New Mountain Lands 'House Of Hope' Doc For North America
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- New Mountain Films acquired North American theatrical and streaming rights to "House of Hope," with the deal negotiated by CEO Khaled Sabbour and First Hand Films' Esther van Messel and Shiran Shmerling
- "House of Hope" follows Manar and Milad, a couple running a pacifist Waldorf elementary school in al-Eizariya on Jerusalem's outskirts, directed by Amsterdam-based filmmaker Marjolein Busstra with a Palestinian crew including Dutch-Palestinian cinematographer Abu Mosab
- The film world premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam in 2025, then won Hot Docs Best International Feature Documentary award in Toronto this May, qualifying it for Best Documentary Feature consideration at the 99th Academy Awards
- "House of Hope" is produced by Ruby Deelen and Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen for 100% Film in coproduction with Ossama Bawardi and May Jabareen for Palestine-based Philistine Films
- New Mountain Films plans a theatrical rollout in select major North American markets in mid-October 2026 before moving the title to NM+, its purpose-driven streaming platform that converts audience watch-time directly into charitable giving
Why it matters: The Hot Docs Best International Feature Documentary win qualifies "House of Hope" for Best Documentary Feature consideration at the 99th Academy Awards, giving New Mountain's mid-October 2026 theatrical rollout an Oscar-contender hook. The NM+ distribution model — converting viewer watch-time into charitable donations — also reframes the post-theatrical release as a sustained fundraising vehicle rather than a passive streaming run.
