CIFF to Honour Palestinian Star Hiam Abbass With Golden Pyramid Award
Beyond acting, Abbass has directed several short films and stage productions, as well as her debut feature Inheritance (2012), exploring questions of identity, memory, and belonging.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced that Palestinian actress, writer, and director Hiam Abbass will receive the Golden Pyramid Award at its 46th edition, set to run from November 12th to 21st, 2025. The award celebrates her “lifelong dedication to telling stories that reflect the resilience and spirit of the Palestinian people and the wider Arab world.”
Over a career spanning more than a hundred films, Abbas has become one of the Arab world’s most recognised figures in international cinema. Her Arab film credits include Haifa (1996), Divine Intervention (2002), The Gate of the Sun (2004), Paradise Now (2005), and Gaza Mon Amour (2020). Abbass has also worked with some of the region’s leading directors, from Rashid Masharawi and Elia Suleiman to Tarzan and Arab Nasser.
Internationally, Abbass has appeared in major films such as Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), Thomas McCarthy’s The Visitor (2007), and Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017). On television, she earned wide acclaim for her roles in HBO’s Succession and Hulu’s Ramy.
Beyond acting, Abbass has directed several short films and stage productions, as well as her debut feature Inheritance (2012), exploring questions of identity, memory, and belonging.
