Sam Abbas

Sam Abbas is an Egyptian-American filmmaker. In 2018, he released his debut queer-themed feature The Wedding across the U.S. and Middle East. The film screened in Turkey, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt; countries in which it is difficult and in parts illegal to identify as gay or nonbinary. In 2020, Abbas’ second feature Alia’s Birth was released across the U.S. and Europe. The film features a live home birth with a dramatic neonatal resuscitation that shocked audiences. Abbas also acted as curator, director, editor, and producer for the 2021 documentary Eremita (Anthologies) where he teamed up with leading cinematographers from around the world. His latest work, Europe’s New Faces, an observational film surrounding the migration experience in Europe—from crossing the Mediterranean Sea out of Libya to settling in Paris-based squats—premiered in 2025 at the Museum of Modern Art.