The third edition of Montenegro Film Rendezvous wraps up

The 3rd, expanded edition of the Montenegro Rendezvous offered space for authentic film stories, international networking and new opportunities for project development

Lots of things have changed during the three years of Montenegro Film Rendezvous’ existence. For the first time, the festival industry segment expanded to a full week of masterclasses, case studies, meetings, networking and workshops. More than 120 professionals from 30 countries joined forces with the Montenegrin colleagues in Herceg Novi to participate in the organised events.

A central segment of the programme was the presentation of Montenegrin film projects in development, presented through pitching sessions. Film professionals were introduced to Fires (Požari) by director Nina Tratnik, Happiness Is Just a Blue Couch Away (Pu spas za svenas) by Andrija Mugoša, Comedown (Sobe) by director Pavle Simonović, the only one from this selection that is still in development: Echo (Odjek) by Ivica Vidanović, Embryo (Plod) by Maša Šarović and Balkan Maestro, directed by Altinaj Petrović Njegoš and François Fleury.

Additionally, three Montenegrin documentaries in the final stages of post-production were presented: Montenegro Star: The Semple of Janko Nilovic (Sempl Janka Nilovića) directed by Nikola Vukčević; Mladen Ivanović’s The Real Admiral (Kontraadmiral) and About a Brother (Film o bratu), by Đorđe Vojvodić.

The Montenegro Film Rendezvous was further expanded by the New African Voices programme, welcoming filmmakers from Francophone North African countries. It was organised in partnership with the French Embassy in Montenegro and the International Organisation of La Francophonie – OIF. The programme welcomed Tunisian director Erige Sehiri, whose film Under the Fig Trees was screened at the Herceg Novi Film Festival, as well as Cameroonian director and producer Cyrielle Raingou. The programme also featured screenings of Everybody Loves Touda and Congo Boy. In attendance was also Jules Dieng, producer of the film Fighters, currently in post-production.

Another major component of this year’s Rendezvous was a series of masterclasses led by internationally recognised filmmakers, alongside a case study dedicated to the Montenegrin feature documentary Planina (To Hold a Mountain), which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and The Heart of Sarajevo in the documentary competition.

Manuel Alberto Claro, one of Europe’s most acclaimed cinematographers, whose latest film Dom (Home), directed by Marijana Janković, opened the 39th Herceg Novi Film Festival, led a masterclass dedicated to cinematography and visual storytelling. British sound editor Nina Hartstone, who won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for Bohemian Rhapsody, led a masterclass focusing on sound design and the working process behind contemporary film productions. A masterclass by Asghar Farhadi, a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, was moderated by Vuk Perović. Farhadi discussed his approach as a filmmaker, his experience of working across different languages and cultures, and the relationship between image, sound and story in the filmmaking process.

Another new segment of the programme, Montenegro Film Rendezvous Plus, featured a series of specialised workshops for Montenegrin and regional filmmakers and emerging talent, delivered with the support of the Film Centre’s international partners.

The ReActing+ workshop, a new module of the ReActing as a Star programme dedicated to talented actors from the region, was organised with the support of the British Council. The Female Filmmakers workshop, focused on emerging female directors from the Western Balkans, Moldova and Armenia, was held in partnership with the Embassy of France and the French Institute in Montenegro.

The EAVE on Demand RE-ACT workshop focused on strengthening producers’ capacities and fostering the sustainability of production companies. The MEDIA TV Series Event has also provided a platform for television project development. The programme was organised as a joint initiative of the Creative Europe MEDIA Desks of Montenegro, Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia, and it featured a panel on regional co-production, a masterclass and a case study.

Particular attention was given to opportunities for co-production and cooperation between national film funds. Tamara Tatishvili, Director of the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, presented the fund’s work and opportunities. Dita Rietuma, Director of the National Film Centre of Latvia, and Edith Sepp, Director of the Estonian Film Institute, presented opportunities for cooperation with the Baltic countries.

The following projects were presented at the Montenegro Film Rendezvous:

Work in Progress

Happiness Is Just a Blue Couch Away – Andrija Mugoša (Montenegro)
Producers: Iva Kasalica, Andrija Mugoša
Co-producer: Boris Raonić
Production company: KA Productions
Co-production company: Radio and Television of Montenegro

Balkan Maestro – Altinaï Petrovich Njegosh, François Fleury (France/Montenegro)
Producers: Altinaï Petrovich Njegosh, Luciana Soares de Souza
Co-producers: Frédéric Chaudier, Dominique Welinski
Production company: Aj Aj Aj Films
Co-production companies: ARTE France, Bienvenue Production

Embryo – Maša Šarović (Montenegro/Serbia)
Producers: Marija Perović, Vuk Perović
Co-producers: Jelena Mitrović, Igor Kecman
Production company: Kino
Co-production company: Backroom Production

Comedown – Pavle Simonović (Montenegro/Slovenia/Croatia)
Producer: Miljan Vučelić
Co-producers: Mirko Radonjić, Rea Rajčić, Tina Tišljar, Aleš Pavlin
Production company: Protos Film
Co-production companies: Eclectica, Portobisso, Radio and Television of Montenegro

Fires – Nina Tratnik (Montenegro/Serbia/Albania)
Producer: Bojana Radulović
Co-producers: Sabina Kodra, Nevena Savić, Ivica Vidanović, Thierry Detaille, Boris Raonić
Production company: Code Blue Production
Co-production companies: Era Film, Cinnamon-CineRent, Radio and Television of Montenegro

Echo – Ivica Vidanović (Montenegro/Serbia/Turkey)
Producer: Marko Jaćimović
Co-producers: Nevena Savić, Enes Erbay
Production company: Giggling Goat Production
Co-production companies: Cinnamon, Tefferraut Film, TRT

Guest Pitch – New African Voices

Speak – Nejib Kthiri (Tunisia/France/Italy)
Producer: Afer Ben Mahmoud
Co-producers: Chantal Fischer, Leonardo Barille
Production companies: Mesanges Films, Les Autres Films, Samarcanda Film

My Tormenting Enemy – Cyrielle Raingou (Cameroon/France)
Producer: Cyrielle Raingou
Co-producer: Eugénie Michel-Villette
Production companies: Je capture ma réalité, Les Films du Bilboquet

Fighters – Alassane Sy (Senegal/France)
Producers: Jules Dieng, Julie-Mathieu Moreau
Co-producer: Souleymane Dia
Production companies: Colors Films, Thiely Films