Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts where she obtained a diploma in Cinematography and a Doctor’s degree in Arts, Cinema and Media. 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 short films.
In 2008, she made her first long feature film as a director, screenwriter and co-producer, Crossing Dates/ Intalniri Incrucisate (2008), a layered story that made Jay Weisseberg 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 / Crulic Drumul Spre Dincolo, received international success. Both the autobiographic narration and theexperimental 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 Award in Annecy.
In 2013, her next feature, A Very Unsettled Summer/O Vara Foarte Instabila an innovative look upon aPirandello-inspired love triangle, was an English- speaking film with international cast: Kim Bodnia, Jamie Sives and Ana Ularu. The coproduction also gathered Romanian, Swedish, Czech and UK partners.
In 2015, her second animated feature The Magic Mountain/Muntele Magic 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 world premiered in Annecy, and had its international premiere in Karlovy Vary IFF international competition. It was selected in more than 60festivals, such as San Sebastian, Leipzig, Amiens, Busan and won 11 international prizes. Anca Damien 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 become a director, 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 40 international festivals, among which Annecy, Toronto, Sundance, and won 5 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”.