Biography

About

Filip Grujic is a writer, playwright and film director from Belgrade, where he teaches at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. He is the author of the bestselling novel 'And Then, All Over Again' (Booka, 2023), as well as 'The Tenant' (LOM, 2020) and 'The Sinful Days of Cocky Johnny' (Samizdat, 2017). His plays have earned him the Mihiz Award and two Sterija Awards and have been translated, performed and studied internationally. Following its world premiere at Copenhagen's CPH:DOX, his feature documentary Yugo Goes to America won the Audience Award for Best European Documentary at Belgrade's Beldocs festival. He is represented by CAA.

Portrait of writer Filip Grujic ©Aleksa Borković

©Aleksa Borković

EDUCATION

MA in Dramaturgy | Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU), University of Arts, Belgrade 2019

BA in Dramaturgy | Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU), University of Arts, Belgrade 2018

AWARDS & HONORS

2026: Audience Award for Best European Documentary at the Beldocs festival for Yugo goes to America

2025: Winner of theSterija Award for Best Play forJezik kopačke

2023: Shortlisted for theNIN Award (Novel of the Year) forI onda opet, iz početka

2020: Winner of theMihiz Award for Dramatic Creativity (Overall Achievement)

2020: Shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature forPodstanar

2020: Shortlisted for theNIN Award for Podstanar

2019: Winner of theSterija Award for Best New Domestic Play forNe pre 4:30 niti posle 5:00

2019: Winner of theSlobodan Selenić Award for Best Graduation Play

2018: Winner of theBest Screenplay Award for short filmHunger at SEECS Bucharest

TEACHING

2021-... Assistant professor of Dramaturgy:Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade

2026-... Professor:Escuela de Escritores, Madrid, Spain

2025-... Guest Lecturer:ArtEZ University, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2025 Guest Lecturer: Sorbonne University, Etudes Slaves BCMS, Paris, France

2024 Guest Lecturer:UDG University, Podgorica, Montenegro

2022 Guest Lecturer:CeKaPe Winter School, Stara Sušica, Croatia

THEATRE (PLAYWRIGHT & DRAMATURG)

2024:Jezik kopačke (The Football Boot Tongue)

Role: Co-Writer (with Ivan Ergić)

Production: ZKM, Zagreb. Directed by Borut Šeparović.

2022:Tamo gde pevaju (Where They Sing)

Role: Playwright

Production: FIST. Directed by Đorđe Nešović.

2021:Bludni dani kuratog Džonija (The Sinful Days of Cocky Johnny)

Role: Original Author (Novel adapted for stage)

Production: Újvidéki Színház / Sterijino Pozorje. Directed by Jovana

Tomić

2020:Velika depresija (The Great Depression / Eben Byers’ Jaw)

Role: Playwright

Production: Serbian National Theatre (SNP).2020:Pred svitanje (Before Dawn / Not Before 4:30 Nor After 5:00)

Role: Playwright

Production: Atelje 212. Directed by Anđelka Nikolić.

2019:Ovde je lepo - sečem drvo, jedem pasulj (It’s Nice Here - I Cut Wood, I Eat Beans)

Role: Playwright

Production: FIST at National Theater. Directed by Milja Mazarak.

2018:Kako ja ovo sinu da objasnim? (How Do I Explain This to My Kids?)

Role: Playwright

Production: Reflektor Theater. Directed by Vojkan Arsić

FILM (SCREENPLAY & DIRECTING)

2023-2026:Yugo Goes to America (Documentary)

Role: Writer & Director

Premiere: CPH:DOX, Copenhagen, Denmark (2026)

Details: Feature-length documentary following a journey across the US in a

Yugo car. Supported by Eurimages, FCS, HAVC, United Media.

2018:Glad (Hunger) (Short Film)

Role: Screenwriter

Details: Directed by Tamara Todorović. Awarded Best Screenplay at SEECS

Bucharest

BOOKS (NOVELS)

2023: I onda opet, iz početka (And Then, All Over Again)

Publisher: Booka

Details: Bestseller (4 editions). Currently being translated into 10+

languages. Part of CELA program

2020:Podstanar (The Tenant)

Publisher: LOM

Details: A novel about the transient nature of modern life. Translated into

Bulgarian and Macedonian

2017:Bludni dani kuratog Džonija (The Sinful Days of Cocky Johnny)

Publisher: Samizdat B92

Details: Debut novel, later adapted into a theatre play

RADIO HOST & AUTHOR

2021-25:Čudna šuma (Strange Forest) at Radio Beograd 2

Details: Author of the weekly show hosting conversations with artists,

writers and philosophers

Listen:Link to Episodes

LITERARY RESIDENT

2025CELA - Connecting Emerging Literary Authors

2021Reading Balkans Program

©Aleksa Borković
1
 Published Novels
1
Theatre Plays
1
 Award Winning Plays
1
Documentary Film

Awards

Filip received the Mihiz Award for playwriting in 2020 and two Sterija Awards for the play "not before 4:30 nor after 5:00" (translated to French by the Maison Antoine Vitez Foundation and was studied at Sorbonne University) and "Football Boot Tongue". 

 

He is also the author of the play “The Jaw of Eben Byers”. The play was also produced in Macedonia and translated into English.

 

Following its world premiere at Copenhagen's CPH:DOX, his feature documentary Yugo Goes to America won the Audience Award for Best European Documentary and a Special Mention in the Teen Selection at Belgrade's Beldocs festival..

Novels

I onda opet, iz početka” (And Then, All Over Again)

(Booka, 2023, bestseller in 2024) - 4 editions, more than 6000 copies sold, shortlisted for the NIN Award, excerpts translated into 10 languages as part of the CELA program.

 

 

“Podstanar” (The Tennant)

(LOM, 2020, three editions) – shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature & for the NIN Award; translated into Bulgarian and Macedonian, with excerpts in English for the Reading Balkans program.

 

 

“Bludni dani kuratog Džonija” (The Sinful Days of Cocky Johnny)

(Samizdat, 2017, two editions) – adapted into a theatre performance.

 

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