Cherien Dabis
Encyclopedia
Cherien Dabis is a Palestinian American
director, producer, and screenwriter. She was named one of Variety
magazine's 10 Directors to Watch in 2009.
to a Palestinian
father and a mother from a wealthy Jordanian family from Salt, Jordan
. She grew up in Ohio
and Jordan
. Dabis received her B.A. with honors in creative writing and communications from the University of Cincinnati
and her M.F.A. in film from Columbia University School of the Arts
in 2004.
, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
and received awards at other festivals. She was a writer with the television series, The L Word
from 2006 to 2008.
Dabis made her feature film debut with Amreeka
which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
. The film also opened to critical praise other important venues. The DVD for Amreeka was released on January 12, 2010 with Make a Wish
.
2010 Independent Spirit Awards
2009 Cairo International Film Festival
2009 Cannes Film Festival
2009 New Directors/New Films
2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Zurich Film Festival
2007 Cairo International Film Festival for Children
2007 Chicago International Children's Film Festival
2007 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
Palestinian American
Palestinian Americans are Americans of Palestinian ancestry. It is difficult to say when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived at the United States; however, many of the first immigrants to arrive were Christians escaping persecution from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century...
director, producer, and screenwriter. She was named one of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine's 10 Directors to Watch in 2009.
Background
Dabis was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
to a Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
father and a mother from a wealthy Jordanian family from Salt, Jordan
Salt, Jordan
Salt is an ancient agricultural town and administrative centre in west-central Jordan. It is on the old main highway leading from Amman to Jerusalem. Situated in the Balqa highland, about 790–1100 metres above sea level, the town is built in the crook of three hills, close to the Jordan River...
. She grew up in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Dabis received her B.A. with honors in creative writing and communications from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
and her M.F.A. in film from Columbia University School of the Arts
Columbia University School of the Arts
The Columbia University School of the Arts , also known simply as the School of the Arts or as SoA, is the division of the university that offers Master of Fine Arts degrees in Film, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and Writing, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies...
in 2004.
Career
Her first short film, Make a WishMake a Wish (2006 film)
Make A Wish is a 2006 Palestinian-American short film by Cherien Dabis. It tells the story of Mariam, an 11-year-old Palestinian girl who faces enormous obstacles buying a birthday cake. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and received a number of awards at other festivals. It was...
, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
2007 Sundance Film Festival
The 2007 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18 until January 28, 2007 in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. It was the 23-rd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival...
and received awards at other festivals. She was a writer with the television series, The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
from 2006 to 2008.
Dabis made her feature film debut with Amreeka
Amreeka
Amreeka is a 2009 American/Canadian/Kuwaiti independent film written and directed by first-time director Cherien Dabis. It stars Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Joseph Ziegler, and Miriam Smith....
which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
. The film also opened to critical praise other important venues. The DVD for Amreeka was released on January 12, 2010 with Make a Wish
Make a Wish (2006 film)
Make A Wish is a 2006 Palestinian-American short film by Cherien Dabis. It tells the story of Mariam, an 11-year-old Palestinian girl who faces enormous obstacles buying a birthday cake. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and received a number of awards at other festivals. It was...
.
Amreeka
2011 Intersections Film Festival- Official Selection: Opening Night
2010 Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
- Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best FilmIndependent Spirit Award for Best FilmThe Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk...
- Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best First ScreenplayIndependent Spirit Award for Best First ScreenplayThe Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.-1990s:1994*David O...
2009 Cairo International Film Festival
2009 Cairo International Film Festival
The 33rd annual Cairo International Film Festival was held from November 10 to November 20, 2009. Indian director Adoor Gopalakrishnan was the President of the Jury.-Films in competition:The following films competed for the Golden Pyramid....
- Won: Best Arabic Film - Cherien Dabis (director), Christina Piovesan (producer)
- Won: Best Arabic Screenplay - Cherien Dabis (director)
2009 Cannes Film Festival
2009 Cannes Film Festival
The 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 13 to May 24, 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert was the President of the Jury. It was announced on March 19, 2009, that Pixar's film Up would open the festival...
- Won: Firpesci Prize - Cherien Dabis
- Official Selection: Directors' FortnightDirectors' FortnightDirectors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
2009 New Directors/New Films
- Official Selection: Opening Night
2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
- Official Selection: Dramatic competition Sundance
2009 Zurich Film Festival
Zurich Film Festival
The Zurich Film Festival ' is an important international film festival, held annually in Zurich, Switzerland. A stated objective of the festival is to discover and support young, aspiring filmmakers and to offer the industry, audiences, the press and a broader public an exciting cinema experience...
- Won: Variety’s New Talent Award
Make a Wish
2007 Aspen Shortsfest- Won :BAFTA/LA Award for Excellence - Honorable Mention
- Won:Special Recognition
2007 Cairo International Film Festival for Children
- Won : Ministry of Culture's Awards for Arabian Feature & Short Films
- 3rd place: Bronze Cairo - Best Short Film
2007 Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Founded in 1975, Facets Multi-Media, located at 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, 60614 Facets Multi-Media is the largest conservator dedicated to the exhibition, distribution & education of foreign, independent & classic cinema...
- Won: Adult's Jury Award - Certificate of Merit Live-Action Short Film or Video
- Won: Peace Prize
2007 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
- Won:Press Award - International Competition
- Won: Special Mention of the Jury - International Competition
Selected filmography
- AmreekaAmreekaAmreeka is a 2009 American/Canadian/Kuwaiti independent film written and directed by first-time director Cherien Dabis. It stars Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Joseph Ziegler, and Miriam Smith....
(2009) (Director, Producer, Writer) - The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
(2006–2008) (Writer) - "Make a WishMake a Wish (2006 film)Make A Wish is a 2006 Palestinian-American short film by Cherien Dabis. It tells the story of Mariam, an 11-year-old Palestinian girl who faces enormous obstacles buying a birthday cake. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and received a number of awards at other festivals. It was...
" (2006) (Director, Producer, Writer - short film)