12th EDITION
12th EDITION 2021 is a year of many returns and many losses. We have gradually emerged as a global community from the biggest collective challenge, the COVID-19 global pandemic only to face a possibly bigger one, the climate crisis and all of the social economic challenges that have come with it. And the Balkan region is no exception to this rule. In 2021 we return as a community, to meet in person, create together, share experiences, count our losses and plan for the future. In 2021 we won’t go back to globality as we used to know it. Balkans Beyond Borders (BBB) aims to act as a forum and a catalyst for interaction, free expression and problem-solving. BBB is about creativity and open dialogue. It is about its growing community of artists, researchers, journalists and partners. It is about breaking persisting stereotypes about what is and what is not ‘Balkan’, surfacing difficult questions and providing an outlet for free expression and problem solving. But BBB is also about directly supporting and empowering each individual, whether they are artists or BBB volunteers and Ambassadors, to create, to make a living from Art, to be inspired and to help the organisation grow and be present across countries. Ultimately BBB is about shedding a different light in the Balkan region and carrying the message of its culture, languages, its universal problems and its people, around the world. This year’s BBB Short Film Festival 12th edition travels to the heart of the Balkans, in Pristina. With the theme ‘Skin to (Screen to) Skin’ we have aimed to shed light to the experiences of the past year reflecting on our gains and losses. The year challenged us. For some it broke an established pattern of global life, but also made us realise more than ever our common heritage and our common vulnerability. We lost touch. We limited ourselves and with this, we limited our senses. We lost the beauty of reading the lips. We faced new challenges that we could never imagine but now we have to confront. In 2020 we experienced loneliness, suffocation, isolation, fear, inequality. 2021 was also about revelation, just like Himalaia was ‘revealed’ again in India in springtime. It was about altered home experiences and new images. It definitely was all about image. We invented numerous ways to get re-connected. Technology was the key in eliminating this physical distance. Was it enough? Is it enough? The program you hold in your hands will guide you through the films that form this year’s edition. We invite you to take part in our journey, explore and interact through the rich spectrum of activities and sessions. We are looking forward to meeting you again in our journey from skin to screen to skin. The BBB team
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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BBB ORG................................................. 4-5
BBB JURY................................................ 6-7
PROGRAMME................................................8-9
COMPETITION PROGRAMME..................................10-41
BBB FOCUS..............................................42-45
BBB BEYOND.............................................46-51 BBB & CO...............................................52-53 PARALLEL ACTIVITIES................................... 54-56 PARTNERS.............................................. 57-60 VOTING INSTRUCTIONS...................................... 61 BBB TEAM................................................. 62
INDEX.....................................................64 3
Balkans Beyond Borders (BBB) is a non profit organisation dedicated to promoting) mobility and cooperation in the Balkans using the art of short film making and the power of image. Fostering dialogue, interaction and innovative learning among young people in the region, Balkans Beyond Borders aims to contribute to a better future and a European perspective of the Balkans. Our objective is to improve collaboration between local festivals, film centres and film workshops in order to create an inter-Balkan network able to promote efficiently the work of young artists from the region and beyond, as well as the culture and diversity of the Balkans to an international audience.
BBB 4 AXES Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival:
Focusing on the Art of Short Film and New Media, BBB’s flagship activity is the “Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival”, which is an annual thematic short-film festival that takes place in a different Balkan city every year engaging new audiences and promoting interbalkan cooperation. The Film Festival celebrates Balkan diversity and engages audience and creators to reflect on pressing contemporary issues through the medium of short film. It boosts parallel initiatives, such as photo exhibitions, visual art events, workshops, discussions and music, which aim to provide a rich cultural experience.
Workshops: Young individuals up to 35 years old from different countries of Southeast Europe meet in different cities of the Balkan region to Live, Experience, and Create Together. The workshops take place under the umbrella of the given Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival annual theme. The workshops are BBB’s real ground of cooperation and solidarity. Seminars:
Using the short films of BBB Festival and Workshops, Balkans Beyond Borders co-or- ganises interactive seminars and conferences targeting professionals of diverse fields in order to trigger dialogue, motivation and inspiration. The BBB seminars give participants the opportunity to come closer to the ‘Balkans’ as an academic field of study and a subject of politics while becoming familiar with the social and cultural public space of the region.
Network:
Balkans Beyond Borders has invested time and effort in creating a network of young active and creative people from the Balkans and beyond in order to support and promote the BBB idea in the EU. At BBB we strive to encourage interaction and dialogue. We work to reach and engage with individuals interested in BBB’s activities and objectives who can help us raise awareness about the organisation, its goals and ideas in their respective country/ region. We believe it is essential to have people on the ground who help us to establish that dialogue and cooperation by actively taking part and ownership in our various initiatives. In order to achieve that we take part in diverse programmes for culture, youth and education! 4
BBB GETS AWARDED ▶ In 2011 BBB received the Charlemagne Youth Prize for its innovative Festival, the youth mobility initiatives and its focus on building the European idea. ▶ In 2018 BBB received the Civil Society Prize of the EESC European Economic and Social Committee.
BBB SHORT FILM FESTIVAL JOURNEY 2010 Belgrade, Solidarity and cooperation 2011 Athens, Who’s afraid of the big bad crises? 2012 Tirana, Talk to me 2013 Bucharest, Reinventing Bridges 2014 Sarajevo, Dare to Repeat 2015 Thessaloniki, Living in... City-mmetry 2016 Sofia, “Tagged” in a changing world 2017 Brussels, Enter/ Exit 2018 Novi Sad, Societies on Sharing 2019 Athens, e-motions 2020 Izmir (online), con/trust
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12th EDITION
PROGRAMME THURSDAY 28.10 Screenings
18.00-19.00 → Welcome drinks 19.00-19.30 → Opening Ceremony – introduction of Festival and supporters 19.30-21.10 → Competition Programme screening – “Starting point: Connection” (Q&A session) ¶ VLORA: Erblin Nushi, Kosovo, Drama, 2020, 14 min. ¶ WHERE ARE YOU NOW?: Eneos Çarka, Albania, Animation, Documentary, Experimental, 2020, 8 min. ¶ SMALL TALK WITH THE BAD MAN: Nikos Kolioukos, Meni Tsilianidou, Greece, Drama, Comedy, 2021, 15 min. ¶ PLASTIC DREAM: Merve Bozcu, Turkey, Fiction-Drama, 2021, 20.5 min. ¶ IN BETWEEN: Ana Pasti, Romania,Drama, 2020, 20 min. ¶ IDIOT ON CUE: Sara Stijović, Montenegro, 2021, 19 min. 21.30 → Opening party
FRIDAY 29.10 Parallel Activities 16.00-18.00 → “Gala of Curiosities”:
Exhibition Opening part of the ECHO II Traditions in Transition - Creative Europe
Screenings 18.00-19.15 → BBB Beyond: International Programme
¶ DOLAPO IS FINE: Ethosheia Hylton, 2020, 15 min. ¶ VOUTA: Dimitris Zahos, Greece, 2020, 18 min. ¶ HENET WARD: Morad Mostafa, 2020, 22.5 min. ¶ DAY-TO-DAY: Sak Miranda, Brazil, Drama, Animation, 2021, 4 min. ¶ SNORRIE (MUSTACHIO): Victoria Warmerdam, Netherlands, Drama, Comedy, 2021, 11 min. ¶ THE WAR WITHIN: Javid Farahani, Iran, 2020, 15 min.
