Sami Mustafa
Director, Producer, Writer
Sami Mustafa is award wining independent documentary director, producer and writer. He is founder of Romawood, Rolling Film Festival acting as artistic director and International Romani Film Commission fostering Roma Cinema. He is also acting as film tutor that gives opportunity to young Roma people to learn and to express other lives, experience and identity through artistic methods, thus producing documentary films.
He made his first film as a trainee in 2003 in Plemetina village in Kosovo, where the native of this town learned the techniques of film making with Balkan Sunflowers NGO. Little more then a decade he has produced, directed and written more than fifty short documentaries, docu-fiction and two long length films.
In 2007, Sami founded Romawood, a production house focusing on Roma issues and population. Later that same year, he initiated the “Jekh Kham Jekh Sel / One Sun One Nation” project, which has made the most indelible impact on his life and work. One of his films “Road to Home”, a story of a young Kosovar who is visiting his occupied neighbourhood across the river of Mitrovica for the first time after the Kosovo war – this film was screened at Cannes Film Festival in 2007; it was the only Kosovar film presented. “Nachi Palem Khere / Never Back Home”, his first long length film documentary, has been develop seven years. He captures the stories, and the changes of living conditions of families from different parts of Kosovo who are “internally displaced” in his hometown in Plemetina. All his work is socially and politically engaged in Kosovo and in other European countries. His unique work as Roma filmmaker he brings the self-representation of
Roma in Cinema closer to human level and to its population in Europe.
After visiting and participating in numerous film festivals, he decides to bring a special focus in Cinema representation of Roma people thus organizing the first biennale of Rolling Film Festival – showcasing films made by and about Roma in 2009 in capital of Kosovo. The rich programs of documentaries and fiction films, quality debates, school programs, community screenings and film workshops-films made with mobile phones. Throughout the years, the festival becomes recognizes internationally and brought the Roma population in Kosovo closer to the rest of the community. Sami advised and programmed films on special focus on Roma films with different international film festivals in Europe such as Cottbus Film Festival, Douarnenez, Cineromani, Motovun FF to name few.
In 2011 he joined his companion who lived in Kosovo during three years and moved to live in Lyon, France.
Festival Awards: Director
2013 > Young Discovery Award – Cottbus Film Festival (young directors award from Southern Europe)
2007-2009 > “Jekh Kham Jekh Sel”, shown in more than 20 film festivals around the world.
2007 > “Road to Home”, showed at Cannes FF during Critic’s Week.
2006 > “Four Changes” 4th. prize at Roma Vision Festival.
2012 > Audience Award at Rolling FF, “Changes to Happen” by Sofija Serifovic.
2011 > Audience Award at Rolling FF, “The Power of Dream” by Denis Mustafa & Ervin Berisa.
2012 > Merit Award for at DEPOK FF “Toxic Fun” by Denis Mustafa.
2010 > Best Film Award for “Songs and School” at Nova Svetlost FF by Suan Berisa.
Filmography
DIRECTOR
2011 > To become Slovenian: Sejdo, docu. 9’
2010 > Sar Thuvf, docu. 25’
2010 > Never Back Home, docu. 56’
2009 > Mangipe, docu. 15’
2007 > Jekh Kham Jekh Sel, docu. 20’
2006 > Road to Home, doc. 10’
2009 > Holly Sara Pilgrimage, docu. 5′
PRODUCER / TUTOR
2011 > Pink House, film by Sita Sherer doc 10’
2011 > Toxic Fun, film by Denis Mustafa doc, 8’
2011 > Kosovo B.; The Impossible Film, film by Benjamin doc, 14’
2007 > Through Bihac, film by Said Sarkic, Museta Almir and Erdjan Gashi doc, 17’
2003 > Welcome to Plemetina, my first film ever as trainee doc, 15’
MUSIC VIDEO
2012 > Alles Varbannt – for K-Flow & Gipsy
2012 > Meet your Neighbor – for GAIA (editor)
2007 > The Lives that we Live – for Driton Berisa
2003 > Showing the Colors of Kosovo – for OSCE
OTHER PROMO SERVISES as DIRECTOR, EDITOR AND CAMERMAN
2010 > IMAGeINA’AIR Film Festival, documentary, in Kosovo 10′
2010 > Be Young Be Roma, in Spain for Ternype 35′
2009 > IMAGeINA’AIR Film Festival, Making Of 10′
2008 > Francophone au Kosovo, for French Embassy in Kosovo, 20′
2008 > Learning Seeds, For Balkan Sunflowers in Kosovo 10’
2006 > Kosovo Stop Klatka, for SCI in Poland, 30′
2005 > Fighting Desease in Plem, for Balkan Sunflowers in Kosovo, 10′
TUTOR/PRODUCER
Cikore/Short Film(ja) Workshop Series – Kosovo, 2012
*1-5 minutes films, made with mobile phones.
> RATVALE CHAVE, Production team: Veton Gashi, Blerim Gashi, Ergin Alija
> DRUGS AND DEATH, Production team: Suad Gashi, Emrah Bejzaku, Samson Gashi, Ersad Gashi
> DAY AFTER DAY, Production team: Sedat Bislimi, Haris Berisha, Emran Salihu, Uka Berisha, Mensur Mehmeti
> INVISIBLE TALENTS, Production team: Denis Mustafa, Suan Berisha
> DING DING LAPTOP, Production team: Senad Emini, Arben Kurta
> A NEW LIFE, Production team: Abaz Gashi, Seat Mustafa, Senad Mustafa
> THE FOOTBALL TEAM OF TERZI MAHALE, Production team: Sejnur Veshali, Aslan Culandj, Medine Shope
> GATHERING IN PRIZREN, Production team: Fatmir Menekshe, Nehal Hafizari, Seval Menakke
Cikore/Short Film(ja) Workshop Series – Slovenia 2011
*1-5 minutes films, made with mobile phones.
> TE SIKAVA / TO TEACH, Film by Aleksandrija Kosec
> LIVING IN ROMA, Film by Kristina Hudorovic
> INVISIBLE BAND, Film by Martin Hudorovic
> DANCING QUEEN, Film by Megi Hudorovic and Samanta Hudorovic
> PRAVA FRIZERKA, Film by Monika Kovacevic
> MANY DREAMS, Rita Hudorovic
> THE JOURNALIST, Film by Sarenka Hudorovic
Cikore/Short Film(ja) Workshop Series – Kosovo 2011
*1-5 minutes films, made with mobile phones.
> ANTI-CULTURE, Film by Biljend Mehmeti and Blerim Buzoli
> BLING BLING Dream, Film by Arben thaj and Seat Kurta
> THE BUILDING BURNED AGAIN, Film by Abaz and Senad Kurta
> TO BECOME A BLACKSMITH, Film by Adrijan Emini
> SONGS AND SCHOOL, Film by Suan Berisa
> SPEAK NOW OR HOLD YOUR PEACE, Film by Ermina Selimovic and Sofija Serifovic
> THE DREAM POWER, Film by Denis Mustafa and Ervin Berisa
> TO GO FAR, Film by Hasan and Sedat
> DREAM FROM NEIGBORHOOD, Film by Veton Shachiri
> SCHOOL OR HOME, Film by Alba, Merima, Rabija, Lejla I Sheherzada Gushani
> PHABAJ, Film by Simbad & Nikson Mustafa and Abaz Berisa
2010
Improving Kosovo Minority Program of RTK (Radion Television of Kosovo – National Kosovo TV) by creating a 45 reportages of 5′ a week, within the support of OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe) and the National Television of Kosovo.
Trapped by Law 