DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY - Zgjim Terziqi

Zgjim Terziqi is a Kosovar film director, screenwriter, and producer, born on June 25, 1990, in Mitrovica, Kosovo. During the Kosovo War, when he was eight years old, he and his family were forced to leave their home after it was burned down. This childhood experience has had a profound influence on the themes explored in his films. Terziqi studied Film and Television Directing at the University of Prishtina, completing both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Alongside directing, he has worked extensively as a screenwriter, writing more than 200 episodes for television as well as numerous short-film scripts. His short films A Month (2017) and Salon (2019) have been screened at more than 70 international film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Torino Film Festival, Busan International Short Film Festival, and New Directors/New Films. His work has received more than ten awards. He is also an alumnus of Sarajevo Talents (2016) and Berlinale Talents (2020). In 2025, Terziqi made his feature-film debut with The Odyssey of Joy, a drama set in post-war Kosovo. The film follows an 11-year-old boy navigating loss, identity, and the search for hope in the aftermath of war.