The opening of the Berane edition at the Berane Cultural Center, with the continuation of screenings and accompanying programmes in Podgorica and Kotor, marks the third day of the FAST FORWARD Festival 2021.
The third festival day in Podgorica, at the Montenegrin Cinematheque, starts at 17h00, with the documentary THE SELF-PORTRAIT, by Norwegian authors Espen Wallin, Margreth Olin and Katja Høgset, presenting a portrait of an artist and a portrait of a deadly disease. The film follows Lene Marie Fossen, a gifted photographer who suffered from severe anorexia and hid from the Norwegian health care system for a long time. The Self-Portrait is a film about the power of art, but it also raises important questions about what kind of treatment is needed for those who suffer from this disease. It won the Best Documentary Award at the Amanda Awards in Norway, as well as the Audience Award for Best Film at the Biografilm Festival in Italy, as well as at the Krakow Festival.
The film THE RESTLESS, by Belgian director Joachim Lafosse, is on the programme from 18h30, and it brings an emotional and touching story of bipolarity and love, following the relationship between Leïla and Damien. The film has received numerous nominations at European and world’s festivals, such as the Palme d’Or Nomination at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Best Film Nomination at the Indian International Film Festival. After the screening, within the panel discussion ‘PWD between abilities and barriers in Montenegro – breaking the stigma’, Željka Ćetković, coordinator of the Active Citizenship programme at CCE will lead the conversation with Sanja Zindović, project coordinator at UNDP, Marina Vujačić, executive director of the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro (AYDM), Nikola Ljuca, a film director from Belgrade, and Vojin Ćetković, a bipolar person, with a review of the film and the challenges of those facing this disease in Montenegro.
This is followed by THE REASON I JUMP, by Jerry Rothwell, at 21h00. This fantastic documentary introduces us to the world of autism in an amazing and deeply emotional way, via film immersion and exploration of neuro-diversity through the experiences of non-speaking autistic people from around the world. If someone does not know how to talk, it does not mean that they have nothing to say – this is one of the key messages of this film. This achievement won the Best Documentary Award at the Denver Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award for Documentary Film at the Sundance Festival in the USA, Special Mention for the Best Documentary Film at the Valladolid International Film Festival, as well as numerous other awards.
The Berane edition of the FAST FORWARD Festival 2021 opens at 18h00 pm, at the Berane Cultural Center, with a screening of the film THE NEW GOSPEL, by Swiss director Milo Rau. After that, at 20h00, there will be a screening of the film TEREZA37, by Croatian director Danilo Šerbedžija.
The repertoire of the last day of the Festival in Kotor, in the Cinema ‘Boka’, includes THE RESTLESS and the Cannes Grand Prix winner, COMPARTMENT NO. 6.
The entrance to all film screenings is free, however, complying with all safety rules of Covid-19 is mandatory.
This year’s edition of the Festival was supported by the Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro, the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade, UNDP within the project Reform of the National Disability Assessment System, the Municipality of Berane and the Municipality of Kotor. Partners are BELDOCS, Sarajevo Film Festival and Montenegrin Cinematheque.
Within the business sector, support was provided by the Hotel Cue, PG Taxi, Gostiona 1928, as well as the company De Vinos Montenegro.
Media sponsors are the public service Radio-Television of Montenegro (RTCG), with the portal RTCG.me, then the independent daily, Portal and Television Vijesti, Radio Berane and Radio Kotor, as well as the portal CdM. Also, this year media partners are television Gradska TV, Nova M and Prva, radio stations Antena M and Gradski radio, dailies Pobjeda and Dnevne novine, as well as the portal Dnevne novine and Antena M.
Milica ZINDOVIĆ, PR of the FAST FORWARD Human Rights Film Festival Montenegro 2021