31st Montenegro Film Festival, Herceg Novi 2017

film festival

This year’s edition of the Herceg Novi Film Festival – Montenegro Film Festival will be held from the 1st to the 7th of August 2017 at various locations in the Old Town of Herceg Novi. The program includes three selections of Feature-length films, a Selection of documentary films, a Student film selection and a Film industry selection.

Feature-length Films

The director, Ivan Marinovic, will be in charge of selecting the feature-length films.

The main change for the 2017 edition is the classification of the program into three selections: the official competition selection, the selection of “Kino Orjen” and the selection “Kino Evropa”. The main locations of the festival are Kanli Kula and Forte Mare. It is important to note that the tradition of splitting the selections by location is gone this year. The locations themselves will be allocated according to the estimated number of audience members for certain films.

The festival will be opened by the regional premiere of the movie ‘’ Muškarci koji ne plaču ‘’ (Men who do not cry), which was recently given an award at the Karlovy Vary Festival. The program of feature-length films includes two world premieres of domestic films – ‘’The Books of Knjige: Cases of Justice’’ and ‘’Spark’’ by Gojko Berkuljan.

Official Competition Selection

Official competitive selection is the selection of the most successful films from the region, which are exceptional artistic quality with already confirmed success.

The official competitive selection is the selection of the most successful films from the region, which are of exceptional artistic quality and have already proven their success.

Members of the five-member jury are: Milco Mancevski, director (Macedonia), Zrinko Ogresta, director (Croatia), Natasa Ninkovic, actress (Serbia), Ines Tanovic, director (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Ivan Salatic (director, Montenegro).

All films in the Official Competition Selection will be premiered in Montenegro and will be awarded the traditional awards of the Festival.

1. Men who do not cry // Bosnia and Herzegovina // Alen Drljević // regional premiere
2. Fixer // Romania // Adrian Sitaru // Montenegrin premiere
3. Outside // Slovakia, Hungary // Gyorgy Kristof // Montenegrin premiere
4. Requiem for Ms. J // Serbia // Bojan Vuletić // Montenegrin premiere
5. Do not look at my plate // Croatia // Hana Jusic // Montenegrin premiere
6. Fame // Bulgaria // Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov // Montenegrin premiere
7. Solar Impact // Greece // Argyris Papadimitropoulos // Montenegrin premiere
8. When day didn’t have a name// Macedonia // Teona Strugar Mitevska // Montenegrin premiere

Selection “Kino Orjen“

“Kino Orjen” is a competitive selection for the films of the former Yugoslavia, which are the most interesting in terms of style and genre. Films in the selection “Kino Orjen” will compete for the “Živko Nikolic” award and a special award, which will be awarded by a three-member jury. There will be an audience award for the “Kino Orjen” as well. All this bodes well for the fact that “Kino Orjen” should have the perspective of a serious and authentic selection, with a special emphasis on the Montenegrin premiere.

Jury: Sunce Unevska, film critic (Macedonia), Djordje Milosavljevic, screenwriter and director (Serbia) and Stefan Bošković, screenwriter (Montenegro).

Movies in the selection of ‘’Kino Orjen’’:

1. The Books of Books – Cases of Justice: A Double Game // Zoran Markovic, Montenegro // world premiere
2. Spark // Gojko Berkuljan, Montenegro // world premiere
3. After-party // Luka Bursać, Serbia // international premiere
4. Liberation of Skoplje // Danilo Šerbedžija, Rade Šerbedžija, Macedonia // Montenegrin premiere

5. Goran // Nevio Marasović, Croatia // Montenegrin premiere
6. Nightlife // Damjan Kozole, Slovenia // Montenegrin premiere
7. Constitution of the Republic of Croatia // Rajko Grlić, Croatia
8. Pearl of Bojana // Milan Karadzic, Montenegro

‘’Kino Evropa’’

The selection “Kino Evropa” is made up of titles that have been extremely successful in the past year at renowned festivals. Premiering in Montenegro are:

1. Redoubtable / Michel Hazanavicius / France
2. Loveless / Andrey Zvyagintsev / Russia
3. Happy Ending / Michael Haneke / France
4. Bright Sunshine / Claire Denis / France
5. The Square / Ruben Ostlund / Sweden
6. A Ciambra / Jonas Carpignano / Italy
7. The Nothing Factory / Pedro Pinho / Portugal
8. On Body and Soul / Ildikó Enyedi / Hungary

One movie is out of the competition: ‘’Igla ispod praga’’ (Needle under the threshold) // Ivan Marinović, Montenegro

This year, the Introductory screening of films will take place in the Park Hall. The Great Hall is reserved for feature films and the Small Hall is for documentary and student films.