19.30-21.30 → Competition Programme – Acceptance (Q&A session)
¶ CLIMATE CHANGE: Yasemin Demirci, Norway, Fiction-Drama, 2020, 19 min. ¶ A MOTHER’S SONATA: Fehmi Öztürk, Turkey, Sci-Fi, Drama, 2020, 18 min. ¶ ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Lucija Brkić, Croatia, Documentary, Experimental, 2021, 10 min. / ¶ MADONNA F64.0: Stavros Markoulakis, Greece, Drama, 2020, 17 min. ¶ WHEN THE MORNING DAWNS: Karmen Obrdalj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Drama, 2021, 23 min. ¶ DAYS LOST: Jovana Avramovic, Serbia, Drama, 2021, 20 min.
21.45-22.15 → Competition Programme – Nature (Q&A session)
¶ EARTHMOVERS: Klodiana Millona, Endi Tupja, Yuan Chun Liu, Albania, Documentary, Experimental, 2020, 6 min. ¶ NOSOTROS: Nazmi Latifi, Albulena Kurti, Kosovo, Documentary, 2020, 6 min. ¶ OUTSIDE THE ORANGES ARE BLOOMING: Nevena Desivojević, Serbia, Documentary, 2019, 20 min.
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SATURDAY 30.10 Parallel Activities 11.00-13.00 → “BBB meets
the Cine-Balkan Females”: Networking and experience
Screenings 17.00-18.15 → BBB FOCUS: Hungary
¶ SECOND ROUND: Gabor Holtai, Hungary, Fiction, 18 min. ¶ SYMBIOSIS: Nadja Andrasev, France, Animation, 12:48 ¶ SINCE SHE IS WITH ME: Szeleczki Rozália,Hungary, Fiction, 25:00 ¶ SUNDAY: Andor Berényi, Hungary, Fiction, 14.40
18.30-20.30 → Competition Programme – Family (Q&A session)
¶ VIOLETTA: Fivos Imellos, Greece, Drama, 2020, 14.5 min. / ¶ WHITE TABLE SPARK: Tadej Koren Šmid, Slovenia, Drama, Family, 2020, 17 min. ¶ EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE: Nicola Stojanovic, Serbia, Fiction, Drama, 2020, 21 min. ¶ BREAK OFF: Öykü Orhan, Turkey, Fiction, 2020, 18 min. / ¶ BARLEY: Andrija Mugosa, Montenegro, LGBTQ Drama, 2021, 15 min. ¶ SEA BY THE RIVER AND RIVER BY THE SEA: Sovran Nrecaj, Kosovo, Drama, 2021, 28 min. /
21.00-22.00 → Competition Programme – Self Exploration (Q&A session)
¶ BUTTERFLY AND MOUSE: Mira Yankova, Bulgaria, Animation, Drama, Adventure, 2019, 14 min. ¶ I CAN’T SMELL THE SOIL IN MY HEAD: Alkistis Kafetsi, Greece, Fiction, Experimental, 2021, 6.3 min. ¶ LE PERIPLE D’ABELLA: Enis Manaz, Turkey, Documentary, 2020, 10 min. ¶ CEFALEA (TIRANA): Hyejin Kim, Albania, Drama, 2021, 10 min. /
SUNDAY 31.10 Screenings 17.00-18.45 → Competition Programme – Mind Connected (Q&A session)
¶ UNCONTROLLED LOVE: Vasia Ampatzi, Greece, Experimental, 2021, 4 min. ¶ THE GREAT ISTANBUL DEPRESSION: Zeynep Dilan Suren, Turkey, Drama, Coming-of-age, 2020, 19.5 min. ¶ TWISTED: Ibrahim Batuhan, North Macedonia, Horror/Thriller, 2020, 17.5 min. / ¶ PERSONAL DRAMA: Ivelina Ivanova, Bulgaria, Animation, Sci-Fi, experimental, dada, 2021, 3.5 min. ¶ IRO /HE.RO:/: Alexis Koukias-Pantelis, Greece, Coming of Age, Drama, Comedy, 2020, 14.45 min.
19.00-20.00 → Competition Programme – Power of People (Q&A session)
¶ AFRICAN CHILDREN: Bayram Fidanboy, Turkey, Documentary, 2021, 18 min. ¶ POSTCARDS FROM HELLINIKON: Aphroditi Katerinopoulou, Greece, Tragicomedy, Surreal, 2020, 22 min. / ¶ NORTH POLE: Marija Apcevska, North Macedonia, Drama, Coming of age, 2021, 15 min. 20.15-21.15 → BBB & co: International Film Pristina Festival (PRIFEST)
21.30
→ Awards
Ceremony
This is a debut film and competes also for the First Entry Prize This is a short film with captions for deaf and hard of hearing people
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12th EDITION
BBB
JURY
Burcu Biricik was born on May 4th, 1989, in Antalya. Burcu Biricik decided to become a professional actress after she was awarded in a theatre festival that she attended during her high school years. While she was studying bachelor of Archaeology at Ege University, Burcu Biricik attended acting training in Bornova Municipal City Theatre. She took part in various onstage and backstage roles. Then, she ranked first in a talent contest she attended in İstanbul. Recently, she has been the starring actress in “Kuzgun”, “Kırmızı Oda” and the Netflix drama-thriller “Fatma”. We keep watching her on the screen via her Burcu Biricik newly released movie “İnsanlar İkiye Ayrılır” and TV series “Camdaki Kız” which is in its second season. This year, Burcu Biricik has been awarded “The Best Actress Of The Year Award” and “Türk Sinemasını Geçmişten Geleceğe Taşıyanlar Award”. In 2019, Biricik won “The Best Starring Actress Of The Year” and won “The Best TV-Series Actress Of The Year” in 2017. The successful actress continues to make a name for herself by playing various characters in the television and cinema world.
