Kujtim Çashku ((was)) born in Tirana on August 5, 1950. He graduated from Tirana's Higher Institute of Arts in 1972 as well as from Institute of Theater and Film Art in Bucharest, ((Romania)) in 1975 and post graduated from Columbia University NY (USA) in 1993. Kujtim Çashku is an Albanian film director, screenwriter and producer who has won numerous awards at international film festivals, including the Critics Prize at the 1996 Bastia Mediterranean Film Festival, the UNESCO Award at the 1998 Venice International Film Festival for his political drama ((Colonel Bunker (1996)), the Best Screenplay Award, the FIRESCI Prize and the Silver Pyramid at the 2005 Cairo International Film Festival as well as the Bronze Palm at the Valencia Festival of Mediterranean Cinema for his film ((Magic Eye (2005)), the CEI Award at the Trieste Film Festival for his "brave commitment to the development of Albanian cinema". He is the founder of OraFilm, Albania's first film production company ((in)) 1995, ((the)) Albanian Cineastes Assocciation “Lumiere” ((in)) 2001, Albania's first International Human Rights Film Festival (IHRFFA) ((in)) 2006 and the founder of the first Albanian Film School ((in)) 2004 (Academy of Film & Multimedia Marubi).  Kujtim Cashku is ((a)) member of the Europian Film Accademy.