Cherien Dabis

Cherien Dabis, born on November 27, 1976, is a distinguished Palestinian-American filmmaker known for her work as a director, producer, and screenwriter. With a Palestinian father and a Jordanian mother, Dabis spent significant time in Jordan during her childhood, an experience that influenced her artistic vision. After facing a series of Islamophobic incidents at the age of 14, she became passionate about reshaping the portrayal of Arabs in Western media.

Dabis pursued her academic goals with diligence, earning a B.A. in creative writing and communications from the University of Cincinnati, followed by an M.F.A. in film from Columbia University School of the Arts. She began her professional journey in television, contributing to the acclaimed series The L Word from 2006 to 2008.

Her filmmaking career took off with the short film Make a Wish, which debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and garnered accolades at various prestigious film festivals, including the Aspen Shortsfest and the Cairo International Film Festival for Children. Dabis made her feature film debut with Amreeka, which received critical acclaim at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Her second feature, May in the Summer, premiered as the opening night film at Sundance in 2013.

Dabis's work often draws from her personal experiences, addressing themes of immigration, cultural assimilation, and family dynamics, while offering a unique lens on her upbringing straddling the Middle East and the American Midwest.