User:Nena 0709/Sanja Bestic

Sanja Bestic (Serbian: Cања Бeштић, Sanja Beštić; born 13 June 1982 in Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia) is a director and producer who currently resides in New York City.

She was born to Biljana Gajic Bestic, an artist (mother) and Branislav Bestic, a soccer player (father). She has a younger brother, Vladimir Bestic.

Bestic attended Zemun High School (Zemunska Gimnazija) while simultaneously studying at the renowned theatre studio and acting school run by Mika Aleksic, a highly respected theatre arts professor. She pursued theatre directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at Belgrade University under the guidance of Ivana Vujic. She continued to explore the world of theatre and acting during her graduate studies. While attending a fellowship at the Moving Academy for Performing Arts in Amsterdam, she refined her artistic coaching skills. Bestic also worked intensively with the Theatre of Shadows. Her move to New York gave her the opportunity to study at The Michael Chekhov Acting Studio and the Lee Strasburg Institute for Theater and Film.

Her determination has allowed her to prepare five Off-Broadway Shows to date, including Therapy, written by Jordan Cvetanovic and produced by KinoKamera Inc. Bestic has also directed Touch my Knees by David Albahari, The Government Inspector by Nikolai V. Gogol, Canary Soup by Milos Radovic, Two Fools in Love by Dusko Radovic, and Painkillers by Neda Radulovic. Her recent production of the The Weeping Game by Ben Akiba (aka Branislav Nusic) - her third Off-Broadway production - received rave reviews. In a 2010 interview, Bestic stated that “The Weeping Game is a timeless piece” which she wished to introduce to American audiences. She is currently working on directing Sidetracked, her fifth Off-Broadway play, written by John Pastore. She is also in pre-production for her first film, Gum (produced by Djordjije (Geroge) Lekovic).

In the past, Bestic has worked with respected and recognizable artists such as Sergej Trifunovic (actor) and Katarina Radivojevic (actor).

Aside from theatre, Bestic has also worked in advertising and has put her artistic ability to work in the corporate world. Her resume includes work experience at various Serbian advertising and marketing companies. She has also directed television commercials and short films. Her work has included TV commercials for Henkel (German), Societe Generale (French), and Vegeta (Podravka) (Coatia). Additionally, she has worked for Iteam Events, an international marketing agency, where she directed and produced stage events at various theaters, ballrooms and other venues. She is also actively involved in humanitarian work.