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Mustafa Abu Ali

1940 – 2009

Palestinian filmmaker

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About Mustafa Abu Ali

Lived 1940 – 2009 (aged 68–69). Mustafa Abu Ali was a Jordanian film director.

Mustafa Abu Ali (; 1940 in Maliha, Mandatory Palestine – 30 July 2009 in Jerusalem) was a Palestinian filmmaker.

Abu Ali studied at the University of California-Berkeley in the 1960s before studying cinema in London, graduating in 1967. He is considered one of the founders of Palestinian cinema, and the Palestinian Cinema Association in Beirut in 1973, (re-established in Ramallah in 2004). Along with Sulafa Jadallah and Hani Jowharieh, he established the Palestine Film Unit (PFU)—which saw its primary task as "documenting the revolution and creating an archive of images of historical documents".

After the PLO's move to Lebanon after the events of Black September, the PFU was renamed the Palestine Cinema Institute and became one of the seven departments of the PLO's Unified Media. Abu Ali headed the department from 1973 to 1975. 1971: With Soul, With Blood 1973: Scenes from the occupation in Gaza (مشاهد من الاحتلال في غزة) 1977: Tall el zaatar (تل الزعتر), co-directed with Jean Khalil Chamoun and Pino Adriano 1977: Palestine in the Eye

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Important facts

Born
1940, Malha
Birth century
Occupation
Education
American University of Beirut, University of California, Berkeley
Employers
Saudi Aramco
Also known as
Mustapha Abu Ali

People in Mustafa Abu Ali's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mustafa Abu Ali's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Mustafa Abu Ali?

Palestinian filmmaker

When was Mustafa Abu Ali born?

Mustafa Abu Ali was born in 1940 in Malha.

When did Mustafa Abu Ali die?

Mustafa Abu Ali died on 30 July 2009 in Jerusalem.

What was Mustafa Abu Ali's occupation?

Mustafa Abu Ali was a film director.

What nationality was Mustafa Abu Ali?

Mustafa Abu Ali was Jordanian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Mustafa Abu Ali

· Wikidata: Q6943212

· DBpedia: Mustafa Abu Ali

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mustafa Abu Ali. https://biography.guide/mustafa-abu-ali/

MLA: "Mustafa Abu Ali." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mustafa-abu-ali/.

Chicago: "Mustafa Abu Ali." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mustafa-abu-ali/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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