We are delighted to announce that filmmaker Sami Mustafa has been selected as the recipient of a special scholarship for the Ex Oriente workshop, made possible through a new partnership between the Institute of Documentary Film and the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC).
Through this collaboration, ERIAC supports the participation of one Roma filmmaker in the Ex Oriente program. This support reflects ERIAC’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the presence of Roma voices in the European film industry and creating opportunities for Roma filmmakers to shape and share their own narratives.
Sami Mustafa joins Ex Oriente Features with his personal and socially resonant documentary project Symphony of Seasons (dir. Sami Mustafa, prod. Faton Mustafa – Third Eyes Pictures, Sami Mustafa – Romawood, co-prod. Laurent Billard – Les Films Du Tourbillon, XK, FR). The film follows Mustafa—one of the few Roma filmmakers in the world—on a journey to rediscover his identity, returning to his roots in Kosovo. Through the lens of four seasons and four stages of life, the documentary weaves a deeply human story of displacement, family, and resilience in the face of persistent stereotypes and growing far-right ideologies.
“Roma in film shatter stereotypes, offering raw, poetic visions of resilience, beauty, and defiance. True inclusion means Roma behind the camera too, shaping narratives. The future of film is incomplete without Roma voices at its heart,” says Timea Junghaus, Executive Director of ERIAC.
Sami Mustafa, a French-Kosovar Roma, is an independent documentary filmmaker, producer, and writer. He is the founder of Romawood and the Rolling Film Festival, where he serves as artistic director. He is currently an honorary member of the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) and a member European Film Academy. His latest film Trapped by Law won best film Award at the New York Film Festival, Discovery Young Talent Award at Cottbus Film Festival numerous nominations. Since 2011 he moved to live in France and hold double nationalities.
We are proud to partner with ERIAC in supporting visionary Roma storytellers like Sami Mustafa. The Institute of Documentary Film remains committed to opening space for underrepresented voices, and we look forward to following Sami’s development throughout the Ex Oriente Features workshop, starting on June 16 in Sheffield in partnership with Sheffield Doc Fest.
