
Vjosana Shkurti is a Canadian-Albanian filmmaker, once immigrant in Greece during her childhood and adolescence, now based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyaang, known as Montreal on google maps. Her cinema explores questions of origin, language, elusive desires and surreal manifestations of intimate power dynamics. Her works blend reality with abstraction, and have travelled to festivals in Canada, France, UK, Finland, Spain, Greece among others.
Her first short film “Ofranda” (2023, prod Peripheria, Distributed by Travelling) received the Writers Guild of Canada prize for the best film script at Cours Ecrire Ton Court organized by SODEC. The film won an award by Metafilms at Prends ça court! Gala for its precise direction and sensitive storytelling, and was reviewed in Revue Séquences. She is currently finishing her second fiction film “Mother, My Child” distributed by Welcome Aboard.
When I’m not working on my own projects, I do videography and photography for art & culture in Montreal, especially dance, performance, and media arts installations. Since 2019, I have been working as a photographer / videographer at Elektra Gallery, Ada-x, TAG, Pixelles, Eastern Bloc, CQAM, PHI, and MUTEK. I have been involved as a videographer with Cinema Politica Montreal (Winter 2018) and as filmmaker/designer at the Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture & Technology (2017-2019).
2018
Specialization in Film Production, Honours BFA, Concordia University
Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema Award for Outstanding Achievement in Specialization in Film Production, 2017
Advisory Board Scholarship in Film Production – Fondation René Malo, 2015
2011
Architectural Design & Visual Art, High Distinction Honours BA, University of Toronto
Arts & Science Dean’s List Recognition for Academic Excellence
articles / screenings / exhibitions
- 2026 LimaDocs Festival Official Competition AXOMAMA, by Tracy Valcarcel
Role: Editor/Co-producer - 2026 Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma AXOMAMA, by Tracy Valcarcel
Role: Editor/Co-producer - 2026 PRESS: Panorama Cinema review: AXOMAMA, by Tracy Valcarcel
Role: Editor/Co-producer - 2026 Filministes Festival Programme “Cultiver autrement” AXOMAMA, by Tracy Valcarcel
Role: Editor/Co-producer - 2025 29th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, AXOMAMA, by Tracy Valcarcel
Role: Editor/Co-producer - 2025 Dance Days Chania: Becoming Olive, Greece
- 2025 Labocine: Ethnobotanica, Thorn on her side, ONLINE, April 1-30
- 2025 {光 (陰 | 影)}之∞》── [guāng yīn] the lightest dark is darker than the darkest light, by Nien Tzu Weng & Collaborators, co-presented by Danse-Cité at the MAI (Montreal Arts Interculturels)
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Queer City Cinema, Regina Public Library Film Theater
- 2024 Ofranda, at RIFFA (Regina International Film Festival and Awards), Canadian Short Films
- 2024 Ofranda, at ICFF IncluCity Festival, Toronto
- 2024 Ofranda, 26th Mecal Pro Barcelona International Short & Animation Film Festival, Oblique Competition
- 2024 PRESS: Sequences – La Revue de cinema, No 338, (Courtes Metrages: Ofranda), p.53
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, April 4 – May 9 || Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, May 2 || Vilnius, Lithuania
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, April 24 || Turku, Finland
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, April 19 || Tallin, Estonia
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, April 12 || Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2024 Thorn on her side, Qaleidoscope : Queer Film & Performance on tour (The Baltics), Presented by Queer City Cinema, April 4 || Riga, Latvia
- 2024 Ofranda, Filministes Festival (Tenk), Montreal
- 2024 Ofranda, Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, Competition Court Metrage, Montreal
- 2023 Ofranda, Festival du Nouveau Cinema, Competition National, Cinematheque, Montreal
- 2023 Koumaria Residency – Medea Electronique, Selassia & Athens [Plyfa Space], Greece
