Hiam Abbass
Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass to receive Golden Pyramid Award at CIFF 2025
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- Palestinian actress, writer, and director Hiam Abbass will receive the Golden Pyramid Award at CIFF 2025.
- Her press team confirmed she will officially accept the award on Wednesday, November 19.
- Abbass is celebrated for portraying Palestinian and Arab stories with resilience and humanity.
Palestinian actress, writer, and director Hiam Abbass will be honoured with the prestigious Golden Pyramid Award at the 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), running from November 12 to 21, 2025.
Her press team confirmed to Roya News that she will officially receive the award tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19.
The accolade recognises her lifelong dedication to bringing stories of resilience, identity, and the human spirit from Palestine and the wider Arab world to international audiences.
One of CIFF’s highest honours, the Golden Pyramid Award celebrates outstanding contributions to Egyptian, Arab, and global cinema.
Born in Nazareth in 1960, Abbass studied photography and theatre in Jerusalem before moving to Paris in the late 1980s, where she became a leading voice in Arab cinema. Her filmography includes regional works such as Haifa (1996), Divine Intervention (2002), The Gate of the Sun (2004), Paradise Now (2005), Gaza Mon Amour (2020), Palestine 36 (2025) collaborating with acclaimed directors including Annemarie Jacir, Rashid Masharawi, Elia Suleiman, and Tarzan and Arab Nasser.
Abbass has also gained recognition in international cinema, appearing in Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor (2007), and Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017). On television, she has earned praise for her roles in HBO’s Succession and Hulu’s Ramy, showcasing her versatility across genres and cultures.
Beyond acting, Abbass has directed short films, stage plays, and her feature debut Inheritance (2012), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and the Haifa International Film Festival. Her directorial work delves into themes of identity, memory, and belonging, central motifs that continue to define her creative journey.
By awarding Hiam Abbass the Golden Pyramid, the Cairo International Film Festival not only honours her artistic achievements but also recognises her enduring role in amplifying Palestinian and Arab narratives globally. Her career remains a testament to cinema’s power to bridge cultures, inspire empathy, and give voice to diverse human experiences.
