Watermelon Pictures has closed a deal to acquire North American rights to "Thirteen in Gaza," the narrative feature debut from Palestinian director Hosam Abu Dan, following its showing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The distributor confirmed the acquisition exclusively to Hollywood Buzz News. The film, a 77-minute war drama shot in Arabic, had its release dated September 15, 2026.

The deal marks one of the first major acquisitions to emerge from this year's TIFF slate, and it hands Watermelon a title that arrives with a distinct critical identity: a small-scale, character-driven portrait rather than a sweeping combat epic. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

A Father, a Daughter, and the Texture of Daily Life

"Thirteen in Gaza" centers on a father and his teenage daughter as they navigate ordinary existence inside a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. According to the film's official overview, Abu Dan constructs a nuanced and deeply human portrait of the pair, placing their routines, frictions and small negotiations against a backdrop of sustained conflict.

That approach - war as context rather than spectacle - has become a defining characteristic of the film's reception on the festival circuit. At 77 minutes, the feature runs well under standard dramatic length, a choice that suggests a tight, observational focus. The cast has not been publicly announced.

The project is classified under the war and drama genres, though its emphasis on domestic life places it closer to intimate family portraiture than to the battlefield narratives that typically dominate the category.

A Debut With a Distinct Perspective

For Abu Dan, "Thirteen in Gaza" represents a move into narrative filmmaking. The director, credited in materials as Hossam Hamdi Abu Dan, has built the project around a perspective rooted in lived experience rather than outside observation - a framing that has drawn attention from programmers and buyers alike.

Watermelon Pictures' acquisition gives the distributor a prestige festival title with clear arthouse positioning. The company has not yet announced a theatrical release plan, a streaming partner or an awards campaign, and no box-office projections were provided.

The film's commercial profile remains difficult to assess. Its TMDb rating currently sits at 0/10, reflecting a lack of aggregated audience voting rather than any critical judgment - a common state for titles that have only just begun their festival life.

What the Deal Signals

For Watermelon, the pickup continues a pattern of acquiring director-driven international work out of the fall festival circuit, where rights to smaller dramas are often settled quickly in the days following a premiere. For Abu Dan, the sale provides a North American distribution foothold at the very start of his narrative career.

The timing is notable. TIFF acquisitions in recent years have increasingly favored films with strong cultural specificity and manageable budgets, and "Thirteen in Gaza" fits that profile: a single-language, sub-80-minute drama with a first-time narrative director at the helm.

It also arrives during a period of heightened industry attention to Palestinian stories, though the film's own materials emphasize the personal over the political - a father, a daughter, and the daily work of getting through a day.

What Comes Next

Watermelon has not indicated whether it will pursue a traditional theatrical window or move directly to a streaming or digital release. Festival holdovers and additional international sales are likely to follow, though no further territory deals have been confirmed.

For now, the acquisition stands as one of the more quietly significant pieces of business to come out of this year's Toronto edition: a small film, a first-time narrative director, and a distributor betting that a 77-minute story about a family in a refugee camp can find an audience beyond the festival bubble.

"Thirteen in Gaza" is currently dated for a September 15, 2026 release. Further details on the North American rollout are expected to be announced by Watermelon Pictures in the coming weeks.

Source: Hollywood Reporter