Luàna Bajrami
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Luàna Bajrami discovered the sets at ten. Self-taught, she acquires experience as an actress with different filmmakers, while practicing writing, editing, and directing. In 2019, she directed her first short film financed In Summer Rippen Berries and her first feature film: The Hill where Lionesses Roar. Strong of a double French-Kosovar culture, she mainly deals with the condition of youth through a rather universal prism. Her next feature film is currently in development. This year, as an actress, she was at the Venice Film Festival to present “Happening” a french movie which won the Golden Lion Award. Also, her first feature film “The Hill Where Lionesses Roar” was screened at the 2021 Director’s Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival.
Drita Llolla is an activist from Montenegro who advocates for sustainable development and European cultural values. She was active in the Western Balkan region, implementing projects in the art field but not only. In 2015, she decided to return to Montenegro, and lead a grassroots initiative called iACT. She is known as the director of Seanema – Art for Social Change, a platform that combines cinema and activism, including organisation of an annual thematic film festival, film educational activities for young people from Montenegro and beyond, and awareness raising campaigns on relevant topics such as environmental sustainability and human and minority rights. In 2017, she established a film production company, and Drita Llolla is now working as a film producer as well (e.g. her recent project is the Slovenian-Kosovan-Serbian-Montenegrin co-production, documentary film “Reconciliation” by Marija Zidar, which recently premiered at the CPH:DOX Copenhagen, and was awarded BalkanDox at the Dokufest in Kosovo). In 2019, she participated in the SOFA – School of Film Advancement program with a project that foresees establishing the first Art House Cinema in Montenegro, in her hometown Ulqin / Ulcinj. Other than the above, her educational background consists of a MSc in Pharmacy from the University of Medicine in Albania, and is currently pursuing a second MSc in Science and Technology in Society at the University of Edinburgh as a Chevening scholar.
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VLORA Drama | 14 min. Prod. Country: Kosovo Vlora is a short film inspired by my mother who started working with a foreign organization in Kosovo right after the war. I wish that whoever sees this film will be inspired and filled with hope for a change that it’s been long overdue.
Erblin Nushi Kosovo In order to teach her children about independence, Vlora has to take a job that requires her to leave the house.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Documentary / Experimental | 8 min. Prod. Country: Hungary There are types of films, books, music, and other art forms that are born strictly from circumstances. “Where Are You Now?” belongs to this category. The film is a product of resistance towards the isolation that the pandemic enforced into the world.
Eneos Carka Albania A father sends well-wishing voice messages to his son confined in selfisolation far away from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
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SMALL TALK WITH THE BAD MAN Drama / Comedy | 15 min. Prod. Country: Greece A thief, an 8-year-old girl, a robbery gone wrong, a well-kept secret in the house, a promise in the dark. Small Talk With the Bad Man is a comment about the necessity of a reaction to inaction and finding the opportunity to change.
Nikos Kolioukos, Meni Tsilianidou Greece An 8 year old girl catches a thief red-handed in her own house and mistakes him for her favorite superhero, Batman and asks him to help her mother, a victim of domestic violence. The thief, in his own sense of justice, surprisingly chooses to take the law in his hands and make it personal. The ethical dilemma and the ultimate turn of the character through his connection to this little girl is the emotional core of the film. To us, there was no other way to tell this story, other than to maintain its authentic rawness. The only moment the roughness dissolves is when the little girl sees her hero.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
PLASTIC DREAM Fiction / Drama | 20.5 min. Prod. Country: Turkey Social media usually convey the message that «women should always be beautiful and young», and even though we are not always aware of it, we live in a world where we are constantly compared to others. Plastic surgery or botox is just the result of that. In this sense, Plastic Dream tells ironically that a woman’s choices only concern her with a fine line of humor.
Merve Bozcu Turkey 37-year-old Belma’s self-confidence gets damaged when the doctor for her skin rash problem- tells her that she should get botox. she becomes a woman who is uncomfortable in her skin. She gets things do not go as she expected. She finds herself in a nightmare expected
-she went Suddenly, botox but she never
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
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IN BETWEEN Drama | 20 min. Prod. Country: Romania
Ana Pasti Romania
In my world the majority of my issues deal with personal growth and professional development. In Paul’s world, a 12 year old boy, sole breadwinner for his family, that I met one late winter night in the parking lot of the mall close to my house where he was selling used books, the majority of his issues deal with survival. Paul taught me something about the hypocrisy of generosity and by doing so inspired me to become more authentic about my own life and create this film.
It’s a late December night. Amalia is a career driven woman in her mid thirties and a mistress in a complicated love affair. One night, Amalia encounters a 12 year old boy selling used books in the parking lot of a fast food drive through. She decides to “save” him from the long hours of waiting in the cold winter’s night for his bus to arrive in the morning, by giving him a ride home. The more they drive into the night the less certain it is who is saving who…
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
IDIOT ON CUE Fiction | 19 min. Prod. Country: Montenegro
Sara Stijovic Montenegro Raspberry farmers of Montenegro are having serious troubles so they decide, as a sign of protest, to spill several tons of their goods. As a result, the streets are being covered in raspberries like they are bleeding, and even though the national TV is broadcasting, the Minister is silent. The story is following a girl, a news reporter, who made a mistake along the way.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
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CLIMATE CHANGE Drama | 19.3 min. Prod. Country: Turkey, United Kingdom As it has been discussed for centuries, the relationship between migration and human beings have gained a significant place in contemporary work. My greatest intent in this film is to convey the feeling of loneliness that comes with culture clash through a young person’s experiences abroad as pure as possible.
Yasemin Demirci Norway Iklim moves from İstanbul to London in hopes of a better future, but starts having adaptation issues.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
A MOTHER’S SONATA Sci-Fi Drama | 18 min. Prod. Country: Turkey The spin off story of Bergman’s Autumn Sonata in Sci-fi genre.
Fehmi Ozturk Cyprus For Nesrin and her mother, it’s just another ordinary day. Come evening, they talk about the same issues that they regularly confront every evening. What they don’t know is that the well-worn ritual won’t happen the next day.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
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ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON Documentary / Experimental | 10 min. Prod. Country: Croatia
Lucija Brkic Croatia
Inspiration for the film came up in order for me to creatively face my health issues. The symbolism of pictures and cadres is selfreflecting, because through the whole film as an author I am facing past and present. “One Friday Afternoon” will always be special to me, not just because it’s my debut movie, but because it’s something very intimate to me, the film itself and the process of making it.
The reality we live may not be the one we would choose. How, then, to accept this imposed fate?
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
MADONNA F64.0 Drama | 10 min. Prod. Country: Greece I have come to believe that acceptance from one’s family is very important. From personal experience, just like Maria, I noticed I wasted much time paving a way created by the desires of the people around me. But how can you be true to yourself if you don’t have the right to scream out loud your wildest dream?
