AGP Executive Report

Gaza on Screen: Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja has scored Life Support, a documentary following medics in Gaza. Its soundtrack also features Palestinian composer Habib Shehada Hanna, Kneecap, 47Soul and Yasmine Hamdan; vinyl profits will support Health Workers 4 Palestine. Art in Solidarity: New Zealand’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale is joining an Oct. 30 strike against arms shipments and the war economy, in solidarity with Palestine. Film Spotlight: Palestinian filmmaker and artist Kamal Aljafari will join the jury for Doha Film Festival’s international feature competition, running Nov. 19–27. Music for Palestine: Macklemore says he has “endless love” for supporters of his Free Palestine tour, which opened with a sold-out Dublin concert featuring Hozier and Kneecap.

Live Music: Macklemore opened his Free Palestine tour in Dublin, calling the sold-out show a powerful start and thanking the artists and supporters who made it happen. Hozier, Kneecap and Palestinian-Israeli singer Lina Makoul joined him onstage. Soundtrack for Gaza: Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja released music for Life Support, a documentary about Gaza’s medics, featuring Kneecap, Yasmine Hamdan and others; proceeds support Health Workers 4 Palestine. Palestinian Cinema: Ropetackle Cinema announced a Palestine on Film season featuring Happy Holidays, Land of Canaan and All That’s Left of You. Theatre and Art: A new book explores contemporary Palestinian theatre, while Glasgow’s Arika festival brings Palestinian voices together through art and ideas.

Live Music: Macklemore’s Dublin concert launched his Free Palestine tour, with Hozier and Kneecap joining him; he called the show one of the most beautiful moments of his life. Music for Gaza: Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja released music for Life Support, a documentary about Gaza’s medics. The soundtrack also features Kneecap, Yasmine Hamdan and others, with proceeds supporting Health Workers 4 Palestine. Palestinian Cinema: A new academy is giving Gaza’s women filmmakers a place to develop their work. A UK cinema season is also screening Palestinian films, including All That’s Left of You. Art & Exhibitions: A Gaza City art collective’s work is on show at Dublin’s IMMA, while a Kuwait exhibition spotlights Palestinian women beyond conflict and displacement.

Music & Solidarity: Macklemore’s sold-out Dublin show launched his Free Palestine tour, with Hozier and Kneecap joining him and Mark Ruffalo making a surprise appearance. Macklemore called it one of the most beautiful moments of his life. Palestinian Cinema: A new academy is creating space for Gaza’s women filmmakers to turn their experiences into films. In Britain, Screen With No Borders is also bringing Palestinian stories to cinemas, with screenings including All That’s Left of You. Film Access: Watermelon Pictures will waive fees and offer discounted or free screenings of Gaza documentary American Doctor in around 50 cities from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, with a free week of streaming. Visual Arts: A Kuwait exhibition spotlights Palestinian women beyond conflict and displacement.

Art and Childhood: Palestinian children’s drawings shared through MSF sessions depict water queues under fire, tanks and tents, offering a stark glimpse of war’s impact on their sense of home. Palestinian Cinema: Gaza’s women filmmakers are turning pain into film as a new academy launches. The documentary NAZA, about Israel’s use of AI in Gaza, earned a 25-minute ovation at Venice but missed the IDA Awards feature shortlist. Music: Macklemore opened his sold-out Free Palestine tour in Dublin with Hozier and Kneecap, calling for unity after his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour over his Palestine remarks. Exhibitions: A Kuwait showcase puts Palestinian women’s lives beyond conflict and displacement in focus.

Music for Palestine: Macklemore launched his sold-out Free Palestine Tour in Dublin, joined by Hozier, Kneecap and Beoga. Mark Ruffalo, Julian Casablancas and other stars sent messages of support. Organizers said the benefit would support Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, as the fallout from Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour continued. Art from conflict zones: Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery opened The Rupture: No Condition Is Permanent, bringing together 16 international artists, including creators from Gaza, to explore war, displacement and social change through film, photography, sculpture and sound. Palestinian journalists’ work: The forthcoming book Journalism Is Not a Crime gathers reporting and images by 60 living Palestinian journalists and commemorates 20 who have died. For children: A kite-making and flying event in Portadown on October 31 will invite children to send messages of hope to children in Palestine and the West Bank.

Film: Palestinian filmmaker and artist Kamal Aljafari will join the international jury at the Doha Film Festival, led by Japanese director Naomi Kawase. Literature: Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah is returning to Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027, after her removal from the previous program triggered a boycott and the event’s cancellation. Music & Solidarity: Macklemore launched his sold-out Free Palestine benefit tour in Dublin with Hozier, Kneecap and other guests; proceeds support groups providing aid and services to Palestinians.

Live Music: Turnstile drew more than 60,000 fans to a free Washington show benefiting humanitarian work in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon, leading a “Free Palestine” chant and raising a reported $150,000. Music: Macklemore is back on stage after the fallout over his “Free Palestine” support, with a Dublin performance and tour keeping the cause in the spotlight. Visual Arts: A Delhi exhibition brings Palestinian embroidery together with traditions from Kashmir and Bengal; in Dublin, an exhibition by a Gaza City art collective has opened at IMMA. Film: A documentary on Gaza is now screening at Tyneside Cinema, bringing Palestinian stories to local audiences.

