Biography
Scandar Copti is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and visual artist.
Ajami (2009), his first feature film, co-directed with Yaron Shani, won the Camera d'Or Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival; was nominated for the 82nd Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category; and received the Sutherland Trophy (2009).
His video art projects have been exhibited worldwide at venues such as the Gutman Museum, NYU Abu Dhabi Gallery, b_tour Foothold Festival, Beit AlKarmeh and the Oslo Kunstforening Art Gallery, among others.
Copti has served on the jury of many film festivals, including Tribeca and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. He was also the President of the Human Rights Award at the Istanbul Film Festival.
He was one of the founders of the Doha Film Institute, established in 2010, and headed its education department until 2011. From 2014 to 2017 he helmed the Film and New Media programme at NYU Abu Dhabi, where he continues to teach filmmaking till today.