EXCLUSIVE: Alana Hadid, the fashion designer and sister of models Bella and Gigi, is launching film production and distribution label Watermelon Pictures.

The firm’s website describes Watermelon as a “Palestinian-owned independent film distribution, production, and financing” outfit.

The company will focus on “cultural representation and social advocacy, and be dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers across the globe”.

The first movie on the label is documentary Walled Off about the Walled Off Hotel, a Palestinian managed-hotel which was financed and designed by British street artist Banksy and is located in Bethlehem opposite the Israeli West Bank barrier wall. The film looks at the lives of Palestinians living in the area and discusses the importance of creative resistance as a form of protest. 

Pic is written and directed by Vin Arfuso, an American filmmaker of Palestinian and Italian descent, and will get a limited theatrical run and digital release in the U.S. from May 3, 2024.

The movie is co-produced by Hadid’s brother, American-Palestinian model and musician Anwar Hadid, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters — whose political views, including those on Israel, have stoked controversy in recent years — and Kweku Mandela, grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

“Our goal is to provide a safe haven for excluded voices striving for creative resistance,” said Alana Hadid, Creative Director of Watermelon Pictures. “Through our film releases, we aim to educate and inspire audiences worldwide to stand up against injustice.”

A company statement added that “The Watermelon Pictures brand embodies the vibrancy and resilience of Palestinian culture, symbolized by the iconic fruit that shares its colors with the Palestinian flag”.