ZANA (Kosovo/Albania), the feature film debut from Writer and Director Antoneta Kastrati, will world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), September 5-15, 2019.

"Coming from a small country,” remarked Director Antoneta Kastrati, “and being a part of the first generation of women filmmakers from Kosovo, it is an honor for me to present my first feature in such a respected festival, among such amazing filmmakers. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Kosovo War, and ZANA is my long time attempt to reflect on my personal wartime past. As such, it is very special to me that, for the first time, I am able to share this story with a wider audience. TIFF makes it possible for this story to be seen." A chilling and emotional drama about a young Kosovar woman struggling to reconcile the expectations of motherhood with a legacy of wartime brutality, ZANA marks the first feature between Kastrati and her rising-star sister, Cinematographer Sevdije Kastrati, who shot the film using Panavision cameras and lens after winning their New Filmmaker Grant.

Film’s main financial supporters include Kosovo Cinematography Center, Albanian National Center of Cinematography, Panavision New Fimmaker Grant, SFFILM Rainin Grant, Light Iron and the City of Peja. The project was a MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2017 participant, MIDPOINT Development Award Winner, and MIDPOINT Editing Room participant.
 ZANA is Produced by Casey Cooper Johnson and Co-Produced by Sevdije Kastrati, Dritan Huqi from On Film Production (Albania), and Miguel Govea and Brett Walker from Alief. Leading actors are Adriana Matoshi and Astrit Kabashi.