Radu Jude is a renowned Romanian film director and screenwriter, whose creative journey began in 2003 when he graduated from the prestigious Media University of Bucharest, specifically from the esteemed Film Directing Department.
Prior to embarking on his directorial career, Jude had the opportunity to work as an assistant director on two notable films, Amen. (2002) directed by Costa-Gavras, and The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005) directed by Cristi Puiu, which undoubtedly honed his skills and provided valuable experience.
Throughout his career, Jude has directed numerous award-winning short films, including the highly acclaimed Lampa cu caciula (2006),which holds the distinction of being the most successful Romanian short film ever, and has garnered an impressive array of grand prizes at esteemed festivals worldwide, such as Sundance, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Grimstad, Hamburg, Bilbao, Huesca, Trieste, Montpellier, Cottbus, Aspen, IndieLisboa, Brussels, Mediawave, Kraków, Almería, Valencia, and Uppsala, to name a few.
Jude's short films have also been selected by top-tier festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, San Francisco, Cottbus, and Oberhausen, where he took home the Grand Prix. Furthermore, he has directed over 100 advertising commercials, demonstrating his versatility and adaptability as a filmmaker.
Radu Jude's feature film debut, The Happiest Girl in the World (2009),made a significant impact on the festival circuit, winning the CICAE Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, the FIRESCI Prize at the Sofia International Film Festival, the Prize for Best Screenplay at the Bucharest International Film Festival, and the FIPRESCI Prize at IndieLisboa, among others. The film was also selected for the ACID Programme at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2012, Jude's film Everybody in Our Family received the prestigious 'Heart of Sarajevo' Award and the Bayard d'Or in Namur, in addition to other accolades.
Radu Jude's critically acclaimed historical drama Aferim! (2015) premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, where he took home the Silver Bear award as 'Best Director'.
