Scandar Copti is a 44-year-old Palestinian film director. One of the leading names in the film industry, Copti brought his first feature film, Ajami, to life in 2009.

A good example of success at first attempt, the film caught the industry's attention when it won the Camera d'Or Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival.

A year later, at the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony, Ajami was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, reached a new level of success and achieved global recognition.

Copti's unique casting style is what sets him apart from his colleagues. As an avid supporter of showing Arab films around the world, Scandar Copti hires non-actors to play leading roles in his films. By doing so, the director is able to capture reality and natural reactions more effectively, giving the film a more authentic feel.

Based in Abu Dhabi and working as an Assistant Professor of Film at New York University Abu Dhabi, Copti has created an effective method for directing non-actors so that they feel comfortable enough in front of a camera.

Previously a mechanical engineer, Scandar Copti has written, directed and even edited mostly experimental short films, although his name can also be found in the credits of several fiction films and documentary shorts.

He is currently working on his second feature, Happy Holidays, a documentary-style fiction film inspired by real events in Palestine. Without the safety net of a traditional script to support him, the director encourages non-actors to rely heavily on improvisation, thus allowing events to unfold naturally and the story to shape itself. This second feature will follow the example of Ajami, which also had only non-actors in the cast. In fact, the award-winning film was a Palestinian-Israeli production, featuring real Israeli policemen, paramedics and citizens.