Gabriel Sandu
Gabriel Sandu is a multidisciplinary artist, director, screenwriter and playwright, one of the prominent voices of a new generation of Romanian artists. His work spans cinema, theatre, music and pop culture, combining journalistic research, archives and fictional reconstructions.
His theatre work spans public theatres and independent companies. Productions including 10 Things I Lost at the Mamaia Festival (10 lucruri pe care le-am pierdut la Festivalul Mamaia), Adrenaline (Adrenalină), Death at the Revue Theatre (Moarte la Teatrul de Revistă) and The Handball Match (Meciul de handbal) bring together biographies, live music and the imagery of pop culture to explore fame, vulnerability and power.
He directed the short film Dislocated. Home Away (Dislocat. Home Away), selected for the Romanian Film Days competition at the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2022, the docufiction project Ego Trip and the short Run (Aleargă), currently in post-production. His practice extends into installation and live performance through Guide Me (Îndrumă-mă) and the river production Sirens on the Dâmbovița (Sirene pe Dâmbovița).
His plays have been translated into several languages, and his productions are presented at national and international festivals. In 2026 he is developing Miss Julie (Domnișoara Iulia) by August Strindberg, a co-production of the national theatres in Sibiu and Târgu-Mureș and the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș.
The Hopeful Story of Mihaela Runceanu (Povestea plină de speranță a Mihaelei Runceanu), produced by Manifest Film and filming in 2026, marks his feature directorial debut.
Read full portfolio ↓Career milestones
Doctoral research at UBB
Completes his doctoral thesis in 2026 at Babeș-Bolyai University’s Doctoral School of Theatre and Film, supervised by Laura Teutișan. The public defence is planned for 2027. His research explores pop culture as a dramaturgical device, the “Sequin Trilogy”, the figure of the mino-star and the passage of pop biography into cinema.
Finalizing first feature film
The Hopeful Story of Mihaela Runceanu (Povestea plină de speranță a Mihaelei Runceanu) · Manifest Film · filming. Miss Julie (Domnișoara Iulia) by August Strindberg · a co-production of the national theatres in Sibiu and Târgu-Mureș and the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș.
New productions and festivals
Creates The Handball Match (Meciul de handbal), Sirens on the Dâmbovița (Sirene pe Dâmbovița) and the video-performance installation Guide Me (Îndrumă-mă). Death at the Revue Theatre (Moarte la Teatrul de Revistă) is presented at FITS and the National Theatre Festival; Andrea Gavriliu receives a UNITER nomination for choreography.
Trauma Kink on tour
Synergy World Theater Festival, Novi Sad (2022); Riverside Studios, London and the Colloquium of National Minority Theatres, Gheorgheni (2023); Common Tongue, Ballhaus Ost, Berlin (2024); Det Frie Felts Festival, Aveny-T, Copenhagen (2025). A Giuvlipen and Teatrul Dramaturgilor Români co-production.
Adrenaline (Adrenalină) and Death at the Revue Theatre (Moarte la Teatrul de Revistă)
Adrenaline (Adrenalină) opens at Teatrul Excelsior. The first previews of Death at the Revue Theatre (Moarte la Teatrul de Revistă), produced by Teatrul Stela Popescu, take place in December 2024.
10 Things I Lost at the Mamaia Festival (10 lucruri pe care le-am pierdut la Festivalul Mamaia)
Writes 10 Things I Lost at the Mamaia Festival (10 lucruri pe care le-am pierdut la Festivalul Mamaia) and co-directs it with Elena Morar at Teatrul de Stat Constanța. The production is selected for FITS, FNT and FEST-FDR in 2024. In 2024, Ramona Niculae receives the UNITER Award for Debut, while Ștefan Mihai is nominated for Supporting Actor.
TIFF and FITS
Dislocated. Home Away (Dislocat. Home Away) is selected for the Romanian Days competition at TIFF. Enmity v2.0 (Dușmănie v2.0) is presented at FITS and One World Romania. Creates the docufiction EGO TRIP at /SAC and LUX at Teatrul Regina Maria, Oradea.
Forgot (Uitasem)
Writes and directs Forgot (Uitasem) at POINT, Bucharest. The production is selected for Caleido, and its performers receive two awards at Bucharest Fringe 2020.
Playwriting recognition
Takes part in Sala Beckett’s Obrador d’estiu in Barcelona. Poor Iulia (Iulia, biata de ea) wins the Grand Prize at the Bacău Monodrama Festival. The Apollo111 production of My Father, the Priest (Tatăl meu, preotul) is selected for the National Theatre Festival.
Fabulamundi and international journalism
Selected for Fabulamundi. Playwriting Europe. Takes part in the Digicomnet Professional Fellowship, a U.S. Department of State programme.