- 2023 Hello Earth, Festival OODAAQ, L’Oeil d’OODAAQ, Rennes, France
- 2022 Hello Earth, Antimatter Media Arts Festival, Victoria, BC
- 2022 PRESS : Rencontres digital catalogue: XXVe Rencontres Internationales Traverse, Capacité (presque) illimitée: Installations: Hello Earth by Vjosana Shkurti (p. 273)
- 2022 Hello Earth, at XXVe Rencontres Internationales Traverse, Capacité (presque) illimitée, Toulouse, France
- 2021 PRESS: Vie des Arts: Le festival HTMlles : laisser le temps faire son œuvre
- 2021 PRESS: LOJIQ: Vjosana Shkurti remporte le prix Writers Guild of Canada (WGC)
- 2021 PRESS: Qui Fait Quoi: le court métrage audacieux et sensible de Vjosana Shkurti
- 2021 PRESS: SODEC: Récipiendaires du concours Cours écrire ton court
- 2021 PRESS: CTVM: La SODEC annonce les 3 récipiendaires du concours CECT
- 2021 PRESS: Festival REGARD: Concours Cours Écrire Ton Court
- 2020 BIJOUX, Centre Never Apart, Montreal [Dir. of Photo – Si j’etais un homme by Elle Barbara]
- 2020 PRESS: HTMLLES FESTIVAL REVIEW – CQAM
- 2020 HTMlles Festival, Ecological Disturbances: Slowing Down, Reflecting and Re-imagining – Présenté par le Groupe Intervention Vidéo & Ada X, Montreal
- 2020 OFFTA, with Elle Barbara+Alexander Storm, Montreal, Canada
Role: Director of Photography - 2020 Les Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, Montreal, Canada
- Role: Sound designer
- 2019 TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, Canada **
- 2019 Leeds Queer Film Festival, UK **
- 2019 BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, UK **
- 2019 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Germany *
- 2018 West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival ★Winner of Best Border Theme
- 2018 PRESS: Quebec Cinema: RVQC 2018 : PALMARÈS PRENDS-ÇA COURT!
- 2018 Official Selection Prends ça court! ★ Winner of Prix AIR CANADA Enroute
- 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal, Canada*
- 2018 TOHorror Film Fest, Torino, Italy*
- 2018 Frostbiter: Icelandic Horror Film Festival, Akranes, Iceland*
- 2018 Nitehawk Short Film Festival, New York, US*
- 2018 Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, Canada**
- 2018 Festival Massimadi des arts et film LGBTQ + afro de Montréal, Canada**
- 2018 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival, Los Angeles, US**
- 2018 CineArte: A Latinx Queer Festival, Los Angeles, US**
- 2018 Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, Canada**
- 2017 CINERAMABC 7th International Film Festival, Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2017 Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux, France **
- 2017 Festival des Films LGBTQ+ Chéries-Chéris Paris, France**
- 2017 Pentedattilo Film Festival, Italy **
- 2016 Independent Days International Filmfest (IDIF), Karlsruhe, Germany
- 2016 PRESS: CinéWomen (Interview), Online
- 2015 Festival des Films du Monde, Montreal
- 2015 International Festival of Patmos, Hora, Patmos, Greece
- 2014 The Dark Room 3.0 (Contact Photography Festival), at Gallery 918, Toronto
- 2014 Occam’s Razor: Art, Science & Aesthetics, !dea Gallery (Ontario Science Centre)
- 2014 Occam’s Razor: Art, Science & Aesthetics, Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts, Toronto
- 2014 Eco Art Exhibition, at Gallery 1313, Toronto
- 2013 100 Urban Trends, Guggenheim Museum BMW Lab, Aziza Chaouni Projects, NYC
- 2013 Green Line Ideas Competition, Aziza Chaouni Projects, GreenLineToronto.ca
- 2012 Aesthetics/Anesthetics, Storefront for Art & Architecture, Aziza Chaouni Projects, NYC
- 2012 Entropy, at Hart House Arbor Room, University of Toronto
- 2011 Future Cities Exhibition, Chicago Museum of Art, via Aziza Chaouni Projects
- 2011 re:encounter, Artscape Triangle Gallery, Group exhibition
- 2011 Glitter Skirts & Shorts : Trans Film Night Pride Edition, at University of Toronto
- 2011 Coterie 21: Visual Studies Thesis Show, University of Toronto
- 2011 Cabaret Voltaire, Arbor Room, Hart House, University of Toronto
*Cinematographer for Dulce Hogar, Directed by Gio Olmos
**Cinematographer for Silvia dans Les Vagues, Directed by Gio Olmos