Tawfik Abu Wael is a screenwriter and director. A graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Film and Television Studies, after directing a number of student shorts during his time at TAU, in 2004 Abu Wael made his directorial feature debut with Thirst (Atash). The film, which stands out for its lyrical aesthetic, follows the story of an Arab family that refuses to toe the line and conform to traditional social norms and values – a choice that consigns all family members to a life of solitude.
Thirst (Atash) won the Wolgin Prize for Best Film, whilst Director of Photography Asaf Sudri took home an Ophir Award for Best Cinematography. The film was showcased at multiple festivals around the world, including the Cannes Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI Prize (the International Film Critics’ Prize).
In 2011, Abu Wael directed his follow up, Last Days in Jerusalem, which quickly became a local and international film festival darling, featuring at the Locarno, Toronto, and Haifa international film festivals, to name but a few. In the years that followed, Abu Wael directed the critically acclaimed TV series, Our Boys, which he co-created with Joseph Cedar and Hagai Levi, and Uknowns (‘alumim’) (2021) which won the Israeli Television Academy Awards for Best Drama Series and Best Directing in a Drama Series.
