The BIFF Life Achievement Award was established as a new tradition by the Board of Directors of the BOSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in April 2018, to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through films and television.
Accomplished Egyptian-American filmmaker and actor Sayed Badreya --with roles in Iron Man, The Dictator, Three Kings, and many other feature films and TV shows -- was honored as the inaugural recipient of the BIFF Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival's opening night ceremony on April 11, 2018. This will be an annual tradition from this year forward, with the award presented by a master of ceremonies along with the festival's staff on opening night.