The Balkan Film Market held its third edition this year from 2 to 6 October in Tirana. Albanian, regional and European film professionals were participants of this film-related event and they had the opportunity to exchange experiences, arrange new collaborations through panel and roundtable discussions, presentations, meetings and agree on creating opportunities for project promotion and financing, while exploring conditions for sales and distribution.
The Film Centre of Montenegro was a partner of the Balkan Film Market, which continued to deal with the development of film projects this year, especially through the programme segments Pitch Balkan and AlbaScript Plus. Director Sehad Čekić was at the Balkan Film Market in Tirana on behalf of the Film Centre of Montenegro and he was part of the panel discussion on regional film centers and funds.
Fifteen projects were selected to participate in Pitch Balkan programme at this year’s market, three of which were Montenegrin: project “The Bay” directed by Draško Đurović and produced by Predrag Karlo Kalezić, project “Face of Honor” by director Nikola Vukčević and producer Milorad Radenović, as well as the documentary project “Đina” directed by Sara Stijović and produced by Branimir Žugić.
Montenegrin documentary “Đina” by Sara Stijović was among those awarded. This team won the “Pitch Balkan 2019 – Best Documetary Pitch” with the project “Đina”. Apart from this, the award-winning projects were “I Love You More” by Kosovo director Erblin Nushi and producer Lulzim Guhelli, who was awarded for the best pitch project, as well as “La Casa d’Irene (No God No Master)”, French and Greek co-production by director Loukianos Moshonas and producer Emmanuel Chaumet, which has been recognized as the project with the highest production potential.
The Pitch Balkan programme was an opportunity open to regional or European film producers who are in the process of developing their first or second feature-length film or documentary to be shot in the Balkans, and who have already received 10% of the funding. Pitch Balkan 2019 is designed to principally assist auteurs in improving their project vision.
The BFM programme also included a panel discussion “Apulia Film Commission and New Cross-Adriatic Initiatives”, concerned with regional cooperation – Italy, Albania, Montenegro, and Greece. The panel participants presented former projects and exchanged views on the possibilities for the implementation of future joint projects.
The third edition of BFM featured a panel “Faces of Woman of Balkan Cinema” during which the participants spoke about successful practices, professional activities and the importance of women film professionals in the Balkan region through their introduction.
The Balkan Film Market was organized in cooperation with the Albanian Centre of Cinematography, under the patronage of Eurimages, and partners include film centers from the region, the Ministry of Heritage, Culture and Tourism of Italy and other Italian institutions. As a partner at this year’s edition, the Film Centre of Montenegro took the opportunity to present Montenegrin cinema, new projects in this field, activities of the institution, film locations, etc.
More details about the Balkan Film Market programme that closed yesterday in Tirana are given in the official catalogue of this year’s edition.