Stavros Markoulakis Greece After an important surgery, Maria returns to her family home, in order to recover. There she cohabits with her mother, her sister and a newborn baby. While Maria’s body starts healing, a deeply hidden desire of hers surfaces. Maria starts to wish to come close to the baby, something that is a serious threat to the “safety” of the family home.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
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WHEN THE MORNING DAWNS Drama | 23 min. Prod. Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina A lot of young women are heavily influenced by social media on their looks and they are having a major identity crisis because of “the perfect life of someone else”. “When the Morning Dawns” explores how to stay sane as a young woman in the 21th century.
Karmen Obrdalj Bosnia and Herzegovina A lonely self-conscious girl spends her days drinking wine on the roof and waiting for her boyfriend to come home. She can sense that something is wrong when he suddenly gets cold. Due to the lack of intimacy and his friendship with another woman her opinion about her body image worsen. We watch what happens to them that “one more day” that they stay together.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
DAYS LOST Drama | 20 min. Prod. Country: Serbia Jovana Avramovic Serbia Olja, a disaffected, eighteen years old girl, lives in a family filled with misunderstanding. Most importantly, when her brother’s girlfriend visits her family, she faces the loss of her brother as she considers him the only thing important. Furious with everybody around her, she is stuck in a place where she does not know what to do.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE
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VIOLETTA Drama | 14.5 min. Prod. Country: Greece Having entered relatively recently into the adult period of my life, I was looking for an opportunity to talk about an adult journey. With a very low budget and simple means I tried to represent a parent and a teenager relationship, which was trapped in time and is about to start flowing again.
Fivos Imellos Greece After the sudden death of Violetta’s mother, her father is looking for a way to renew their relationship. But he will face the powerful character of Violetta, and his own mistakes of the past.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY
WHITE TABLE SPARK Drama | 17 min. Prod. Country: Slovenia It is a film about the impact which early memories can or should have - it is a film that could raise awareness about the importance of introspection. Everything can be found inside us, our death sentence and also our rebirth in means of peace.
Tadej Koren Šmid Slovenia What is your portal to the past ? White tables work for some and in the case of Marcel Proust, Madeleine’s cake surely did it.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY
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EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE Fiction / Drama | 21 min. Prod. Country: Serbia “Everything in its Right Place” is a personal film about the destruction of a family, and finally the bonding between a mother and a daughter. The film is inspired by my and Nadja, the writer’s mothers. We wanted to present the mother figure on the screen, not just as a mother, but as a woman, full of lust for life, but unable to manifest it.
Nicola Stojanovic Serbia Jovana, a single, working-class mother, wants to spend her birthday with her daughter Sara, but her plans are ruined when Sara invites her father to come.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY
BREAK OFF Fiction | 18 min. Prod. Country: Turkey As in the story of Break Off, I love to feed on life itself. I want to continue my professional career as a short film director. I love the world of short films.
Öykü Orhan Turkey Zeliha, mother of two children, is a poor laborer who works in a steel saucepan factory. One day, she is fired at an unexpected moment. While she is attempting to find a new job, she also searches for a solution in order to prevent her children from noticing the situation. The solution created by her shows the deadlock condition as a result of poverty.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY
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SEA BY THE RIVER AND RIVER BY THE SEA Drama | 28 min. Prod. Country: Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina For me as director and writer this story is important because it shows the crucial role of women in creating an identity in society of those two difficult times, not just in Kosovo but around the world.
Sovran Nrecaj Kosovo Lume, a wife and mother, is left alone in two different periods, for different reasons. She hates the war, but she is forced to fight.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY
UNCONTROLLED LOVE Experimental | 4 min. Prod. Country: Greece, United States The aim of my work is to create empathy and dialogue based on symbolisms that are presented sometimes with irony and sarcasm, while some other times with frankness and darkness. My projects explore injustice, memory, human rights, feminism, and religion.
Vasia Ampatzi Greece The video is about the strong feeling of love (in greek: erotas). That feeling which is capable of making you lose everything, even your own self and identity.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED
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THE GREAT ISTANBUL DEPRESSION Drama / Coming of age | 20 min. Prod. Country: Japan, Turkey Graduation requires making decisions about your life. Didem and Ayse are two young women who think that the decisions they will make at this point in their lives will determine who they are. While Ayşe is looking for a job in the city, Didem is so lost in the city that she looks forward to its destruction.
Zeynep Suren Dilan Turkey Didem and Ayşe cannot find a job even though it has been a while since they’ve graduated from the university. In order to be able to stay in Istanbul, though, they must at least earn enough money to cover their rent, even if it goes against their dreams. On the edge of the metropolis, they are stuck in between the skyscrapers rising among the terrace of their home and the ruined apartment buildings.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED
PERSONAL DRAMA Animation / Experimental | 3.5 min. Prod. Country: Bulgaria
Ivelina Ivanova Bulgaria
I stand against precision and hyperrealism. There is something liberating in being sloppy, so I have always stuck to punk. This is why I am repelled by the idea of aiming for precision, both in art and in life. Animation, as the art of transience, change and movement, corresponds ideally to my ideology. I tackle the realm of reality that is on the border with the unreal. I achieve this by experimenting with persistence of vision . This illusion is the essence of animation, but the ways to tackle it are infinite.
Aliens read a newspaper.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED
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IRO /HE.ROː/ Short |
14.5 min.
Prod. Country: Greece
Alexis Koukias-Pantelis Greece
I started writing this script back in 2016 while studying film directing in Edinburgh. At that time, I had the tough luck to travel back and forth to Greece twice in a month, after losing my uncle and grandfather. Personally, I always felt strange having to share my personal grief among a wide social circle. In this instance I had the chance for the first time to say my own final farewell, free from any social custom.
Iro, an 8 year old girl, is ready to take off on a short road trip with her mom and a superhero towards Lake Stymphalia. A car malfunction and a bus driver’s strike will make their plans difficult but with the help of the superhero they will hitchhike their way towards their destination.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED
TWISTED Horror Thriller | 17.5 min. Prod. Country: North Macedonia
Ibrahim Batuhan North Macedonia
“Twisted” tells a story that is a synthesis of traditional Balkan and Western culture. The mixing of Balkan elements of magic, as opposed to the classical horror approach, is the main goal and motivation for this work. The absence of horror culture in our country is an incentive for me as a director for this film, and of course for other such films and ideas. Introducing different film cultures to the audience, especially proving that besides plays, other stories can exist.
