Azem Shkreli


Azem Shkreli was an Albanian writer, poet, director and producer. He was head of Kosovo Writers' Association, menager of National Theatre of Kosovo in Prishtina and founder and menager of Kosovafilm, a film production, distribution and screening company.

Early life

Azem Shkreli was born on February 10, 1938 in Rugova, Pejë. He lost his mother when he was two years old, and was brought up by his grandmother, which also died when he was a young boy. He went to elementary school in his hometown, and in Prishtina, he attended high school and graduated in 1961, and then went to Faculty of Philosophy of University of Prishtina, to study in the Department of Albanian language and literature studies, from which he graduated in 1965. As a student, he began writing for the daily newspaper Rilindja and served as head of Kosovo Writers' Association. He worked as director of National Theatre of Kosovo from 1960 to 1975 and in 1975 he became founder and director of Kosovafilm, a film production, distribution and screening company – a post he held until he was expelled by the new Serb administration in 1991.