Watermelon Pictures is an American film production and distribution company founded in 2024 by Badie and Hamza Ali. The company has distributed Israelism (2023), Life Is Beautiful (2023), From Ground Zero (2024), To a Land Unknown (2024), and The Encampments (2025).
History MPI Media Group, an independent distribution company, was founded by the brothers Malik Ali and Waleed Ali. Malik's sons Badie and Hamza Ali launched Watermelon Pictures, a company specializing in film production, financing, and distribution, with Alana Hadid set to serve as creative director, in April 2024. The mission of the company is to showcase Palestinians and Arabs, who they state have been poorly represented and dehumanized in mainstream media. At the end of 2025 Hadid left the company.
The company's first release Walled Off, a documentary focusing on The Walled Off Hotel, directed by Vin Arfuso, and executive produced by Roger Waters, Kweku Mandela and Anwar Hadid was released on May 3, 2024. Watermelon Pictures launched a streaming service in May 2025 dubbed Watermelon+. The service secured the rights to 70 films including, Omar, 5 Broken Cameras and Theeb".
Credits + Release Title Notes May 3, 2024 Walled Off U.S. distribution June 7, 2024 Israelism North American distribution November 15, 2024 Life Is Beautiful North American distribution January 3, 2025 From Ground Zero North American distribution March 28, 2025 The Encampments Co-production with BreakThrough News and distribution April 4, 2025 The Teacher U.S. distribution July 11, 2025 To a Land Unknown North American distribution August 8, 2025 Sudan, Remember Us U.S. distribution August 15, 2025 The Glassworker U.S. distribution October 7, 2025 Pistachio Wars Worldwide distribution November 20, 2025 Shoot the People Worldwide distribution November 28, 2025 All That's Left of You North American distribution December 17, 2025 The Voice of Hind Rajab Produced "in association with" February 6, 2026 White Man Walking North American distribution February 13, 2026 Palestine 36 North American distribution April 17, 2026 Mārama North American distribution with Dark Sky Films
Upcoming + Release Title Notes 2026 Who Killed Alex Odeh? North American distribution 2026 The Six Billion Dollar Man North American distribution 2026 Landscapes of Memory North American distribution 2026 El Sett North American distribution 2026 Roqia U.S distribution 2026 American Doctor North American distribution There Was, There Was Not U.S. digital distribution Traces of Home North American distribution Who Is Still Alive American distribution Thirteen in Gaza North American distribution Scott Roxborough, "Watermelon Pictures Acquires ‘Thirteen in Gaza’ Out of TIFF". The Hollywood Reporter, September 16, 2026.
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