Basil Khalil

Basil Khalil is a British-Palestinian filmmaker born in Nazareth whose work navigates the absurdities and tensions of life in the Middle East with a comic sensibility that disarms as much as it illuminates. Raised between cultures, Khalil brings an insider-outsider perspective that allows him to find dark humor in seemingly intractable situations.

His short film Ave Maria (2015) is set in the West Bank, where a family of Israeli settlers crashes their car into a wall outside a convent of Palestinian nuns who have taken a vow of silence — just before Shabbat begins. The ensuing collision of religious obligations and practical necessity creates a comic scenario that doubles as political allegory. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film and was selected as a Manhattan Short finalist.

Khalil’s comedic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict offers a rare tonal register in a cinematic landscape dominated by earnest dramas. His work suggests that laughter, far from trivializing the situation, can reveal truths that solemnity cannot reach. He has continued to develop projects that mine the rich comedic potential of cross-cultural collision in the region.

Finalist Filmography

• Ave Maria — Manhattan Short 2015 Finalist