Ilinca Calugareanu is a US and UK-based Romanian director. Her debut documentary feature, “Chuck Norris vs Communism”, premiered in competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and played film festivals around the world. With a background in anthropology, Ilinca has a skill and passion for melding fiction and documentary into beautiful films. Her second feature documentary, “A Cops and Robbers Story” premiered in competition at Doc NYC, 2020. Credits include VHS vs. Communism (2014, New York Times Op-Docs) and Erica: Man Made (2017, Guardian Documentaries). She is a Berlinale Talents Alumi (2017), 2018 Chicken&Egg Accelerator Lab Grantee, the 2018 Sundance Institute|National Geographic Fellow, 2019 Sundance Sound and Music Labs Directing Fellow and a 2019 SFFilm Rainin Grantee.

Ilinca is one of the founders of Vernon Films, established with producer and sister Mara Adina. Working primarily with female directors, Vernon Films produces commercially driven independent cinema.