Last Updated on November 3, 2025 by Daily News Staff

A Palestinian-Israeli film just won an Oscar 

Drew Paul, University of Tennessee

For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar win is a golden ticket.

The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian-Israeli film that just won best documentary feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure may not translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

“No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

The role of film distributors

Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

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The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

There are a couple of factors at play.

Shying away from controversy

In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

Stages for protest

While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

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In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

As he accepted his award, “No Other Land” director Yuval Abraham called out “the foreign policy” of the U.S. for “helping to block” a path to peace.

Even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many Americans, I wonder if the quest to find a U.S. distributor just got even harder.

This article has been updated to clarify that the film was a collaborative effort between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers. It has also been updated to reflect the film’s win at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

https://stmdailynews.com/dreambreaker-a-pickleball-story-a-closer-look-at-the-documentary-and-its-uncredited-voice/

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Last Updated on September 14, 2025 by Daily News Staff

Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story explores the rise of pickleball from a backyard pastime to a professional sport. While the film showcases celebrities and investors, its guiding voice comes from an unexpected source — Michael J. Sliwa, known as Sleeves — who serves as the uncredited narrator.

Pickleball has gone from backyard pastime to one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, drawing athletes, celebrities, and investors into its orbit. The documentary Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story captures this meteoric rise, exploring not just the sport’s grassroots appeal but also the high-stakes business world surrounding professional pickleball.

The film premiered at the San Francisco Documentary Festival in May 2024 before reaching a wider audience through truTV and Max in April 2025. Today, fans can stream the film for free with ads on The Roku Channel in the U.S., giving pickleball enthusiasts everywhere a front-row seat to the story of how this unlikely sport captured global attention.

Inside the Documentary

Directed by Ashley Underwood with contributions from Seth Porges and Mary Pilon, Dreambreaker dives deep into the tension between pickleball’s humble beginnings and its explosive commercialization. It features candid interviews with John McEnroe, Billy Bush, and appearances by household names like LeBron James and Tom Brady, who have invested in professional pickleball leagues.

Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story is NOW on MAX and truTV

The narrative highlights the competing visions of the sport’s future: will pickleball remain a community-driven game of accessibility, or will it evolve into a big-money enterprise dominated by corporate interests and celebrity influence?

The Uncredited Voice Behind the Story

While the film showcases many familiar faces on screen, there’s one voice guiding the audience throughout the journey: Michael J. Sliwa, known to many as “Sleeves.”

Sliwa, a longtime storyteller and passionate communicator, served as the narrator for the documentary. Interestingly, his contribution is not formally credited in the film, yet his voice plays a central role in tying together the history, drama, and cultural significance of pickleball’s rapid rise.

For those who know Sleeves, his trademark delivery brings both authenticity and character to the documentary, grounding the story in a way that reflects pickleball’s true spirit—equal parts grit, playfulness, and community.

Where to Watch

If you haven’t seen Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story yet, here’s where you can catch it:

 The Roku Channel (now streaming free with ads in the U.S.)

As pickleball continues its climb as both a sport and a cultural movement, Dreambreaker stands as an important time capsule of this pivotal moment. And thanks to the uncredited narration of Michael J. “Sleeves” Sliwa, the story is told with a voice that resonates beyond the screen.

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Get the latest updates and information on the rapidly growing sport of pickleball, specifically designed for the senior community aged 50+. Check out Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report on YouTube to stay informed and up-to-date with the ever-changing world of pickleball. Join the community and stay ahead of the game.

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Aliens/ extraterrestrials, door with light – 3D rendering

For more than half a century, filmmakers have attempted to capture the mystery of unidentified flying objects. What began as fringe speculation in the 1970s has transformed into a global discussion about government secrecy, scientific inquiry, and the possibility of life beyond Earth. Across decades, documentaries have reflected society’s changing attitudes toward UFOs—sometimes skeptical, sometimes sensational, and sometimes startlingly credible.

Here’s a look at how UFO documentaries evolved from 1970 to 2025, told through ten of the best films to define the genre.