Marija is a writer and in order to get inspiration for her new book whose subject is her mother’s murder she decides to head to her family’s house in the mountains. As she delves deep in the happenings of the past she will be shaken to the core from the dreadful moments she endured.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED
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EARTHMOVERS Documentary / Experimental |
6.3 min.
Prod. Country: Albania Our work subsists on an assemblage of disruptive moments, as much shaped, as it is simultaneously fractured by layers of diaspora and displacement. Through our common practice we question western social constructions Klodiana Millona, Endi Tupja, Yuan Chun Liu as paradigms of progress, reflecting on the notion of the Albania East as a periphery to Western Europe, and of Eastern Europe as an imagined distraction of the West; a distraction obfuscating a much larger picture of social structures and evolutions in the Western Balkans, Albania included. Taking the recent infamous event of the brutal demolition of the National Theatre of Tirana, and using the bulldozer as a primary object of inquiry, this film essay further reflects how under the grand narrative of (western constructed notion of) modernity, colonial definitions and practices are still implemented and domesticized in the exploitation of commons.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - NATURE
NOSOTROS Documentary | 6.4 min. Prod. Country: Kosovo By creating NOSOTROS we decided to bring to life a reality everyone was avoiding, climate change is a pressing, global issue everyone should be paying attention to.
Nazmi Latifi, Albulena Kurti Albania Letting birds fly in a yellow sky is the most disgusting thing we have ever seen. Deforestation, air and water pollution, global warming, and nonsocial responsibility in only one word: NOSOTROS.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - NATURE
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OUTSIDE THE ORANGES ARE BLOOMING Documentary |
20 min.
Prod. Country: Portugal The story of the film is inspired by a newspaper article where I read about a hidden village among Portuguese mountains where someone among the inhabitants is stealing from the neighbors. This memory brought me to the village Vila Cha where I spent a couple of years getting to know this place and its commandments.
Nevena Desivojevic Serbia High among the mountains, a man endures alone in a disappearing village. Wandering through the misty nature, roaming between the walls of his dark house, he bewails his condition as a man doomed to serve the surrounding he has rejected.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - NATURE
AFRICAN CHILDREN Documentary | 18 min. Prod. Country: Turkey We always wanted to pursue a quest and a problem while making a film, and in this film we wanted to tell about the adaptation process and life struggle of African people in Turkey. I hope that our young filmmaker friends like us in Nice can experience such feelings.
Bayram Fidanboy Turkey African children in order to lead a better life, to take care of their families, to leave their homeland and to emigrate to the city of Rize, Turkey. In that place there is a production that deals with the struggle for the life of the African people.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - POWER OF PEOPLE
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POSTCARDS FROM HELLINIKON Tragicomedy / sureal |
22 min.
Prod. Country: Greece I had only had one flight from Hellinikon airport. But I have experienced a couple of critical moments of my life at its abandoned spaces. Being insecure with some approaching ending. At the same time daring for a new start.
Aphroditi Katerinopoulou Greece Slices of life at the Former Athens Hellinikon Airport, before the casino is built. A couple in a car at night, a grandma peels green beans, two gravediggers pass by, people seemingly unconnected. Among them is a little boy, whose toy airplane gets stuck at a huge palm-tree. He‘ll do anything to get it back.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - POWER OF PEOPLE
NORTH POLE Short | 15 min. Prod. Country: North Macedonia Misty field, crowded locker room. Margo belongs to neither. Maybe if she loses her virginity, she will finally find her place.
Marija Apcevska North Macedonia North Pole is an intimate story about acceptance and belonging, told from the perspective of a teenage girl named Margo, played by an amazing young actress, Antonija Belazelkoska. Although the film is set among teenagers, I believe that the questions it poses are relevant for any age, as identity and its shifts and changes as well as the influence of the others over it, are a lifelong process.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
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BUTTERFLY & MOUSE Drama / adventure |
14 min.
Prod. Country: Bulgaria The film zooms in on the trials and tribulations of an extremely coward man. What the protagonist fears the most is looking within himself. He meets various people and forms different bonds, but any time a situation or a person calls for him to reveal his true self, the protagonist flees, until he can flee no more.
Mira Yankova Bulgaria People often say, “This one has a lion’s heart, and that one – a rabbit’s”. Some hide lions in their chests, other ones – rabbits, yet others – mice. There are also those who wouldn’t dare face their inner spirit animal. What could happen to someone so very afraid of seeing what he carries within. A short jazzy film about the fears that obstruct man’s way to himself and to others.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
I CAN’T SMELL THE SOIL IN MY HEAD Short | 6.3 min. Prod. Country: Germany, Russian Federation
Alkistis Kafetzi Greece
I can’t smell the soil is a poetic depiction of a philosophical struggle. The cold outdoor environment as well as the camera movements serve as a depiction of what’s going on inside the mind of the protagonist while the close ups of his face aim to create a proximity with the viewer. The experience of creating this film was quite intensive but also very beautiful and creative.
“I can’t smell the soil in my head” is the poetic depiction of a philosophical struggle. Associative patterns and cinematic allusions create a suggestive atmosphere full of tension and release. Close-ups of the protagonist and outdoor scenery complement each other and form a synaesthetic equivalent to the inner movement of the protagonist’s struggles. The camera follows closely his trail of thoughts in a constant forward motion. It’s the bittersweet realization that a mind’s work is as fleeting as an image on a single frame.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
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CEFALEA(TIRANA) Drama |
10 min.
Prod. Country: Albania <Cefalea> is my first short fiction film made in the film residency named “Balkan’s gate” in Albania. This film covers the issue of ecological pollution in the Patos-Marinza oil field and health damage caused by the pollution. This film was made with the great participation of local people in Fier and Albanian film-makers.
Hyejin Kim Korea In the small village nearby the Patos-Marinza oil field, Elira is living with her father and grandmother. Since her mother passed away, she has had various physical symptoms including a chronic headache.
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COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
LE PERIPLE D’ABELLA Documentary | 4.55 min. Prod. Country: Turkey
Enis manaz Turkey
One of the biggest side effects of the pandemic was the time that it gave us to think about ourselves and our world more than ever before. Yes, at first like everyone else, me and my friends also felt imprisoned but on the other hand, we took advantage of the time we had and used it as an opportunity to raise our voice. Besides the reconfiguration of the world, the most important motivation for us to produce “Le Périple d’Abélla” was the racism which is rising non-stop nowadays. I hope the audience will also like it and hopefully we can make them think just once more.
In a fishing town called Toubab Dialaw in Senegal, each young girl who turns 25 has to present a handmade gift to their mothers.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
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SECOND ROUND Fiction |
18 min.
Prod. Country: Hungary
Gábor Holtai
In a world where childbirth is state-regulated a couple applies for a license to have a child. They have passed the first round of the process but they have no idea what awaits them in the second round.
