Seeds of Change: How Palestinian-Owned Watermelon Pictures Is Creating Space for Underseen Perspectives

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Watermelon Pictures, established with the goal of challenging conventional portrayals about Palestinians and underrepresented groups, was born at a crucial moment. This film financing and distribution company emerged right as it became necessary to document the hardships arising from the conflict in Gaza.

Established in April 2024, Watermelon Pictures – a Chicago-based company founded by brothers Badie Ali and Hamza Ali – has quickly made a global impact since it first opened for business. Notable productions like “From Ground Zero”, “The Encampments”, and their latest work, “The Teacher”, have helped them achieve this recognition.

(This version maintains the original structure and information while using simpler, more conversational language.)

The siblings are originally from a lineage deeply entrenched in the film and television industry. Watermelon Pictures is a division of MPI Media Group, a Chicago-based company that their father and uncle established in 1976. Currently, Watermelon employs approximately 20 people.

Hamza Ali clarifies, ‘We’re essentially carrying on what they started – we’ve been part of this field for some time now, so we’re familiar with its intricacies.’ He adds, ‘I believe this is something that my late uncle would admire.’

The Encampments” is a documentary detailing the establishment of a pro-Palestinian protest camp on Columbia University’s campus as the situation in Gaza worsened. On the other hand, “The Teacher,” featuring Saleh Bakri and Imogen Poots, is a narrative film centered around a Palestinian schoolteacher dealing with his students’ challenges while developing a romantic relationship with a British humanitarian worker. Watermelon distributed “The Teacher” in limited theaters in April following its acquisition of distribution rights in January at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

The anthology movie titled “From Ground Zero” assembles narratives from 22 Palestinian filmmakers. This film was released in 2024 and made it to the Academy Awards shortlist for the best international film category. More recently, the movie “The Encampments” had a remarkable opening weekend in late March, debuting exclusively at New York’s Angelika Film Center. It earned nearly $80,000 and surpassed the per-theater-average record previously held by National Geographic’s “Free Solo.

Actually, the original plan was for the documentary to be released in the fall season. However, considering the current global situation, the team at Watermelon opted to bring forward the release date.

Given the recent events at Columbia, as well as actions by the Trump administration and ICE, we believed it was crucial to present an alternative perspective to the story that’s been portrayed,” Hamza Ali explains.

The brothers have prioritized ensuring successful cinematic showings for Watermelon Films and establishing valuable connections with influential personalities like Michael Moore and Macklemore, who have taken on executive producer roles in Watermelon productions. Badie Ali refers to this work as “community building” that grows naturally. Moreover, social media has proven essential in rallying viewers, according to Alana Hadid, the creative director and de facto brand representative of the company.

Hadid notes that we’ve put a lot of effort into grassroots promotion and it has been successful. Interestingly, we’ve barely needed paid advertising because these films seem to resonate with people so strongly. It suggests that there is a high demand for such content.

Hadid explains that when Badie and Hamza Ali combined efforts on Watermelon, they didn’t approach it with the expectation of earning profits. Despite the unexpected attention and producers expressing interest to collaborate specifically with Watermelon, Hadid acknowledges that they are leaving an impression in a market often considered narrow or specialized.

Hadid explains, ‘We haven’t experienced resistance as such, but rather, these specific films haven’t been showcased on platforms before.’

Watermelon is planning to broaden its influence by debuting Watermelon+, a subscription-based streaming service in May, which will establish a unique cultural archive focusing on Palestinian movies from the last three decades. As Hamza Ali explains, this move guarantees that these films, if they don’t find another avenue, will still have a home to exist.

In preparation for the release of “To A Land Unknown,” Watermelon’s executive vice president Justin DiPietro, who boasts extensive distribution experience from his tenure at IFC and Netflix, understands that persuading art house theater exhibitors to screen their narrative dramas calls for a unique strategy.

DiPietro explains, “In truth, ‘The Teacher’ isn’t strictly a Palestinian film in my mind. It does have ties to the director and the narrative, but I’ve been presenting it more as a gripping political thriller that an intellectually-minded crowd would appreciate.

Simultaneously, the siblings acknowledge that Watermelon should create narratives spanning various genres, focusing on marginalized communities beyond Palestine. They point to series such as Hulu’s “Army” and Netflix’s “Mo” as compelling examples demonstrating the increasing demand for content originating from this area.

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In unison, the brothers understand that Watermelon should produce multigenre stories highlighting marginalized groups outside of Palestine. They refer to shows like Hulu’s “Army” and Netflix’s “Mo” as powerful evidence of concepts that cater to the burgeoning interest in content from this region.

Badie Ali expresses, when sharing our comedies, dramas, and other popular tales, we aim to bring a more personal touch to our often overlooked region. This is where we can make the greatest difference.”

“He continues, ‘We recognized that we are the only Arab-led North American distribution company. Instead of waiting for others, we decided it’s up to us to use our platform to showcase ourselves.’

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2025-05-02 20:47