and two other Palestinians for allegedly throwing stones at Israeli settlers in the West Bank and “endangering regional security.” Ballal and two of his fellow directors – Palestinian Basel Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham – suggested the authorities were offering a false narrative and that it was Ballal who came under attack from masked Israeli settlers.

Ballal told the Associated Press that he was detained at an army base overnight and blindfolded,...

Gold Derby's top news stories for March 25, 2025. No Other Land director Hamdan Ballal released after attack by Israeli settlers, Yuval Abraham says

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been freed after being attacked and detained by Israeli settlers, his co-director Yuval Abraham said on X on Tuesday. "Hamdan Ballal is free and is about to go home to his family," he wrote. In a post on Monday, Abraham said Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers near his home in the West Bank and was taken by soldiers from an ambulance. Jihad Nawajaa, head of the Susiya local council, told Reuters that a group of settlers attacked the Susiya village during a gathering for Iftar, the end of the daily Ramadan fast, on Monday. Ballal, who was injured, was one of three men who were arrested. Ballal's wife Lamia Balall said Monday, "The settlers...