About
Filip Grujic is a writer, playwright and film director from Belgrade, where he teaches at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, alongside guest lectures at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Amsterdam and Sorbonne University.
He is the author of three novels, including the bestselling I onda opet, iz početka (Booka, 2023), shortlisted for the NIN Award and translated through the European CELA program. His stage work has earned the Mihiz Award and two Sterija Awards, with productions staged at the Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM), Atelje 212, the Serbian National Theatre, and guest performances at Dramaten in Stockholm. His debut feature documentary, Yugo Goes to America, premiered at CPH:DOX and won the Audience Award for Best European Documentary at Beldocs. He is represented by CAA.
Teaching
2026–present: Guest LecturerArtEZ University of the Arts, Amsterdam
2021–2026: Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy – Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU), University of Arts, Belgrade
2026–present:Professor – Escuela de Escritores, Madrid
Guest Lecturer Engagements:
2025: Sorbonne University (Études Slaves BCMS), Paris
2024: University of Donja Gorica (UDG), Podgorica
2022: CeKaPe Winter School, Stara Sušica
Selected Works
Novels
2023: I onda opet, iz početka (And Then, All Over Again) – Booka (Belgrade). Shortlisted for the NIN Award; CELA program (translated into 10+ languages).
2020: Podstanar (The Tenant) – LOM (Belgrade). Shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature and the NIN Award; translated into Bulgarian and Macedonian.
2017: Bludni dani kuratog Džonija (The Sinful Days of Cocky Johnny) – Samizdat B92. Adapted for stage
Theatre
2024: Jezik kopačke (The Football Boot Tongue) – Co-writer with Ivan Ergić; dir. Borut Šeparović. Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM) / Guest performance at Dramaten, Stockholm.
2022: Tamo gde pevaju (Where They Sing) – Playwright; dir. Đorđe Nešović. FIST.
2021: Bludni dani kuratog Džonija – Novel author / adaptation; dir. Jovana Tomić. Újvidéki Színház / Sterijino Pozorje.
2020: Velika depresija / Vilica Ebena Bajersa (The Great Depression / Eben Byers’ Jaw) – Playwright; dir. Marko Čelebić. Serbian National Theatre (SNP). 2020: Pred svitanje / Ne pre 4:30 niti posle 5:00 (Before Dawn) – Playwright; dir. Anđelka Nikolić. Atelje 212.
2019: Ovde je lepo – sečem drvo, jedem pasulj – Playwright; dir. Milja Mazarak. National Theatre in Belgrade (FIST)
Film
2026: Yugo Goes to America (Feature Documentary) – Writer & Director. World Premiere: CPH:DOX; Beldocs Audience Award
2018: Glad (Hunger) (Short) – Screenwriter; dir. Tamara Todorović. Awarded Best Screenplay at SEECS Bucharest
Radio & Residencies
2021–2025: Čudna šuma (Strange Forest), Radio Beograd 2 – Author and host.
Residencies: CELA – Connecting Emerging Literary Authors (2025); Reading Balkans (2021)
Awards & Honors
2026: Audience Award for Best European Documentary – Beldocs (Yugo Goes to America)
2025: Sterija Award for Best Contemporary Play – Jezik kopačke
2023: Shortlisted, NIN Award for Novel of the Year – I onda opet, iz početka
2020: Mihiz Award for Dramatic Creativity (Overall Achievement)
2020: Shortlisted, European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) – Podstanar
2020: Shortlisted, NIN Award for Novel of the Year – Podstanar
2019: Sterija Award for Best New Domestic Play – Ne pre 4:30 niti posle 5:00
2019: Slobodan Selenić Award for Best Graduation Play
2018: Best Screenplay Award – SEECS Festival Bucharest (Glad)
Education
Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU), University of Arts, Belgrade – MA in Dramaturgy (2019), BA in Dramaturgy (2018)
Agency
Agency Representation: Creative Artists Agency (CAA)