I'm Here With Magazine Issue 2 August August 2016 | Page 13

Daniela Apostoaei

Producer/Director of Destiny Productions

Daniela Apostoaei is an Award Winning Film Producer & Director and founder of Destiny Productions in Alberta, Canada. She made her debut on the media stage in 2001 as the editor of the daily newspaper “Dambovita Journal” in the Investigation Department of the Art Press Trust. This turned out to be a milestone of her professional life.

Daniela’s experience and her background in Law helped her to get actively involved in various social campaigns for disadvantaged people: the poor, the abandoned, elderly, orphans, children and women, victims of domestic violence fighting for their rights.

She began publishing articles and investigative reports uncovering their traumas and life stories. Daniela took an active role in roundtables, symposia and fundraising events for people at risk. As a journalist, she wanted to reflect social, political, economic and cultural realities of the contemporary Romanian society, to represent those who cannot speak or do not have a voice for themselves.

In the fall of 2003, new doors were opened in her career when Daniela won a scholarship to a weekly publication “O Mirante” in the Santarem region of Portugal. The stage offered her the opportunity to work collaboratively with Portuguese journalists assembling a bilingual Romanian-Portuguese magazine presenting the life, customs and traditions of the residents of Cartaxo, a sister-city of Pucioasa, Dambovita county, Romania. The magazine “Toast for Friendship” was printed in an initial run of 20,000 copies, and its launching took place during the Portuguese event “International Tradition Fair of Cartaxo“ in Portugal.

In 2010, a new challenge arose for Daniela who found herself working in Television as a Producer-Director and Broadcaster. From the very beginning, the documentary series she suggested “DESTINIES” was broadcasted on the regional channel MDITV, and soon managed to conquer the hearts of many viewers, resulting in the highest ratings for a debut program.

One year later, Daniela Apostoaei completed another documentary series, this time in Germany. “Home among Foreigners” consisted of 12 programs presenting the lives of various Romanian people living and working in Germany. It was an honest and unflinching look at the difficulties and obstacles they faced as they went through the integration process in a new culture and people. The series also presented the drama and trauma of those left behind in Romania - children in the care of relatives, helpless elderly relatives, parents and spouses. The documentary series was received with interest both in Romania and Germany, where it was broadcasted with German subtitles.

In 2012 another documentary film “Enfance au tranchant du bisturi” (French Subtitles) written and directed by Daniela Apostoaei was presented at a Medical International Congress in Belgium. The film was also selected and broadcast at MDITV Romania in March 2012 and aired in August 2014 on Shaw 89 Multicultural Channel, Alberta, Canada. In March 2016 the film received The Second Prize at Gala for Television Productions Awards, Romania.

In October 2015 the documentary film The Boyash (Rudarii), written and directed by Daniela Apostoaei was selected as a Canadian Documentary film to compete in the “Pineapple Underground Film Festival” PUFF in Hong Kong, China. Two months later Daniela Apostoaei received an Honorary Prize for this film at Gala for Press Prizes 4th Edition, Romania. In May 2016 The Boyash (Rudarii) competed in the Honolulu Film Festival and received Gold Kahuna Award.

Currently, Daniela Apostoaei collaborates with Shaw TV Calgary, Canada as an Access Producer/Director, producing episodes for the “Destinies” show, depicting the life stories of people from Alberta, Canada. “Ticket for Two Lives” is her recent documentary broadcasted on Shaw TV Calgary and Shaw TV Edmonton. Daniela Apostoaei holds her Bachelor Degree in Law from the University of Judicial Science, Oradea, Romania and practiced in the field of Civil Litigations and Commercial Dispute.

Daniela Apostoaei is a member of International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), The Canadian Freelance Union of Canada (UNIFOR), and Union of Professional Journalists of Romania (UZPR). She continues writing various articles for newspapers and other publications. Daniela just won the Gold Kahuna Award for a documentary called The Boyash!

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