Ely Dagher was born in 1985, in Beirut, Lebanon. He received a Masters of Arts in contemporary art theory and new media from the prestigious Goldsmiths college in London. Previously he had received a Bachelors in graphic arts and illustration, as well as a Bachelors in animation at the Academie Libanaise Des Beaux Arts in Lebanon. Dagher's first short film "Beirut" (2007) won the Bitfilm festival in 2008. His second short film "Waves '98" won the Palme d'Or at the 20015 Cannes Film Festival.