Blerta Basholli is a director and screenwriter from Kosovo, the filmmaker behind “Hive” and “DUA”.
Background and studies
Blerta Basholli was born in Pristina in 1983. In 2008 she received a Dean’s Fellowship to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her four years in New York formed part of her development as a filmmaker.
Creative trajectory
- 2006 — “Mirror, Mirror…”, documentary.
- 2008 — “Gjakova 726”, short film, also screened in Rotterdam.
- 2011 — “Lena & Me”, short film.
- 2015 — “Shok”, first assistant director.
- 2021 — “Hive”, her debut feature.
- 2026 — “DUA”, her second feature, co-written with Nicole Borgeat.
International recognition
By winning all three main World Cinema Dramatic awards at Sundance, “Hive” achieved a historic festival result. It also became Kosovo’s first submission to reach the Oscar shortlist for international feature film.
In 2026, Basholli presented “DUA”, co-written with Nicole Borgeat. The film received the SACD Award at Cannes Critics’ Week and the Grand Prix at CinEast in Luxembourg.
