Competing documentaries

Actor, Writer, Director, Producer

Born in Gostivar, Macedonia

Visar Vishka was born in Gostivar, Macedonia. He is an actor and writer, known for The Trial of Christine Keeler (2019), Shanghai Gypsy (2012) and Legends (2014).

Born in the former Yugoslavia in the Albanian town of Diber in the Republic of Macedonia. Arrived in the US in February 1969. Family settled in Brooklyn, New York and has stayed in the NYC area ever since. Started acting at 30 years old in a sketch comedy group with the original name of Ground Zero in NYC. After the tragic day of 9/11 the name of the group was changed to Bathing with Toasters. As with all things the group came to end after roughly 7 years together and dozens of sketches.

Bujar Alimani was born on January 27, 1969 in Patos, Albania. He studied painting and stage directing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana. In 1992 he immigrated to Greece, where he worked as an assistant director on several Greek films. 

In 2002, he directed his first short film. AMNESTY (2011) is his debut feature film and won the C.I.C.A.E. Award in the Forum section of the 2011 Berlinale. His second film, CHROMIUM (2015), a co-production between Albanian, Kosovo, Germany and Greece, was screened in many festivals around the world. 

His film THE DELEGATION (2018) won Grand Prix at Warsaw IFF. He lives and works in New York, USA

Fabian Kati was born in Tirana, Albania on October 22, 1963. He grew up in a family heavily persecuted by the Albanian communist regime. After being himself imprisoned for political reasons, he left Albania in 1990 and lived for 10 years in Florence, Italy. He studied at Florence University and owns a BA in Political Sciences and a MA in Sociology of Culture. In 2000 he moved to Manchester, UK and now lives in a rural area of North Wales. He started filming in 2004 and has released so far a number of shorts and mid-length documentaries, which he calls “the Albanian cycle documentaries”. His first feature length documentary was completed in 2011 and is titled “Unheard Voices”. All his work as a filmmaker is based on social investigation themes.

Mevlan Shanaj, a great master, distinguished artist, and professor in the film department at the Academy of Arts in Tirana, was born on February 7th, 1945, in Fier, Albania. He has been presented to the public as an actor, director in cinema and television, and as a producer. From 1987 to 1992, he was the Director of the Film Department at TVSH. He took a break from television for 4 years and returned in 2001 as the director of the Film and Performance Department at TVSH. In 2001, he started working as a producer and director with "Zig-Zag" Film. From 2005-2006, he worked as a lecturer at the Marubi Film and Multimedia Academy and, to date, in the directing department at the Academy of Arts. In 2008, he was awarded the title "Great Master".

Shanaj has appeared in films such as: "The Bronze Bow" (1970) directed by Viktor Gjika, "Mountains Covered with Baler" (1971) directed by Dhimitër Anagnosti, "The Brave" (1970) directed by Gëzim Erebara, "Sun-Seeking Streets" (1975) directed by Saimir Kumbaro, Rikard Ljarja, "Head to Head" (1979) directed by Kujtim Çashku, "The Little Siege" (1986) directed by Saimir Kumbaro, "Spring Didn't Come Alone" (1988) by Pirro Milkani, "I Love the Wind" (1991), directed by Albert Minga, "The Victims of Tivari" (1996) directed by Ekrem Kryeziu, "Red Flowers Black Flowers" a creation by Shanaj himself, "In Search of Whom" directed by Gjergj Xhuvani. His other artistic works include films: "The Couriers" (1976), "The Emperor's Bullets" (1980), "The Unforgotten" (1984), "To See in Eyes" (1985), "A Telegram and a Song" (1986), "White Sheets" (1990). Documentaries: "Marie Kraja", "Tefta Tashko", "Komani a Great Battle", "Eye to Eye", "Lasgush Poradeci", "Berat the White City", "Voices from the Past", "Four Mornings", "Pandi Raidhi", "Streets", "Bible & Quran", "An Invitation from Illyria", "The Visi", "The Escort", "The Letters of Independence", "To Forgive Ndreke Luca", "The Streets". During his work at RTSH, he has realized about 30 works of various television genres, including TV drama, and numerous spectacles.

Director