Annemarie Jacir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annemarie Jacir
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Actress Reem Abu Sbaih (left) and composer Kamran Rastegar (second left), with Jacir (right) at Cannes in 2003 for world premiere of like twenty impossibles
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| Occupation | Director, actress, poet, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1998–present |
Annemarie Jacir (Arabic: آن ماري جاسر) is a talented Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer. She creates movies, writes stories, and helps make films happen.
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Annemarie Jacir's Film Career
Annemarie Jacir studied filmmaking at Columbia University in 2002. She has been making independent films since 1998. Many of her films have won awards. Her movies have been shown at major film festivals around the world. These include famous festivals like Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. Three of her longer films were chosen to represent Palestine for the Academy Awards (Oscars).
Early Films and Awards
Her short film, Like Twenty Impossibles, was very special. It was the first Arab short film ever chosen for the official selection at the Cannes International Film Festival. This film was also a finalist for the Student Academy Awards. It won more than 15 awards at international festivals. These awards included Best Film at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and the Chicago International Film Festival. like twenty impossibles was even named one of the top ten films of 2003 by Film Comment Magazine.
In 2007, Annemarie Jacir directed Salt of this Sea. This was the first feature film made by a Palestinian woman director. The story is about a working-class American woman. Her parents were Palestinian refugees. The film shows her first trip back to her family's homeland.
Award-Winning Feature Films
Salt of this Sea was also shown at the Cannes Film Festival. It won the FIPRESCI Critics Award and 14 other international awards. It was Palestine's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. The film also won the Muhr Arab Award for Best Screenplay. This award was given at the Dubai International Film Festival. The movie starred poet Suheir Hammad and actor Saleh Bakri.
Her second feature film, When I Saw You, also won many honors. It was named Best Asian Film at the Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival). It also won Best Arab Film in Abu Dhabi. This film received nominations at the Asian Pacific Screen Awards. Annemarie Jacir works on both fiction and documentary films. Other films she worked on include Until When and A Few Crumbs for the Birds. She also filmed A Few Crumbs for the Birds herself.
In 2011, famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou chose her for a special program. This was part of the Rolex Arts Initiative. Annemarie Jacir also helps organize film events. She actively supports independent cinema in her region. She founded Philistine Films. She often works with other filmmakers as an editor, screenwriter, and producer. Her 2017 film Wajib won or was nominated for 35 international awards. These included Best Film in Mar Del Plata, Dubai, and Locarno.
Annemarie Jacir's Other Work
Poetry and Writing
Annemarie Jacir's poetry and stories have been printed in many literary magazines. These include Mizna and the Crab Orchard Review. Her work also appeared in The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology. She has read her poetry with the famous poet Amiri Baraka. She has won several awards for her screenwriting. She was also a finalist for a major screenwriting award in Paris.
Serving on Film Juries
Annemarie Jacir has been a jury member at important film festivals. In 2018, she was on the Un Certain Regard jury at Cannes. This jury was led by actor Benicio del Toro. In 2020, she was on the jury for the Berlin International Film Festival. That jury was led by actor Jeremy Irons.
Film Organizations and Teaching
She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars. She is also part of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). She is a board member for Palestine Cinema Days. She also serves on the board of Alwan for the Arts. This group supports art from North Africa and the Middle East. She is a founding member of the Palestinian Filmmakers' Collective. This group is based in Palestine.
Annemarie Jacir has taught at several universities. These include Columbia University, Bethlehem University, and Birzeit University. She has also taught in refugee camps in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. She helps guide new screenwriters through programs like eQuinoxe Screenwriting Lab. She is also a co-founder of Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir for Art & Research. This is an artist-run space in her hometown of Bethlehem.
Promoting Palestinian Cinema
Annemarie Jacir is the main curator and founder of the "Dreams of a Nation" project. This project works to promote Palestinian cinema. In 2003, she organized the "Dreams of a Nation" film festival. It was the largest traveling film festival in Palestine. It showed old Palestinian films from Revolution Cinema. The festival took place in many Palestinian cities. These included Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Gaza City.
Annemarie Jacir's Awards and Recognition
Her 2012 film When I Saw You starred Saleh Bakri. It won the NETPAC Critics Award for Best Asian Film. This was at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. The film was also chosen as Palestine's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. This was for the 85th Academy Awards.
Her 2017 film Wajib starred Saleh Bakri and his father, Mohammad Bakri. The film won 36 international awards. These included Best Film in Mar Del Plata, Dubai, and Amiens. For their roles, Saleh and Mohammad Bakri won the Muhr Award for Best Actor. Annemarie Jacir won the Muhr Award for Best Fiction Feature for Wajib. This was at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2017.
In 2004, Filmmaker magazine named Annemarie Jacir one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Cinema."
Annemarie Jacir's Filmography
- Palestine 36 (2025)
- From Palestine with Love (Postcard from the Future) (2022)
- Wajib (2017)
- When I Saw You (2012)
- Salt of This Sea (2008)
- An Explanation – And Then Burn the Ashes (2006)
- Quelques miettes pour les oiseaux (2005)
- like twenty impossibles (2003)
- The Satellite Shooters (2001)
- A Post Oslo History (2001)
See also
In Spanish: Annemarie Jacir para niños