Selection of a documentary film

Jury:
1. Gojko Berkuljan, Montenegro, a young director from Cetinje, whose long-feature film appeared in this year’s featured selection.
2. Stefan Malešević, Serbia, a young author and cinematographer from Belgrade, a double winner of the recent Beldocs for the excellent film “Gora”, a student of Bela Tara in Sarajevo.
3. Janis Pothos, Greece, the author whose outstanding short film “When the Song Begins” was seen in Herceg Novi last year or the year before.

Program
The program consists of 30 movies. Since many of them are co-produced, several countries are represented; there are 32 countries across all the continents.  The directors also sometimes co-direct so there are 33 directors in total of which 15 are women and 18 are men.

Montenegro presents Danilo Marunovic with a film about the painter Dimitri Popovic, “Prelude for a Sniper”.

Thematic orientation

Perhaps this is best explained by an introductory short text:

There is no doubt that the modern world is increasingly divided into two sides. Earth slowly spins within this polarity. The two ends of the world are not the poles or the hemispheres, but rather the rich and the desperately poor. How do the people live in these two poles of the world, what are their daily worries? What are their obsessions, what are they longing for, what are they concealing and what do they hope for? The documentary paints the world as it is, in both poetic and philosophical terms and turns into it a fine cinematic experience that always gives more than a simple picture of reality.

The documentary selection of the FFHN 2017 seems to have gathered the opposites, to reflect the one to the other in our eyes and to produce a higher result in us, deeper thinking about the world, life and reality; a far cry from a mere recording or testimonial.d

Let’s all wonder: Is there enough beauty to save this world?

