The third edition of Montenegro Film Rendezvous brings together leading names of the European film industry
From a three-day industry meeting to a week-long event.
The third edition of the Montenegro Film Rendezvous, organised by the Film Centre of Montenegro, will take place from 22-28 August as part of the 39th Herceg Novi Film Festival. The event brings together international and national film creatives and industry professionals representing national film centres, European funds, film festivals and leading audiovisual organisations.
Since its founding in 2024, Montenegro Film Rendezvous has transformed from a three-day industry meeting into a week-long event. This year’s programme consists of masterclasses, workshops, panels and meetings, paving the way for the development of new projects, co-productions and international cooperation. Alongside the traditional presentation of new Montenegrin projects in development and post-production through pitching sessions and individual meetings with visiting producers, film funds and festival representatives, cooperation with producers and filmmakers from francophone countries will take place for the first time. An important part of the Montenegro Film Rendezvous is also dedicated to developing new talent and building a more inclusive film industry. A major addition to this year’s industry edition is a workshop for female filmmakers, run by the Film Centre of Montenegro in partnership with the French Embassy and the French Institute and which focuses on empowering women and increasing their representation in the film industry.
As a new member of the RE-ACT (Regional Audiovisual Cooperation and Training), established in 2015 by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, and the Slovenian Film Centre, the Montenegro Film Rendezvous will host the EAVE on Demand: Company Strategies Workshop that focuses on strategic company planning, company sustainability, potential risk evaluation and company diversification.
Director of the Film Centre of Montenegro, Aleksandra Božović, has also announced a presentation of recent additions to the Law on Cinematography to the international guests. “The recent amendments which have just come into force make Montenegro a more competitive destination for international productions”, she clarified in the festival press release.
At this year’s industry programme, Manuel Alberto Claro, a renowned cinematographer and longtime collaborator of Lars von Trier, will share his insight into contemporary film language and visual storytelling in his masterclass. Nina Hartstone, Academy Award winner for sound editing on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” will speak about the creative process of shaping film sound. The programme will also feature Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić, helmers of the Montenegrin documentary “To Hold a Mountain”, this year’s winners of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance festival, who will present a case study on the film’s journey from Sinjajevina plateau to Sundance.
MEDIA TV Series opens its doors to the public
A special segment of the programme is the MEDIA TV Series Programme, dedicated to scripted television series and regional co-production development. Panels and masterclasses that bring together representatives of regional broadcasters, telecom companies, production houses, and European experts will be open to the public, giving professionals, students, and anyone interested a chance to take part in discussions on the development and future of television content.
Another addition to the programme is the regional acting workshop ReActing+, a new module of the ReActing as a Star programme, supported by the British Council. The workshop brings together talented young actors from the region and offers them space for professional development, exchange and networking.
In cooperation with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, OIF), the New African Voices programme will also be presented, giving audiences the chance to discover projects in development as well as films by prominent directors and producers from French-speaking countries.
During Montenegro Film Rendezvous, several film events of particular significance for the country’s filmic landscape will be presented, including a screening of the Greek-Montenegrin co-production “Life in a Beat” directed by Amerissa Basta, the promotion of the Film Centre of Montenegro’s monograph and the Montenegrin premiere of Bojan Stijović’ offbeat chamber drama with genre elements “Black Trumpet”, which world-premiered at Bishkek International Film Festival, and regionally in Pula back in July.
Montenegro Film Rendezvous is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Municipality of Herceg Novi and JUK Herceg Fest, which is also the producer of the Herceg Novi Film Festival. It is backed by the Embassy of France in Montenegro, the French Institute in Montenegro, the British Council and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
