The Voice Of Hind Rajab

Source: Venice Film Festival

‘The Voice Of Hind Rajab’

Production and distribution firm WILLA will handle the US release of Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice Of Hind Rajab, with a theatrical release scheduled for December 17.

WILLA, which is an executive producer on the film through its founder and CEO Elizabeth Woodward, will handle the theatrical and digital release of the film through its distribution arm. The Party Film Sales handles sales on the title.

Hind Rajab will open on December 17 in New York’s Film Forum and the seven-site Laemmle Theatres chain in Los Angeles, ahead of a national rollout.

“After weighing numerous opportunities, we chose to keep this release in the family,” said a statement from the film’s producers, Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae and James Wilson. “WILLA brings thoughtfulness and vision to distribution, and together we’re building a release that honors the spirit in which the film was created.”

“It’s a powerful work that demands to be experienced in theaters,” said Woodward.

WILLA will work with partner companies on the film on audience engagement, impact and educational work, with partners including the Amed Khan Foundation aid organisation, the World Within Studios non-profit, Palestine-focused film company Watermelon Pictures, impact firm Common Pictures and co-producers Utopia Studios.

The Voice Of Hind Rajab debuted in competition at Venice Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and got a rapturous reception from the festival audience.

Based on real events from January 2024, the docudrama depicts the response of the Palestinian Red Crescent to the calls of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl trapped in a car in Gaza City under fire from Israeli forces.

Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel and Clara Khoury lead the cast.

Since Venice, the film has won audience awards at San Sebastian and Middleburg film festivals; the Silver Hugo jury prize at Chicago; and has played at Toronto, BFI London Film Festival, and AFI Fest.

It is Tunisia’s entry to the international feature award at the 2026 Oscars. A group of high-profile industry figures joined the film as executive producers shortly before its Venice premiere, including Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuaron, and Jonathan Glazer.

Altitude acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights on the film last month, with a release scheduled for January 16, 2026. Film4, which backed the title, retains television and associated catch-up rights.

The film has already booked screenings at the United Nations, UK and EU parliaments, and multiple US universities, as part of its international impact campaign.

Founded in 2017, Woodward’s US production and distribution firm WILLA has released titles including Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina, Andrew Durham’s Fairyland, co-distributed with Lionsgate, Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen Of My Dreams, and Dina Amer’s You Resemble Me.

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