Flim list

  1. ANGELIKA, Léopold Legrand, BELGIJA, POLJSKA (Belgium, Poland)
  2. BAŠ VRELO LJETO (A VERY HOT SUMMER), Areej Abu Eid, PALESTINA (Palestine)
  3. BLISKE VEZE (CLOSE TIES), Zofia Kowalewska, POLJSKA (Poland)
  4. C KAO CRVENO I CRNO (LIKE RED & BLACK), Reza Majlesi, IRAN (Iran)
  5. DUHOVI BOROVNICA (BLUEBERRY SPIRITS), Astra Zoldnere, LATVIJA (Latvia)
  6. GOLD IZ KOULVILA (COALVILLE GOLD) Ross Bolidai, UK, MOZAMBIK, (Mozambique)
  7. GRANICE (BORDERS), Damjan Kozole, SLOVENIJA (Slovenia)
  8. GUŠTER POD KOŽOM (A LIZARD UNDER THE SKIN), Maud Neve, BELGIJA (Belgium)
  9. HLADNI POLJUPCI (COLD KISSES), Nicolás Rincón Gille, BELGIJA, KOLUMBIJA (Belgium, Columbia)
  10. INICIJACIJA (INITIATION), Teboho Edkins, NJEMAČKA, JUŽNA AFRIKA (Germany, South Africa)
  11. LAMPA (A LAMP), Asel Zhuraeva, KIRGISTAN (Kyrgyzstan)
  12. PARK (THE PARK), Randa Maroufi, MAROKO, (Morocco)
  13. PLAVO NEBO PATNJE (BLUE SKY FROM PAIN) Stephanos Mangriotis, GRČKA, FRANCUSKA, (Greece, France)
  14. POSLIJE ŽIVOTA (AFTER LIFE), Prisca Bouchet, Nick Mayow, NOVI ZELAND, (New Zealand)
  15. PRELUDIJUM ZA SNAJPER (PRELUDE FOR A SNIPER), Danilo Marunović, CRNA GORA (Montenegro)
  16. RAVNOTEŽA (KEEPING BALANCE), Bernhard Wegner, AUSTRIJA, (Austria)
  17. RINGIŠPIL (THE CAROUSSEL) Luka Popadić, SRBIJA (Serbia)
  18. SIN PLANINA (SON OF THE MOUNTAINS), Yavuz Selim Taşcıoğlu, TURSKA, (Turkey)
  19. SJEĆAM SE (I REMEMBER), Elma Tataragić, BiH (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
  20. S RUBA PAMETI (FROM THE EDGE OF SANITY), Milana Majar, BiH – RS (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Russia)
  21. ŠAPAT BREZe (WHISPER FROM A BIRCH), Diana Montenegro, KOLUMBIJA, RUSIJA, (Columbia, Russia)
  22. ŠTA ME SVE ČEKA PRIJE NO ŠTO ZASPIM (MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP), Hanna Hovitie, FINSKA, (Finland)
  23. TASMINA, JAHAČICA TASMINA (THE HORSE GIRL), Faridur Rahman, BANGLADEŠ, (Bangladesh)
  24. TIBETANKA (THE TIBETAN GIRL), Jin Huanquing, KINA (China)
  25. TUŽNI MONAH (THE SAD MONK), Diana Franković, NJEMAČKA (Germany)
  26. UPETLJANI (ENTANGLED), Mark Roberts, Minna Rainio, FINSKA (Finland)
  27. U ŠUMI (IN THE FOREST), Corina Schwingruber Ilic, Thomas Horat, ŠVAJCARSKA (Switzerland)
  28. ZAMAGLJENO (BLURRED), Fabio Palmieri, ITALIJA, (Italy)
  29. ZONA TIŠINE (QUIET ZONE), David Bryant, Karl Lemieux, KANADA, (Canada)
  30. 9. MAJ (THE 9TH OF MAY) Maria Ponomarova, UKRAJINA, HOLANDIJA, (Ukraine, Netherlands)

Student film selection

Dušan Kasalica is in charge of selecting the student films.
The competition program starts on the 3rd of August and lasts until the 6th of August. During the fourth night of competition, 17 student films from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, Slovenia, Greece and Israel will be screened. The selection also includes films already featured at major short-film festivals like the Berlin, Drama Film Festival, Clermont Ferand, etc. The duration of the event will be between 60 and 90 minutes. Before the screening, there will be a short introduction of the movies and the filmmakers. After the screening, a Q & A will be held with the students.

The Awards that will be given by a three-member jury, Natasa Damnjanović, producer (Serbia), Draga Baćović, scenographer (Montenegro), Tina Šmalcelj, screenwriter (BiH), are: Award for Best Student Film and two special awards.

The main location for showing the films is the Amphitheater of Hall Park and the small hall in the Hall Park for prize-winning projections.

Focus: Greece

Program realizovan u saradnji sa Grčkim filmskim centrom / This program is supported by the Greek Film Centre

  1. LISICA (FOX), Jacqueline Lentzou, GRČKA (GREECE), 28 / 2016
  2. PJEŠČANA PLAŽA (SANDY BEACH) Thanos Papastergiou, GRČKA (GREECE), 12 /2016
  3. HIWA, Jacqueline Lentzou GRČKA (GREECE), 11 / 2017
  4. CVIJEĆE I ZADNJICE (FLOWERS AND BOTTOMS), Christos Massalas GRČKA (GREECE), 6 / 2016
  5. LIMBO, Konstantina Kotzamani, GRČKA (GREECE), 29/2016
  6. HELGA JE U LUNDU (HELGA IS IN LUND), Thelyia Petraki, GRČKA; (GREECE), 19/ 2016

