Born in Yaffa, Israel, Adam Bakri was only 13 when he first took the stage performing in “Ululation of the Land” at the Almidan theater in Haifa and Nazareth. After completing his studies at Tel Aviv university he received a BA in English Literature and Theater Arts at Tel Aviv University.
Setting his sights on training in New York, Adam continued his theater studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. After two years of training Adam received his certificate and the very next day, learned he had won the lead role in Omar, a Palestinian feature film which became director Hany Abu Assad’s second Oscar nomination in the foreign language film category at the 2013 Oscars. Omar was selected into the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2013 Un Certain Regard where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize. Adam was graced with tremendous reviews for his sensitive portrayal.
Omar continued to screen at major film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2013 and opened the Dubai Film Festival in December 2013 where it won the coveted Muhr Arab Award for Best Film-Feature. Bakri won the Best Actor award at Sweden’s Malmo Arab Film Festival in 2013 and received further nominations for Best Actor from Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Chlotrudis Awards. Bakri’s next film Ali and Nino (2016) recently screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Ali & Nino was directed by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia (Amy, 2012).
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