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BBB FOCUS
SYMBIOSIS Animation | 12:48 min. Prod. Country: France
Nadja Andrasev
A betrayed wife starts to investigate her husband’s mistresses. Her jealousy is gradually replaced by curiosity.
BBB FOCUS
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SINCE SHE IS WITH ME Fiction |
25 min.
Prod. Country: Hungary
Szeleczki Rozália
It’s the 1980s in Communist Budapest and the 8-year old Málna shows up in her rock star father’s life, a man struggling with political oppression and personal addictions. After a night out together everything changes between them.
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BBB FOCUS
SUNDAY Fiction | 14.40 min. Prod. Country: Hungary
Andor Berényi
Laci and his sister meet their father on the weekends. This time the father’s new girlfriend is coming with them to the beach.
BBB FOCUS
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DỌLÁPỌ̀IS FINE Short |
15 min.
Prod. Country: ---
Ethosheia Hylton United Kingdom It’s the 1980s in Communist Budapest and the 8-year old Málna shows up in her rock star father’s life, a man struggling with political oppression and personal addictions. After a night out together everything changes between them.
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BBB BEYOND
VOUTA Short | 18 min. Prod. Country: Greece Vouta is a story from the dirty part of our cities. Unemployment, poverty, addiction, violence and mental health issues often make a high risk family, associated with child abuse and neglect. What else is lying behind the closed doors? Any trace of hope or love?
Dimitris Zahos Greece Vouta is a pigeon breed that flies all the way up to the clouds, then dives at 230 km/h and slows down just before reaching the ground. Christos is a teenager who lives in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Athens. He has to find a way to avoid conflict with his father who just got home from prison, just like the pigeons he loves avoid collision.
BBB BEYOND
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HENET WARD Short |
22.5 min.
Prod. Country: ---
Morad Mostafa Egypt
As I was looking for a subject to do my first short film, I was interested in writing a film with a human and social dimension, talking about real people within their real environment; reflecting and capturing the moments in their “time and place” to observe what Egyptian society is experiencing now, where congestion and polarization has increased, violence, anger, and everyone is in conflict with one another for the slightest reason and something very simple may turn into a battle where the two parties deal with it as a matter of survival.
Halima, a Sudanese henna painter goes to Basma’s, a young Egyptian bride to prepare her for her wedding: under the eyes of her daughter Ward, the encounter between the two women grows from complicity to suddenly unveiled tensions.
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BBB BEYOND
DAY-TO-DAY Short, Student | 4 min. Prod. Country: Brazil-Japan This movie was made during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to honour my grandparents.
Sak Miranda Brazil Day-to-day is a short movie that presents the last day of life of Yoshio during the COVID-19 pandemic
BBB BEYOND
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SNORRIE (MUSTACHIO) Short, Student |
11 min.
Prod. Country: Netherlands
Victoria Warmerdam Netherlands Absurd tragicomedy about thirty-something Freek, who is reuniting with his imaginary friend from the past, who is looking for closure.
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BBB BEYOND
THE WAR WITHIN Short | 15 min. Prod. Country: Islamic Republic of Iran The central idea of "The War Within" is about capitalism, imperialism and the new system of the World Bank. Capitalism sometimes encourages people to fight and shed blood for profit. War and money.
Javid Farahani Islamic Republic of Iran A paralyzed man who has lost his legs due to a car accident is now staying at home, buying and selling dollars. He is now expecting a war between Iran and The US in the hope for a soar in the price of his savings in dollar, regardless of how many people would die in the war. The war and the profit he makes by selling his dollars afterwards, would help him make a fortune as well as having a leg operation. And this is just the beginning of the story…
BBB BEYOND
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SCREAM 27 min. Prod. Country: Kosovo
Korab Lecaj
A family drama reflected in the trauma of sexual rape that took place during the war and the pressure that comes from the revelation of this truth, manage to disrupt the behavior of Din in relation to his wife and the district where he lives. Din unfortunately, like many others, was sexually raped during the war, the truth had already begun to emerge and this condition was weighing on him emotionally, having difficulty facing his wife and the society regarding this tragic reality.
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BBB & CO
DISPLACED 15 min. Prod. Country: Kosovo
Samir Karahoda
In post-war Kosovo, driven by the ambition of keeping their beloved sport alive, two local players wander from one obscure location to another carrying with them the only possession of the club: their tables.
BBB & CO
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BBB meets the Cine-Balkan Females Round table “BBB meets the Cine-Balkan Females” is a public open event that intends to point out the challenges women face in the cinema field, focused on women from the Balkan region. Vjosa Berisha, Festival Director of the Pristina International Film Festival, will moderate the discussion panel with acclaimed professionals of the film and cultural sector: Burcu Biricik, Turkish actress, Luana Bajrami, French actress/director from Kosovo, Zana Hoxha, theatre director / director and founder of Artpolis and FemArt, and Dina Duma, director from North Macedonia. In this networking and experience sharing activity, women with different proficiencies in the cultural and cinema industry are invited to share their views and stories. The goal of the activity is to set the basis of an open, inclusive platform in the Balkan region consisting of women working in the cultural sector and start an open dialogue on gender inequality. “BBB meets the Cine-Balkan Females” tangibly helps to tackle gender stereotypes. The audience will have the opportunity to walk through the women’s professional experiences and actively participate in the discussion. In this context, it is highly important to discuss the glass ceiling, gender equality and discrimination. Sharing experiences and practices is a way to tackle gender stereotypes and support female artists and professionals.
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GALA OF CURIOSITIES ECHO II: Traditions in Transition The Gala of Curiosities, organised within the framework of the 12th BBB Short Film Festival, is part of the Creative Europe project “ECHO II: Traditions in Transition”. It is a networking event that functions as a cultural networking hub, and an artistic space that will raise awareness about the “traditions in transition” of European local communities.
