Bogdan Apetri

A former lawyer in Romania, Bogdan George Apetri moved to New York where he graduated from Columbia University's Film Program with an MFA degree in Film Directing. His student films screened and won awards at prominent short film festivals across the world (Clermont-Ferrand, Rotterdam, Palm Springs, Cottbus, Montreal, Aarhus, Rhode Island, Woodstock, etc). He was a National Finalist at the Student Academy Awards in 2006.

In 2010, he directed and wrote the feature film Periferic (Outbound). Funded in part by Romania's National Center for Cinema, the film was shown at some of the best festivals across the world (Locarno, Toronto, Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films) and won numerous international awards (Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Viennale) including the FIPRESCI Award (The International Federation of Film Critics Award) twice. It was picked up by MK2 in France.

In 2020 he directed his second feature film, Neidentificat (Unidentified). Awarded a special Jury Prize in Warsaw, it went on to gather a FIPRESCI Award at the TIFF Transylvania International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Anonimul Film Festival in Romania.

In 2021 he released his third feature film, Miracol (Miracle). It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was picked up by the prestigious Memento International Sales film company.

Bogdan co-produced 3 Backyards by Eric Mendelsohn, a feature film that won the Best Directing Award at Sundance in 2010 and was selected for New Directors/New Films in New York. He co-produced Advantageous by Jennifer Phang (Jury Prize at Sundance in 2015), The Bravest, the Boldest by Moon Molson (Sundance 2014), The Mend by John Magary (2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee), Nobody’s Watching by Julia Solomonoff (Jury Prize at Tribeca, 2017), Love Hunter by Nemanja and Brane Bala (New York Times Critics’ Pick, 2014), Bikini Moon by Milcho Manchevski, Song Without a Name by Melina Leon (Cannes 2019) and Blaze by Ethan Hawke (Sundance Special Jury Prize, 2018).

He will direct his fourth feature film in 2024.

Alumni Spotlight Interview

Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?

One of the best things about Columbia's MFA Film program is that you get a different directing professor each semester. I had four truly wonderful teachers - Bette Gordon, Rose Troche, Nick Proferes and Eric Mendelsohn. In addition, I audited Tom Kalin's class, which was equally fantastic. Each of these artists sees film directing - and ultimately, the world - differently (as each artist should!) and are able to touch and inspire their students in their own unique, very special ways. I still think this diversity and multiplicity of views is absolutely invaluable, because each and every one of these extraordinary professors - besides teaching you film directing in concrete, meaningful, useful ways - ultimately shows you that, in order to be an artist, you need to find your own way.