Ali Abbasi was born 1981 in Iran and left his studies in Tehran to move to Stockholm, where he graduated with a BA in architecture. He then studied directing at the National Film School of Denmark, graduating with his short film “M for Markus'' in 2011. His feature debut, “Shelley'' premiered at the Berlinale in 2016 and was released in the US. He is best known for his 2018 film “Border'', which won the Prix Un Certain Regard in Cannes. The film was chosen as Sweden’s Academy Award® Entry, was widely released internationally, won the Danish Film Award and was nominated for three European Film Awards including Best Director, Best Screenwriter & Best Film.