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Edition 61 (2016) Winner
Haifaa al-Mansour
ハイファー・アル＝マンソール
Haifaa al-Mansour
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1974-08-10 （Al Zulfi, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia）
- Nationality
- Saudi Arabia
- Languages
- Arabic, English
- Religion
- Islam
- Residence History
- Al-Hasa → Bahrain → California
Career
- Occupations
- Film director, Film producer, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 1997-2025
- Influenced By
- Jackie Chan, Abdul Rahman Mansour
- Nominations
- BFI London Film Festival Sutherland Award nominee (Wadjda), Edinburgh International Film Festival Audience Award nominee (Mary Shelley), Venice Film Festival Golden Lion nominee (The Perfect Candidate)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The American University in Cairo | — | Comparative Literature | — | — | Egypt |
| University of Sydney | — | Film Studies | 修士 | — | Australia |
The American University in Cairo
Comparative Literature
Country:
Egypt
University of Sydney
Film Studies
Degree:
修士
Country:
Australia
Master's degree in Film Studies
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language | Wadjda | — | BAFTA | Winner |
| 2005 | Golden Dagger for Best Documentary | Women Without Shadows | — | Muscat International Film Festival | Winner |
| 2015 | Sundance Film Festival Global Filmmaking Award | — | — | Sundance Film Festival | Winner |
| 2019 | Crystal Award | — | — | World Economic Forum | Winner |
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language
2014
Work:
Wadjda
Organization:
BAFTA
Result:
Winner
Golden Dagger for Best Documentary
2005
Work:
Women Without Shadows
Organization:
Muscat International Film Festival
Result:
Winner
Sundance Film Festival Global Filmmaking Award
2015
Organization:
Sundance Film Festival
Result:
Winner
Crystal Award
2019
Organization:
World Economic Forum
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Wadjda
2012 DramaA 10-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Riyadh dreams of owning a green bicycle. First feature-length film directed by a woman in Saudi Arabia.
Female independenceGender normsCultural change
Mary Shelley
2017 DramaRomantic drama about the early life of writer Mary Shelley.
CreativityRomanceLiterature
Nappily Ever After
2018 Comedy dramaAdaptation of Trisha R. Thomas's book.
Self-acceptanceBeauty standards
The Perfect Candidate
2019 DramaStory of Saudi Arabia's first female mayoral candidate.
Women's empowermentPolitics
Unidentified
2025 MysterySaudi murder mystery critiquing female oppression.
Female oppressionSocial critique
Bibliography
- Wadjda
- Women Without Shadows
- Who?
- The Bitter Journey
- The Only Way Out
- Mary Shelley
- Nappily Ever After
- The Perfect Candidate
- The Wedding Singer's Daughter
- Unidentified
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- RealismStrong female charactersCultural critique
- Recurring Motifs
- AbayaHidden lives of womenTaboo subjects
Legacy
Known as Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker, contributing to women's empowerment and cultural transformation. Wadjda is a historic achievement.
In Popular Culture
- Featured in media as pioneer of Saudi cinema
Trivia
- First woman to direct and shoot a feature-length fiction film in Saudi Arabia
- Directed Saudi Arabia's first submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- Grew up in a family passionate about films despite conservative surroundings