Farah Nabulsi

Farah Nabulsi is a British-Palestinian filmmaker and human rights advocate whose work bridges personal storytelling and geopolitical urgency. Born in London in 1978 to a Palestinian family, Nabulsi spent years working in finance before pivoting to filmmaking as a means of amplifying Palestinian voices on screen.

Her breakthrough short The Present (2020), starring Saleh Bakri, follows a father and daughter navigating checkpoints and bureaucratic barriers in the occupied West Bank on what should be a simple shopping trip. The film earned both a BAFTA Award for Best Short Film and an Academy Award nomination, bringing Nabulsi’s quietly devastating style to a global audience.

Nabulsi’s directorial philosophy centers on dignity and the everyday heroism of ordinary people living under extraordinary constraint. Her debut feature, The Teacher (2023), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, further establishing her as one of the most compelling new voices in world cinema. The Manhattan Short selection of The Present in 2020 was among the film’s earliest festival appearances.

Finalist Filmography

• The Present — Manhattan Short 2020 Finalist