ECHO II: Traditions in Transition “ECHO II: Traditions In Transition” (September 2020 – June 2022) European cultural project, in the context of which 20 artists from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Hungary participated in 5 (in total) Art Residencies, and created original artworks inspired by the traditions of the following places: • • • • •
is a North local local
Prespa Lake (North Macedonia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Spetses island (Greece), Győr (Hungary) Smolyan (Bulgaria)
In the context of ECHO II, local traditions are perceived as dynamic and evolving processes that shape and are shaped by the lives of local communities. This means that traditions are recognized as constitutive elements of cultural identities, but are not considered as ‘objects’ that need to remain unaltered and get protected via musealisation. In this light, ECHO II takes a critical stance towards established but unfruitful perspectives that restrict innovation and creativity, hoping to help (a) the participating artists to highlight and renew local traditions through contemporary artistic creation, and (b) the local communities to selfreflect, and hence, reconceptualise and revitalise their own traditions within the framework of European cultural heritage. “ECHO II: Traditions in Transition” is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. 55
The Gala of Curiosities Activities The “Gala of Curiosities” includes an art exhibition which features 20 digital reproductions of selected artworks created by the participating artists of the ECHO II project, and a discussion which involves the artists and professionals from the cultural and creative sectors of the city of Pristina and the Balkan region to a productive dialogue. The artists from the residencies are invited to Pristina to present their artistic practice and to share their approach and thoughts on the traditions and their way through the years as well as the cultural heritage of the Balkans with the local audience. The exhibition hosts the participating artists of the ECHO II project. Through the exhibition, BBB attempts to familiarize the local audience with the artworks created during the residencies of the ECHO II, and consequently with the local traditions of the different regions that have been their source of inspiration. The invited artists will be present at the exhibition’s opening in order to discuss with the audience about their work. Also, through the use of QR-codes in the labelling, the exhibition functions as a "physical portal" leading to the ECHO II website, an open-access cultural repository, which includes information on the selected local traditions, and all the digitized copies of all the artworks created during the programme. The discussion (upon invitation only) brings artists and professionals from the cultural and creative sectors together to participate actively in a productive dialogue. Participating artists are divided in groups per residency and discuss with one of the each professional of the cultural and creative sector. The discussion’s starting point is the artistic creation in relation to the complexity and the uniqueness of every tradition. BBB invites the artists to share their thoughts and experiences during the residences on the impact of the traditions in contemporary everyday life and the identity of the regions they visited. In addition, professionals from the cultural and creative sector are invited to comment on the dynamic character of traditions and their preservation, especially in recent years as emphasized by international and European cultural policies. The discussion aims to empower the artist to evolve their concepts and ideas and promote cross-national collaborations. Overall, the discussion reflects on the contemporary perception of tradition and its recontextualization.
The Gala of Curiosities, which is held in the context of the 12th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival, promotes a cross-sectoral interaction between filmmakers, visual artists and creative professionals.
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Partners of ECHO II INTER ALIA Inter Alia is a civic non-profit organisation based in Athens, Greece. Its aim is, among others, to contribute to the cultural and creative sectors by designing, organising and offering: (a) mobility activities and networking events for artists, GLAM professionals and cultural operators to gain more knowledge, experience, visibility and professional opportunities; and (b) inter- and crosscultural, educational workshops and seminars for diverse audiences to get acquainted with different cultures and perspectives. Also, Inter Alia produces and funds non-market oriented activities that are either creative and artistic per se, or use creative and artistic means in order to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, foster innovation and creativity, and enhance civic engagement, activism and youth work. In the context of ECHO II, Inter Alia organised the Art Residency and the Local Arts Exhibition in Spetses island (Greece).
OPEN SPACE FOUNDATION Open Space Foundation was founded in 2006 in Bulgaria, with the aim of supporting and promoting the cultural dialogue and relationships through different means of arts and communication. It seeks and creates bridges between tradition and modernity, between cultures, and between generations. Since 2008, it has been developing training and cultural programmes with an educational character, with a particular focus on children and young people. It has established itself as an organization that works and upholds its standards. It respects cultural diversity and encourages cultural dialogue and interaction to occur in all walks of life. In the context of ECHO II, Open Space Foundation organised the Art Residency and the Local Arts Exhibition in Sofia (Bulgaria), as well as the Art Residency in Smolyan (Bulgaria). The Local Arts Exhibition in Smolyan will be organised in due time.
POSTSCRIPTUM PostScriptum specialises in consultancy and implementation of museum, library and archive-related software services and web presence, implements technologies creating new channels of communication in the culture sector, develops educational material, and creates and supports communities and networks. Due to its extensive expertise and web development experience, it has undertaken the design and implementation of various websites, for both the public and private sector, using state of the art technologies, and integrating advanced Content Management Systems and various museopedagogical applications – both physical and digital. Furthermore, it has planned, developed and created many corporate and product tools for institutions, organisations and corporate businesses, as well as organisations of local government. In the context of ECHO II, PostScriptum designs and implements the digital strategy of the project, indicating the best route for maximising its digital footprint. 57
Partners of ECHO II PRO PROGRESSIONE Pro Progressione is a Budapest-based artistic hub that connects people, professions and ambitions by designing international collaborations in the field of culture. From this combination, creative ideas emerge – artists, cultural activists, scientists and experts of various fields meet and give cutting-edge answers for the questions of our age. Pro Progressione focuses its capacities on the fields where it aims to have a positive long-term impact, thus it is built up on four main pillars: PP Social, PP Cult, PP Arts and PP Sound. It is active in the field of socially engaged arts, cultural and natural heritage interpretation, music as tradition and the productions of unique performances. Its innovative team disposes of a large scale of professional competences and creativity, each of its members are personally engaged with arts and culture. In the context of ECHO II, Pro Progressione organised the Art Residency and the Local Arts Exhibition in Győr (Hungary).
SFERA INTERNATIONAL SFERA INTERNATIONAL is an NGO in Bitola (North Macedonia), which was first formed in 2007 as an informal group, and, in July 2009, was registered as an NGO. Its general goal is to educate the population in North Macedonia, using different non-formal methods, about the protection of the environment, cultural and natural heritage, in order to raise the awareness of all age groups about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits that come with it. In the context of ECHO II, SFERA INTERNATIONAL organised the Art Residency in Prespa Lake and the Local Arts Exhibition in Bitola (North Macedonia).
ASSOCIATED PARTNER BIENNALE OF WESTERN BALKANS The Biennale of Western Balkans (BoWB) is a non-profit organisation operating as a biennial festival and year-round project, located in the city of Ioannina, region of Epirus, Northwestern Greece. BoWB promotes intangible cultural heritage and natural heritage through art, technology and open knowledge, with the vision to inspire people experiencing tradition anew. BoWB aims to develop inclusive participation in a wide range of social groups and foster a network of transnational and intersectional mobility in Greece and the Western Balkans. BoWB’s mission is to present interdisciplinary art and research that engage intangible cultural practices in transformative, collective and educative ways. BoWB is committed to bring social impact through culture and capacity building for digital skills by supporting civic engagement, communities of practice, open technologies, socially engaged art and research practices. BoWB is an initiative of the History of Art Laboratory of the School of Fine Arts in the University of Ioannina. 58
Partners of ECHO II KINITRO KINITRO is a Social Enterprise in the form of a NonProfit Organization. It aims to educate people from all different backgrounds with Non-Formal and Informal Education methods, in order to create an inclusive to all and accessible society, where everyone has the opportunity to be themselves while improving their attitudes and enhancing their skills. KINITRO offers Equity Centered educational programmes for Businesses, Schools, and other Organizations, on different topics closely related to social rights. Its core activity is designing and implementing tailor-made disABILITY AWAREness workshops, under the name “Labyrinth of Senses” which is an awarded project by the Zero Project of the United Nations, the Lifelong Learning Platform of European Commission, and the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards for the Technology & Accessibility cooperation with Vodafone Foundation. KINITRO has trained more than 17.000 people in 16 countries with the help of more than 800 volunteers. This year KINITRO will be responsible for the accessibility of the BBB Festival, making it a fully inclusive Film Festival.
