Veteran Palestinian actress and filmmaker Hiam Abbass has been selected to receive the 2027 European Achievement in World Cinema Award. The honor celebrates Abbass for her outstanding contributions and extensive body of work across regional and international cinema, marking another significant milestone in a career that has spanned nearly four decades.
The tribute will be officially presented at the 39th European Film Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place in Athens, Greece, in January 2027. The recognition underscores Abbass's longstanding influence in European cinema, which began with her first leading film performance in Ariane Mnouchkine’s 1989 feature "La Nuit Miraculeuse."
From East Jerusalem Stage to Global Cinema
Abbass was born in Nazareth to a Palestinian family that experienced forced exile in 1948. She initiated her artistic journey on stage at the Palestinian National Theatre El-Hakawati in East Jerusalem, an institution that faced repeated closures by Israeli authorities. Her path shifted internationally during a theater tour in Europe, leading her to move to London before eventually establishing her home in Paris in the late 1980s.
Over the course of her extensive screen career, Abbass has compiled more than 100 acting credits spanning Palestinian, Arab, European, and American projects. Her filmography includes acclaimed titles such as Hany Abu-Assad's "Paradise Now," Tom McCarthy's drama "The Visitor," Jim Jarmusch's "The Limits of Control," Julian Schnabel's "Miral," Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic "Blade Runner 2049," the Nasser brothers' "Gaza Mon Amour," and Annemarie Jacir's "Palestine 36."
Awards History and Major Television Roles
Abbass is no stranger to the European Film Academy, having secured two previous European Film Award nominations for projects directed by Eran Riklis. She earned a People's Choice Award nomination in 2005 for "The Syrian Bride" and followed with a European Actress nomination in 2008 for "Lemon Tree," a performance that also secured her an Asia Pacific Screen Award.
Her film honors extend to other European circuits, including a 2018 nomination at France’s Lumière Awards for her lead performance in Philippe Van Leeuw’s "In Syria." Beyond feature films, Abbass has achieved widespread acclaim on television. She played a recurring role in the Hulu comedy-drama series "Ramy" and achieved broad international recognition as Marcia Roy, the wife of Brian Cox's media magnate Logan Roy, on HBO's hit drama "Succession." That role earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2023.
Directorial Work and Dedicated Retrospectives
In addition to performing, Abbass has made her mark behind the camera as a director. Her feature film "Inheritance" made the festival rounds internationally, premiering at Venice Days in 2012 and screening at film festivals in Gijón and São Paulo.
To commemorate her honorary achievement, European cultural broadcaster ARTE is teaming with the European Film Academy to present a curated showcase of Abbass's work. The programming includes "The Syrian Bride," which will be broadcast on television and made available to stream on arte.tv. Viewers will also be able to stream her directorial feature "Inheritance" alongside the film "Foreign Body" on the arte.tv platform. ARTE previously served as a co-producer on both "The Syrian Bride" and "Inheritance."
Abbass will formally accept her European Achievement in World Cinema Award when the European Film Academy gathers for the 39th European Film Awards in Athens on January 16, 2027.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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