Ali Abbasi

Ali Abbasi, an Iranian-Danish filmmaker, was born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran. He is renowned for his work as a director and screenwriter, contributing significantly to contemporary cinema.

Abbasi attended Tehran Polytechnic until 2002, after which he emigrated to Europe to study architecture at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in 2007 and subsequently enrolled at the National Film School of Denmark, graduating in 2011 with the short film M for Markus.

In 2016, Abbasi made his feature film debut with Shelley, a horror drama that received critical acclaim for its atmospheric storytelling and direction.

Abbasi's second feature film, Border, premiered in 2018 and won the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards and received a nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

In 2022, Abbasi directed Holy Spider, a Persian-language film based on the true story of a serial killer in Mashhad, Iran. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where lead actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the Best Actress Award. Holy Spider was also selected as the Danish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards and made the December shortlist.

Expanding into television, Abbasi directed the last two episodes of the first season of the series The Last of Us in 2023, showcasing his versatility across different media.

Abbasi's latest film, The Apprentice, a portrait of a young Donald Trump, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, further establishing his presence in international cinema.