Born in 1984 in Romania, his short films premiered at major festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Karlovy Vary and Rotterdam. Two of them were nominated for the European Film Awards. His debut feature, A Month in Thailand, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. His second feature, Two Lottery Tickets, a micro-budget film, became one of the most successful Romanian films at the box office, was well received by critics and festivals, and was distributed internationally, leading to a sequel, Lottery Tickets Too. His film Men of Deeds won the top prizes at the Romanian Film Industry Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor.​