Antoneta Kastrati

Biography

Antoneta Kastrati is Kosovo-born writer, director and producer now based in Los Angeles. She is part of the Kosovo New Wave – the first generation of female directors in the country. After surviving the war in the late 1990s, she began making documentary films together with her sister Sevdije, that addressed unexplored issues of post-war society. She was one of eight female directors selected for the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Her thesis short film SHE COMES IN SPRING (2013) premiered at Busan International Film Festival and went on to garner several awards. Her debut feature film, ZANA (2019), premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated as Kosovo’s entry for the 2020 Oscars. Antoneta was selected as Sydney Film Festival & EFP’s 2020 European women filmmakers to watch. Antoneta is known for her unique filmmaking style, combining gritty authenticity with lyrical beauty.