Blerta Basholli (b. 1983, Kosovo) is an award-winning film director and writer with a unique realistic visual style. Basholli’s debut feature film Hive (2021), broke Sundance records where she swept the Grand Jury Prize, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category, becoming the first film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival to do so.
In 2008 she was awarded with the Deans Fellowship at the Film Graduate Program at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She lived in New York City for four years where she had the opportunity to work on several film projects as a student. Her short film Lena and Me (2011) screened and was awarded at the First Run Film Festival 2011; Dokufest 2011; Skena Up 2011; Tirana International FF 2011; Pogradec Food and Film Festival 2011; 9/11 Film Festival 2012 (Best Actress Award). Her short film GJAKOVA 726, (2008), was shown at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2009 shorts program, Busho Film Festival 2009—official selection, Doku Fest 2009 – official selection 2009, Toffifest 2009—official selection, Filmmor Women’s Film Festival 2009 – official selection. Her documentary MIRROR, MIRROR… (2006), was officially selected at the Sarajevo Film Festival 2006; New York International Independent Film and Video Festival 2016; Tirana International Film Festival 2006; Balkan Black Box Film Festival 2006, Berlin.
Filmography
Basholli’s debut feature film Hive (2021), which follows a single mother in the aftermath of the war in Kosovo, broke Sundance records where she swept the Grand Jury Prize, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category, becoming the first film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival to do so.
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