biography

Paula Benu (born July 12, 2006) is a Romanian emerging filmmaker and multimedia artist based in Bucharest, known for her experimental animation and poetic cinema. Raised in a rural Danube region, her artistic sensibility is deeply shaped by folklore, mythology, and introspection. She embraces an interdisciplinary approach, blending animation, narrative live-action, and documentary in works marked by emotional depth and visual complexity. Her short film From: Nora (2024), created entirely during high school, was selected for the 7th Shanghai International Teen Short Film Festival, earning her awards for Best Editing and Directing. Other notable works include Self-portrait II and Troublemaker, both of which were screened at international festivals across Europe, the U.S., and Asia.