Sameh Zoabi

Sameh Zoabi is a Palestinian Israeli film writer and director best known for his 2019 film Tel Aviv on Fire.

Childhood and education

Zoabi grew up in Iksal, a village near Nazareth, Israel. His father is a farmer. He studied at Tel Aviv University, graduating with a dual degree in film studies and literature. He then attended Columbia University on a Fulbright scholarship, receiving his MFA in 2005.
Zoabi lives in Brooklyn and teaches at New York University.

Career

Zoabi made Be Quiet, a short film, in 2005. His feature length debut was Man Without a Cell Phone. He won Best Screenplay Award at 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Tel Aviv on Fire. The movie was also nominated for a 2019 European Film Award for Best Comedy and was Luxembourg's submission to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.