Biography

Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest where she majored in cinematography and later obtained a Doctor's degree in Film. She has worked as the director of photography for two feature films and many other documentary films. Her first feature film as a director- "Crossing dates" (2008)- participated in numerous film festival competitions such as Pusan Film Festival, Chicago, Goteborg, Cottbus, Goa and Rome. Her second feature as a director, screenwriter and producer 'Crulic - The Path to Beyond'(2011), was selected at Locarno, BFI London, Annecy, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Pusan, New Directors/New Films, totaling more that 150 festival selections. The movie also received the Cristal Award in Annecy, and more than 35 prizes at other notable film festivals. Her third feature as a director, screenwriter and producer "A Very Unsettled Summer"/O vara foarte instabila (2013), a Romanian-Czech-Swedish-UK coproduction, received three prizes from at the Romanian Filmmakers' Union annual Awards and was screened in Warsaw IFF, Goteborg IFF, Febiofest (Prague), East End Film Festival (London). The international cast included Jamie Sives, Ana Ularu and Kim Bodnia. "The Magic Mountain" a docu-drama animation is her 4th feature film.
- IMDb mini biography by: Aparte Film[ro]

Born in Cluj, Romania, and with a PhD in Cinema and Media, Anca Damian began her career as a Director of Photography before moving on to writing, directing and producing films. After graduating, she worked as a director, screenwriter and producer for several documentaries on art related topics, and also as a director of photography for two long feature films, and many other documentaries and shorts.

In 2008, she made her first long feature film as a director, screenwriter and co-producer, "Crossing Dates" (2008), a layered story that made Jay Weissberg write in Variety "keep your eyes on Anca Damian". The film was selected in international film festivals like Busan, Chicago, Goa, Cottbus, Goteborg and Rome.

In 2012, her second feature as Director, screenwriter and producer, "Crulic - The Path to Beyond", came to the international attention with great impact. Both the autobiographic narration and the experimental form ensured the Kafkaesque movie favour of many festival selectors - Locarno, Telluride, BFI London Film Festival, Annecy, Busan, New Directors/New Films in New York among others 250 festivals. The movie got more than 35 international prizes, among which the Cristal for Best Feature Film Award in Annecy.

In 2013, her next feature, "A Very Unsettled Summer" was an English-speaking film with international cast: Kim Bodnia, Jamie Sives and Ana Ularu. An innovative look upon a Pirandellian love triangle was brought in this Romanian, Swedish, Czech and UK coproduction.

In 2015, her second animated feature "The Magic Mountain" continues to establish Anca Damian's visual innovation style combined with strong topics. The story of a Don Quixote in Afghanistan is also the second film of a trilogy that started with Crulic. It had the world premiere in Annecy, and the international premiere in Karlovy Vary IFF international competition. It was selected in more than 60 festivals, such as San Sebastian, Leipzig, Amiens, Busan and won 11 international prizes. She was also the first to receive the Audentia Award in 2016 offered by Eurimages, which intends to celebrate women who have had the courage to make that choice of pursuing a career in film directing, by giving their work greater visibility and inspiring other women to follow in their footsteps.

In 2018, her most recent live action feature "Moon Hotel Kabul" premiered in Warsaw IFF, where it received the Best Director accolade, while her latest short animated feature "The Call" travelled the world in over 50 international festivals, among which Annecy, Toronto, Sundance, Hong Kong, and won 9 international prizes. She was awarded the Mirada International Award in Madrid International Film Festival 2018 - New Directors Platform, for being "a total creator, a true landmark and an unchallenged inspiration for new directors." - as stated by the organisers.

In 2019 she premiered Marona's Fantastic Tale in Annecy, followed by long festival selection in festivals like Rotterdam IFF, Tokyo IFF and a lot of accolades like European Film Awards nomination, Grand Prize for a feature film & Audience Award - BIAF 2019, Special Jury prize in Animation is Film Los Angeles, Prize Andre Martin for Best French Animation Film of 2020 at Annecy IFF. The film has a worldwide distribution in more than 22 territories among which US, France, Sweden, China, Japan, Korea, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Italy, In 2022 she premiered her animated long feature "The Island" in International Film Festival of Rotterdam, in the Big Screen Competition. The film travelled afterwards in a lot of festivals like in the competition of Annecy Animation International Festival, Busan IFF, Goteborg IFF, Black Movie, Dublin IFF, Hong Kong IFF, Guadalajara IFF, Haifa IFF, and Animation First, New York. The film distribution was accompanied by an exhibition of Augmented Reality In Bucharest, Cluj, Sibiu, Strasbourg, Paris. La Fondation Cartier organized a Cine-concert in Paris.
- IMDb mini biography by: Aparte