Born in Aubervilliers, he trained as a surveyor and topographer. He discovered cinema in the local youth clubs. His first three short films were selected and won prizes at several festivals in France and abroad. At the same time, he works on building sites and takes part in image education workshops for school classes. Winner of the 2019 Gan Fondation pour le Cinéma award, Yassine Qnia will direct his first feature film, “De bas étage”, in 2020, which has also been selected for the Directors' Fortnight (Cannes 2021).