BUSHO The festival was born to give the more and more thriving short film-society a stage to introduce itself in the capital, and young titans the possibility to prove their talent in an international field. It invites filmmakers and leaders from the European workshops every year in order to offer these communities a lucid and pleasurable being together, promoting at the same time the knowing of each other’s values. Beyond the outings of individual filmmakers it includes screenings of the winners of international film festivals and a conference negotiating the situation and the possibilities of co-operation of young European filmmakers. BUSHO’s mission is to develop the cultural identity of the audiovisual sector of Eastern and Central Europe.
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13 YEARS OF PRISHTINA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PriFest 13 edition / 24 - 29 August 2021 ABOUT PRIFEST
PriFest is the biggest and most important film industry event in Kosovo. It emerged as a need to bring back and build the cinema culture which was lost during many years of repression and war. PriFest is an opportunity to young filmmakers from Kosovo, who because of the visa regime have big limitation to travel freely in Europe and elsewhere, to meet filmmakers and experts from the region and Europe that visit the festival and increase their chances to network and coproduce their films. PriFest film program offer the audience every year newest films from Europe, Balkan and the world, with addition special programs that promote human rights, tolerance and acceptance for marginalized groups of society. It is the only festival in the Balkan that has a special program of films with the LGBT theme which is done in partnership with Outfest in Los Angeles. Besides films, the festival has a very good regional development platform that offers training, lectures, inspirational masterclasses from distinguished guests and other opportunities for filmmakers from Kosovo and the neighboring countries to benefit from. It is a great networking event for filmmakers from Kosovo, the region and Europe. To date PriFest was visited by Mr. Paul Haggis (Canadian screenwriter and director), Ms. Vanessa Redgrave (British Actress) who is also the President of our Honorary Board, Stephen Frears (British Director), Joshua Marston (American Director), Franco Nero (Italian Actor), Eva Orner (Australian producer), Gideon Burkhard (German actor), Samuel Maoz (Izraeli director), Danis Tanovic (Bosnian director), Velibor Topic (Bosnian actor), Jasmila Zbanic (Bosnian director), Mirjana Karanovic (Serbian actress) and other important guests. We like to think that PriFest is a true cultural diplomacy tool for a new country like Kosovo to present itself to the world in the best possible light. The slogan of the festival is Friendship. Forever.
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Competition Programme Voting for the Audience Award supported by Biennale of Western Balkans
Please visit the QR code for each day and vote for your favourite shorts! DAY 1 COMPETITION PROGRAMME - STARTING POINT: CONNECTION
DAY 2 BBB BEYOND COMPETITION PROGRAMME - ACCEPTANCE COMPETITION PROGRAMME - NATURE
DAY 3 BBB FOCUS COMPETITION PROGRAMME - FAMILY COMPETITION PROGRAMME - SELF EXPLORATION
DAY 4 COMPETITION PROGRAMME - MIND CONNECTED COMPETITION PROGRAMME - POWER OF PEOPLE BBB & CO
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12th EDITION
BBB TEAM VASILIKI MALTASOGLOU: Festival Director VERONIKI KRIKONI: Senior Project Manager KONSTANTINA KARYDI: Networking Manager DIMITRIS MARAGOS: Communication Manager MARIANNA STEFANITSI: Project Manager RIFAT ERKEK: Programme Coordinator PINELOPI SKORDILI: Catalogue Editor GEORGIANNA CHONDROU: Website editor and Social Media VALMIRA GKIONI: Media and Communication ANNA-MARIA RAMMOU: Hospitality Manager STEFANOS NASTOS: Technical Coordinator PANOS DIAPOULIS: Photographer KINITRO: Subtitling for deaf and hard of hearing people GRINDER COLLECTIVE - DESIGN FIRM: Design/Visual Communication
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Balkans Beyond Borders (BBB) wants to cordially thank all partners,volunteers and friends for making this festival come true. Let this journey continue.
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MOVIE INDEX A
AFRICAN CHILDREN.................. 35 A MOTHER’S SONATA. ................. 17
B
BBB JURY.......................... 8 BREAK OFF......................... 25 BUTTERFLY & MOUSE. ................. 38
P
PERSONAL DRAMA. .................... 29 PLASTIC DREAM..................... 13 POSTCARDS FROM HELLINIKON......... 36 PROGRAMME......................... 6
S
DAY-TO-DAY........................ 49 DISPLACED......................... 53 DỌLÁPỌ̀IS FINE. .................... 46
SCREAM. ............................ 52 SEA BY THE RIVER AND RIVER BY THE SEA.. 26 SECOND ROUND. ...................... 42 SINCE SHE IS WITH ME.............. 44 SMALL TALK WITH THE BAD MAN. ....... 12 SNORRIE (MUSTACHIO). ............... 50 SUNDAY. ............................ 45 SYMBIOSIS......................... 43
EARTHMOVERS. ....................... 32 EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE. ..... 24
THE GREAT ISTANBUL DEPRESSION. ..... 28 THE WAR WITHIN. .................... 51 TWISTED. ........................... 31
C
CEFALEA(TIRANA)................... 40 CLIMATE CHANGE. .................... 16
D E
T
H
U
HENET WARD........................ 48
I
I CAN’T SMELL THE SOIL IN MY HEAD. . 39 IDIOT ON CUE. ...................... 15 IN BETWEEN........................ 14 IRO /HE.ROː/. ...................... 30
L
LE PERIPLE D’ABELLA. ............... 41 LOST DAYS......................... 21
M
MADONNA F64.0..................... 19
N
NORTH POLE........................ 37 NOSOTROS.......................... 33
O
ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.............. 18 OUTSIDE THE ORANGES ARE BLOOMING.. 34
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UNCONTROLLED LOVE. ................. 27
V
VIOLETTA.......................... 22 VLORA............................. 10 VOUTA............................. 47
W
WHEN THE MORNING DAWNS. ............ 20 WHERE ARE YOU NOW?................ 11 WHITE TABLE SPARK. ................. 23
12th EDITION
@Balkans Beyond Borders