Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass will receive the European Achievement in World Cinema Award, the honorary prize presented by the European Film Academy. She will be honoured at the 39th European Film Awards, scheduled to take place in Athens on January 16, 2027, where she will attend as the ceremony’s honorary guest.
The Academy said the award recognises a “unique contribution to the world of film,” according to British Cinematographer, which published the Academy’s statement. The announcement was reported on October 21 by Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and British Cinematographer. The ceremony will be streamed live on the European Film Awards website, according to British Cinematographer.
Born in Nazareth to a Palestinian family forced into exile in 1948, Abbass began her acting career at the Palestinian National Theatre El-Hakawati in East Jerusalem, a venue that was often closed by Israeli authorities. During a theatre tour through Europe, she decided to leave Palestine for London. She has lived in Paris since the late 1980s.
Abbass secured her first lead role in 1989 in La Nuit Miraculeuse, directed by Ariane Mnouchkine. Since then, she has appeared in more than 100 films across Palestinian, Arab and international productions, building a career that spans more than three decades.
Her film credits include Raja Amari’s Satin Rouge, Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now, Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor and Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049. Other titles listed by the European Film Academy include Cherien Dabis’s Amreeka, Jim Jarmusch’s The Limits of Control, Julian Schnabel’s Miral and Gaza Mon Amour, directed by Arab and Tarzan Nasser. Her recent work includes Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36.
On television, Abbass appeared in the Hulu series Ramy. She also played Marcia Roy, the wife of Brian Cox’s Logan Roy, in HBO’s Succession. The performance earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2023, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The honorary award marks another milestone in Abbass’s relationship with the European Film Awards. She has previously received two nominations, both for films directed by Eran Riklis. In 2005, she was nominated for the People’s Choice Award for The Syrian Bride, followed by a European Actress nomination in 2008 for Lemon Tree. The latter film also earned her an Asia Pacific Screen Award.
Her performance in In Syria, directed by Philippe Van Leeuw, brought further recognition, earning her a nomination at the French Lumière Awards in 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Abbass’s family is also connected to the European Film Awards. Her daughter, Lina Soualem, directed the documentary Bye Bye Tiberias, which was nominated for the awards in 2024, as Deadline reported. The film returns to the village of Deir Hanna and explores bold choices and the bond with family.
Alongside her acting career, Abbass has also worked as a director. Her film Inheritance screened at festivals in Gijón and São Paulo, as well as at Venice Days in 2012.
To mark the honour, European cultural channel ARTE will present a selection of films starring Abbass in partnership with the European Film Academy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Syrian Bride will be broadcast on television and made available to stream on arte.tv, while Inheritance and Foreign Body will be available online. ARTE co-produced The Syrian Bride and Inheritance.
The award will be presented at the 39th European Film Awards in Athens on January 16, 2027. Abbass’s career, which began on the stage at a theatre in Jerusalem and has since extended across more than 100 films, reflects a sustained contribution to Palestinian, Arab and international cinema. The European Film Academy’s honorary recognition places that body of work at the centre of this year’s awards.
