Ali Abbasi (director)
Ali Abbasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 Iran |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Shelley, Border, Holy Spider, The Apprentice, The Last of Us (TV series) |
Ali Abbasi (, born in 1981) is a filmmaker of Iranian-Danish heritage, recognized for his work on Shelley (2016), Border (2018), Holy Spider (2022), and The Apprentice (2024). Additionally, he directed the concluding two episodes of the inaugural season of The Last of Us. Throughout his career, Abbasi has been honored with several awards, including an Un Certain Regard prize, four Robert Awards, and a German Film Award. He has also received nominations for seven European Film Awards, a Goya Award, two Guldbagge Awards, as well as multiple Academy Awards.
Early and personal life
Abbasi pursued his studies at Tehran Polytechnic until 2002 before relocating to Sweden to study architecture at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. After obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2007, he continued his education at the National Film School of Denmark, where he graduated in 2011 with the short film M for Markus.
He currently lives in Copenhagen and holds an Iranian passport.
2018: Border
Abbasi’s sophomore feature, Border, was released in 2018. The film earned the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected as Sweden’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 91st Academy Awards. Although it did not achieve a nomination in that category, it was nominated for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling award.
2022: Holy Spider
His third feature-length film, Holy Spider (2022), is a Persian-language collaboration among Sweden, Denmark, France, and Germany. The narrative is inspired by the true events surrounding serial killer Saeed Hanaei, who murdered sixteen sex workers in Mashhad, Iran between 2000 and 2001. The story centers on a fictional female journalist investigating these crimes.
Premiering on 22 May 2022, Holy Spider competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Lead actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi received the festival’s Best Actress Award. The film was Denmark’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards, making it to the December shortlist.
2024: The Apprentice
Abbasi’s most recent project, The Apprentice, which depicts a young version of Donald Trump, debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. This film garnered two nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Sebastian Stan and Best Supporting Actor for Jeremy Strong.
Groping allegation
In February 2025, Abbasi was accused of groping an unnamed actor during a Golden Globes after-party hosted by Creative Artists Agency (CAA). No witnesses publicly came forward, and Abbasi issued a statement presenting his perspective on the incident. Early reports suggested that Abbasi had been dropped by CAA along with his management and legal representatives; however, he later clarified that he had voluntarily ended these professional relationships as part of a strategic long-term career choice.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Officer Relaxing After Duty | Yes | Yes | Short format film | |
| 2010 | In the Darkness Is the Light | Yes | Yes | Short format film | |
| 2011 | M for Markus | Yes | Yes | Short film; also credited as editor | |
| 2016 | Shelley | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2018 | Border | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2022 | Holy Spider | Yes | Yes | Additionally served as co-producer | |
| 2024 | The Apprentice | Yes | No |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode/s | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Last of Us | "When We Are in Need", "Look for the Light" | Yes | No | Directed two episodes |
Critical reception
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Shelley | 92% | 62 | ||
| 2018 | Border | 97% | 75 | ||
| 2022 | Holy Spider | 84% | 66 | ||
| 2023 | The Last of Us | "When We Are in Need" | 96% | 84 | |
| "Look for the Light" | 89% | ||||
| 2024 | The Apprentice | 83% | 64 | ||
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work Nominated | Outcome | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodil Awards | 2017 | Best Danish Film | Shelley | Template:Nom | [1] |
| 2019 | Best Non-American Film | Border | Template:Nom | [2] | |
| 2023 | Best Danish Film | Holy Spider | Template:Nom | [3] | |
| Best Screenplay | Template:Won | ||||
| Cannes Film Festival | 2018 | Un Certain Regard | Border | Template:Won | [4] |
| 2022 | Palme d'Or | Holy Spider | Template:Nom | [5] | |
| 2024 | Palme d'Or | The Apprentice | Template:Nom | [6] | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | 2018 | Gold Hugo | Border | Template:Nom | [7] |
| Cork International Film Festival | 2018 | Spirit of the Festival Award | Border | Template:Won | [8] |
| Cinema for Peace awards | 2025 | Political Film of the Year | The Apprentice | Template:Nominated |
| Award | Year | Category | Work Nominated | Outcome |
|---|
External links
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