Student Film Competition Program

  1. FAJRONT LAST CALL, Milena Grujić, Fakultet dramskih umetnosti Beograd Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade, SRBIJA SERBIA, 17 / 2016
  2. VAN DOMETA OUT OF REACH, Efrat Rasner, Sam Spiegel filmska i TV škola – Jerusalem The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School – Jerusalem, IZRAEL ISRAEL, 19 /2015
  3. PINO, Josip Lukić, Akademija dramske umjetnosti Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts Zagreb, HRVATSKA CROATIA, 15 / 2017
  4. GLAD HUNGER, Tamara Todorović, Fakultet dramskih umetnosti Beograd Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade, SRBIJA SERBIA, 14.47 / 2017
  5. TIŠINA SILENCE, Jovana Avramović, Fakultet dramskih umetnosti Beograd Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade, SRBIJA SERBIA, 17.54 / 2017
  6. FABIJAN, Lovro Mrđen, Akademija dramske umjetnosti Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts Zagreb, HRVATSKA CROATIA, 16 / 2016
  7. DJECA ĆE DOĆI THE CHILDREN WILL COME, Ana Jakimska, Fakultet dramskih umjetnosti Skoplje Faculty of Dramatic Arts Skopje, MAKEDONIJA MACEDONIA, 19 / 2017
  8. ŽEĐ THIRST, Nikola Vučinić Fakultet dramskih umjetnosti Cetinje Faculty of Dramatic Arts Cetinje, CRNA GORA, MONTENEGRO, 14.13 / 2016
  9. NIPENTHES, Jon Simvonis, Metropolitan koledž, Univerzitet kraljice Margaret Metropolitan College, Queen Margaret University, GRČKA GREECE, 14 / 2016
  10. NEBO THE SKY Juš Premov, Institut i akademija za multimedije Ljubljana Institute and Academy of Multimedia Ljubljana, SLOVENIJA SLOVENIA, 8 / 2017
  11. IGRICA THE GAME, Filip Zadro, Akademija dramske umjetnosti Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts Zagreb, HRVATSKA CROATIA,28 / 2016
  12. POKORAVANJE SUBMISSION, Amar Spahić, Akademija scenskih umjetnosti Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo, BOSNA I HERCEGOVINA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, 24 / 2016
  13. ŠTA ĆEŠ TI OĐE BRATE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, BRO? Luka Đikanović ,FAMU Prag FAMU Prague, ČEŠKA, CRNA GORA CZECH REPUBLIC, MONTENEGRO, 29 / 2017
  14. PARALIZA PARALYSIS, Dušan Zorić, Fakultet dramskih umetnosti Beograd Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade, SRBIJA SERBIA, 20 / 2016
  15. NOĆ U TOKORIKIJU A NIGHT IN TOKORIKI, Roxanna Stroe, Državni univerzitet pozorišne i filmske umjetnosti “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theater and Cinema “I.L. Caragiale”, RUMUNIJA ROMANIA, 18 / 2016
  16. 72 48 24 0, Matija Gluščević, Fakultet dramskih umetnosti Beograd Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade, SRBIJA SERBIA, 21 / 2016
  17. ANNA, Or Sinai, Sam Spiegel filmska i TV škola – Jerusalim The Sam Spiegel film & TV school – Jerusalem, IZRAEL ISRAEL, 24 / 2015

Industry and accompanying programs

For the 2017 release, our main goal is to combine accompanying programs that offer educational and practical content to film professionals since we plan to have more guests, from Montenegro as well as other countries in the region. It is important to emphasize cooperation with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts Cetinje, because this year, for the first time, all the students that are interested in volunteering at the festival, will be included. They will be able to acquire practical experience and also attend all the industry programs.

Several programs are planned that belong to the industry:

– Focus Greece – Presentation of contemporary Greek short films in cooperation with the Film Center of Greece. We are planning to host the young Greek writers and representatives of the Greek Film Center.
– ZFF presents: The discussion and presentation of the Zagreb Film Festival industry, with an interview on the importance of the industry-specific sections of the festival, guest: Inja Korac, co-director of the industrial section ZFF
– Masterclass: Milco Mancevski
– Lecture on the development of the scenario, in cooperation with the MEDIA desk Montenegro, lecturer: Srđan Vuletić
– Presentations: Montenegrin Cinema 2017 (Film Center of Montenegro, Association of Film Producers and Directors)

The daily program is coming soon on our website.