Music & Solidarity: Tones and I joined Macklemore on his sold-out Free Palestine tour, with ticket proceeds from its Dublin, Paris and London shows going to Palestinian charities. Cross-Cultural Music: At Jodhpur RIFF, Polish singer Karolina Cicha and Rajasthani folk artist Anita Dangi built a set around connection across cultures; Cicha said she had included verses for a free Palestine in a previous performance. Benefit Concerts: Turnstile drew an estimated 60,000 people to a free Washington, D.C., show supporting humanitarian aid in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon, raising more than $240,000. Palestinian Cinema: NBC’s Filmed in Gaza follows Palestinian producer Samed Abu Zarifa and videographer Samir Al Boji, the network’s only on-the-ground reporting team in Gaza, documenting their work and the dangers facing journalists. Visual Art: A Gaza Biennale exhibition in Sarajevo brings art and resistance from the besieged territory into focus.

TV and Palestine: Nadia Sawalha reportedly plans to take ITV to court, saying she was dropped from Loose Women after speaking out in support of Palestinians. Music and activism: Macklemore faces calls from UK peers to have his entry permission revoked ahead of his Wembley “Free Palestine” show; critics object to possible donations from the concert, not confirmed payments. On-screen debate: Nobody Wants This creator Erin Foster says she disagrees with star Adam Brody’s support for a free Palestine, but considers debate between colleagues acceptable. Palestinian stories: A documentary about civilians killed in Gaza is screening at Tyneside Cinema, while Gaza cellist Haifa Abu Shamla is using music to tell a story beyond survival.

Film Festivals: El Gouna’s top narrative prize went to Safe Exit, while Palestine–France documentary Citizen Osama won the festival’s documentary Golden Star and best Arab documentary. Rakeen Saad was named best actress for Owl. On Screen: A film documenting civilian killings in Gaza is now showing at Tyneside Cinema. Regional Creativity: Amman Design Week is putting creative voices from across the region in the spotlight.

Palestinian Cinema: Palestinian films stood out at El Gouna Film Festival: Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday, the Eye Did Not Sleep won Best Arab Feature, while Ahmad Hassouna’s Citizen Osama took the documentary Golden Star and Best Arab Documentary. Music & Activism: Macklemore launched his “Free Palestine” tour at Red Rocks, calling for Palestinian freedom and solidarity with people affected by conflict; he had recently been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour. Film Distribution: Neon has teamed up with the makers of NAZA, a Gaza documentary, to bring the award-winning film to wider audiences.

Music & Expression: Irish folk group Beoga used a performance on The Late Late Show to declare “Free Palestine.” The band also discussed leaving Ed Sheeran’s tour after Macklemore was dropped over pro-Palestinian comments, saying it remains open to dialogue with Sheeran. Visual Arts: A Gaza City art collective’s exhibition has opened at Dublin’s IMMA. In Berlin, Palestinian photographers Mohammed Badame and Haya Khoury say their Untold Palestine platform and Galerie Nord exhibition help Palestinians tell their own stories and support local journalists. Film: Gaza Bride 17, a film about a father’s grief, screened at the Boston Palestine Film Festival.

Gaza Art: A Gaza City art collective’s exhibition has opened at Dublin’s IMMA, while artists at the Gaza Biennale in Sarajevo use their work to bear witness to siege and resistance. Palestinian Stories on Screen: Neon has picked up NAZA, a documentary confronting viewers with how mass killing is made routine; filmmaker Rakan Mayasi also spoke about seeking unconventional stories and communities rarely seen on film. Writers and Solidarity: Sally Rooney’s books are being withdrawn from UK sale amid concerns that her support for Palestine Action could expose her to prosecution. Actors including Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones have backed her. Palestinian Lives: Writer Mohammed Massoud Morsi reflected on telling Palestinian stories beyond the headlines.

Gaza Art: An exhibition by a Gaza City art collective has opened at Ireland’s IMMA, bringing Palestinian artists’ work to an international audience. Film: The Gaza documentary NAZA is gaining wider distribution through Neon; its interviews with Israeli military personnel examine how civilian deaths are rationalized. Books & Free Expression: UK retailers are withdrawing Sally Rooney’s books amid legal concerns tied to her support for Palestine Action. More than 150 writers and artists, including Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, have called for the restrictions to end. Palestinian Cinema: Doha Film Festival’s Made in Qatar competition will showcase eight local films, while actor Hiam Abbass is set to receive an honorary European Film Academy award.

Documentary Spotlight: Neon has boarded NAZA, the Gaza documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, widening its release as the film builds awards-season momentum. Palestinian Film: Gaza Bride 17, a portrait of a father’s grief, is screening at the Boston Palestine Film Festival. Artists Speak Out: Paul Mescal, Kneecap and more than 150 writers and artists are backing Sally Rooney after her books were withdrawn from UK sale over her support for Palestine Action. Career Honour: Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass will receive the European Film Academy’s honorary award for her contribution to world cinema.