Hany Abu-Assad

Hany Abu-Assad is a Palestinian-Dutch film director and producer who has gained international recognition for his thought-provoking andcritically acclaimed films. Born on October 11, 1961, Abu-Assad has beennominated for two Academy Awardsthroughout his career. He studied Engineering in the Netherlands from 1981 to 1987, but his passion for filmmaking led him to pursue a career in the industry.

In 1990, Abu-Assad co-foundedAyloul Film Productionswith Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi. He directed his first feature film, titled "Het 14e kippetje/The Fourteenth Chick," in 1998. This marked the beginning of a successful filmmaking journey that would later earn him international acclaim.

Two of Abu-Assad's most notable films are "Paradise Now" (2005) and "Omar" (2013). Both movies received Academy Award nominations. "Omar" not only received an Oscar nomination but also won the Special Jury Prize of Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.

Abu-Assad's filmography encompasses a diverse range of works. He has directed short films like "To Whom It May Concern" (1991) and "A Boy, a Wall and a Donkey" (2008). His documentaries include "Nazareth 2000" (2001) and the co-directed "Do Not Forget Me Istanbul" (2011). Abu-Assad has also worked on feature films such as "Al qods fee yom akhar/Rana's Wedding" (2002), "Ford Transit" (2004), "The Courier" (2012), "Ya tayr el tayer/The Idol" (2015), and "The Mountain Between Us" (2017), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.