Corneliu Porumboiu

Born in Vaslui, Vaslui County, Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu (b. 14th September, 1975) boasts a long and illustrious career as a film director, screenwriter, and producer. His education formed a substantial part of his journey, as between 1994 and 1998, he attended the faculty of Management at ASE University Bucharest. In 1999, he started studying film directing at the National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography Bucharest, graduating in 2003. His graduation piece, A trip to the city, won second prize in the Cinefondation section at Cannes International Film Festival. However, October 2021 saw him under investigation for fiscal fraud and money laundering by DIICOT.

His career kickstarted in 2004, after graduation, with his first film The Dream of Liviu, shortly followed by setting up 42 km FILM, a production house. His first feature film, 12:08 East of Bucharest (2005), attained the Camera d'Or Award at Cannes and was distributed globally. Films like Police, adjective (2009) and When evening falls on Bucharest or Metabolism(2013) have also resonated well with audiences and critics alike. In addition to this, Porumboiu has directed two documentaries - The second game (2014) and Infinite Football (2018), which featured at the Berlin Forum. Furthermore, he's branched out to screenwriting and producing.

Porumboiu's personal life also plays a role in his art, with his spouse, Arantxa Etcheverria (a visual artist of French origin), having participated as artistic director in his recent feature films, The Treasure and The Whistlers. Moreover, Porumboiu is vocal on global matters; in 2023, he joined 50 other filmmakers in signing an open letter demanding a ceasefire and an end to civilian killings amid the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.