EFAD at the 3rd Montenegro Film Rendezvous: Connecting European cinema
EFAD took part in the third edition of the Montenegro Film Rendezvous, held from 22 to 25 August within the 39th Herceg Novi Film Festival and hosted by our member, the Film Centre of Montenegro, its Director Aleksandra Božović and her team. Since its launch in 2024, the Rendezvous has developed into an international film platform connecting Montenegrin filmmakers with film professionals, critics and agencies from across Europe and beyond.
This year’s programme gathered a strong international community, with a particular focus on strengthening connections with the Baltic countries, alongside representatives of international and independent funds and organisations, including Hubert Bals Fund. The programme also included the first edition of New African Voices pitch, organised in partnership with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the French Embassy and the French Institute in Montenegro, creating new opportunities for African filmmakers and producers to present their projects and build partnerships with professionals from Montenegro and the region.
As part of the programme, EFAD Secretary General Sevara Irgacheva moderated a conversation on co-producing with the Baltics, bringing together EFAD members Edith Sepp, Director of the Estonian Film Institute, and Dita Rietuma, Director of the National Film Centre of Latvia, alongside Lithuanian producer Kęstutis Drazdauskas. They gave an overview of the film and audiovisual ecosystems in the Baltic countries, their public support structures and opportunities for developing stronger co-production links between the Baltics, Montenegro and the wider region.
The programme also included masterclasses and professional meetings. Sashko Potter Micevski, Director of the North Macedonia Film Agency, took part in a masterclass with Academy Award-winning supervising sound editor Nina Hartstone, while two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi also shared his professional experience with participants.
These conversations are crucial not only for connecting producers, but also for bringing European film agencies and cinema communities closer together. They allow film agencies and professionals to better understand the strengths of different countries and regions, as well as their ability to speak through different languages and cultures which makes European cinema unique.
The role of Montenegro Film Rendez-vous in bringing the Montenegrin and wider European film communities ever closer together is particularly important at the moment for Montenegro as the country advances on its path towards EU membership.
With the Montenegro Film Rendez-vous set to return next year, EFAD looks forward to contributing to strengthening cooperation with Montenegro and the wider European film community.
A warm thank you to Aleksandra Božović, the Film Centre of Montenegro team and all the partners involved for the excellent organisation and for creating such a valuable space for dialogue exchange and learning.