The 1970s–1990s: Seeds of Curiosity

The 1970s marked an era when UFO culture merged with television and documentary filmmaking. Programs like In Search Of… and BBC’s UFOs: The Real Story offered early treatments of the phenomenon, leaning heavily on speculation. While not as polished as modern films, these works laid the foundation for public interest in unexplained aerial phenomena.

By the 1990s, cases such as Roswell and Rendlesham Forest gained new traction, and UFO coverage began moving into mainstream documentary slots. This was the pre-internet era, when books and television specials shaped public belief.

The 2000s: UFOs Enter the Documentary Mainstream

1. Out of the Blue (2003)

Narrated by Peter Coyote, Out of the Blue became the benchmark for serious UFO documentaries. Featuring astronauts like Gordon Cooper and interviews with scientists, it reframed UFOs as worthy of rational investigation rather than tabloid material.

👉 Related: What We Know About ‘Oumuamua So Far

2. The Secret NASA Transmissions: The Smoking Gun (2001)

While more niche, this film dissected space shuttle footage that appeared to capture strange objects in orbit. It introduced the internet era’s fascination with raw “unexplained footage,” a trend that continues today.

The 2010s: Whistleblowers and Government Shadows

The 2010s were defined by growing distrust of institutions and increased interest in disclosure. Documentaries during this era reflected that climate—probing government secrecy, intelligence operations, and hidden archives.

3. I Know What I Saw (2009)

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James Fox’s follow-up to Out of the Blue gathered credible testimonies from pilots, politicians, and military personnel. It helped legitimize eyewitness accounts and highlighted major incidents like the Phoenix Lights.

👉 Related: The Bertrand and Betty Hill UFO Encounter

4. Mirage Men (2013)

A darker, more sobering film, Mirage Men proposed that many UFO stories may have been planted or manipulated by U.S. intelligence to conceal classified projects. It asked viewers to question not only UFO sightings but also the very narratives surrounding them.

5. Unacknowledged (2017)

Fronted by Dr. Steven Greer, this documentary argued that the government has suppressed UFO-related technologies for decades. Controversial but widely viewed, it reignited debates about disclosure in the age of digital activism.

6. Witness of Another World (2018)

Shifting away from conspiracy, this moving film explored the lifelong impact of an alien encounter on an Argentine man. Rather than focusing on governments, it humanized the UFO phenomenon by emphasizing personal experience.

The 2020s: The Age of UAPs

The release of U.S. Navy “Tic Tac” videos and Congressional hearings on UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) sparked a new wave of documentaries—ones rooted more in official testimony than speculation.

7. The Phenomenon (2020)

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Often called the definitive UFO documentary of its time, The Phenomenon compiled over 70 years of cases with interviews from top officials, including former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It offered a comprehensive and credible account of the UFO mystery.

👉 Related: NASA’s Search for Alien Life Reaches New Heights

8. Ariel Phenomenon (2022)

This haunting film revisited a 1994 event in Zimbabwe where schoolchildren reported a mass sighting. Decades later, the witnesses—now adults—recount the emotional and cultural weight of their experience.

9. Moment of Contact (2022)

Set in Brazil, this documentary examined the infamous Varginha Incident, where locals claimed to have seen and even interacted with non-human beings. Its cinematic approach brought an international dimension to the UFO conversation.

👉 Related: Are Blade Runner and Alien in the Same Universe?

10. The Age of Disclosure (2025)

Premiering at SXSW, this recent entry dives into what some call the modern “UFO disclosure era.” Featuring interviews with military and intelligence officials, along with political voices like Senator Marco Rubio, it suggests that an 80-year cover-up is unraveling before our eyes.

UFO Documentaries as a Mirror of Their Time

From grainy footage in the 1970s to today’s Pentagon reports, UFO documentaries mirror society’s shifting beliefs about authority, technology, and the unknown. Early films thrived on mystery, the 2010s questioned power structures, and the 2020s brought UFOs—now called UAPs—into serious policy discussions.

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Whether one views these documentaries as entertainment, cultural history, or investigative journalism, together they chart humanity’s ongoing attempt to make sense of the skies.

✅ Final Thought: As the world enters what some call a disclosure era, UFO documentaries have moved from the fringes into mainstream dialogue. What was once mocked now sits at the intersection of science, politics, and philosophy—and the story is far from over.

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