Born in 1968, Cristian Mungiu has a degree in English and American Literature from Iaşi University and a degree in film directing from the Academy for Theater and Film in Bucharest. His graduation film, The Hand of Paulişta represented Romania at the Student Oscar awards in 1999. His first feature Occident received the Best New Director Award at Leeds International Film Festival; the Best Picture Award at the Transylvania International Film Festival; the Audience Award at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, among others. His second feature—4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days—won the Golden Palm in the 2007 Cannes Festival, the European Film Award for Best Film, the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Supporting Actor awarded by the LA Film Critics Association, among an impressive array of awards throughout the world.

Filmography (Director): 1998 The Hand of Paulişta (short) / 2000 Zapping (short) / 2000 Nothing by Chance (short) / 2000 The Firemen’s Choir (short) / 2002 Occident / 2005 Turkey Girl (short, episode from Lost and Found) / 2007 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days