The FAST FORWARD Human Rights Film Festival Montenegro 2025 presents three new premieres on its second festival day in Podgorica, at the Montenegrin Cinematheque, while the Berane edition opens tonight at the Cultural Centre with the film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by director Kaouther Ben Hania, which last night left the audience in Podgorica in tears and silence at the festival’s opening.
In Podgorica, the second-day program begins at 17:30 with the premiere of Sandbag Dam by Čejen Černić Čanak. The film follows Slaven, who returns to his hometown for his father’s funeral and unexpectedly reconnects with Marko, his forbidden love from youth. While the community builds embankments to protect their homes from rising waters, Marko and Slaven attempt to build their own emotional barriers and meet their families’ expectations – but water always finds a way. The encounter between the two protagonists brings a powerful, subtly told story about vulnerability, identity, and suppressed emotions.
At 19:15, the screening of Completely Different, Exactly the Same by director Marianna Giorgia Marchesini follows. Through an authentic documentary style, the film portrays Sabina Talović, a feminist activist who firmly confronts violence rooted in patriarchal structures. From the wars in the former Yugoslavia to contemporary manifestations of racism and nationalism, her voice testifies that forms of solidarity are always different yet fundamentally unchanged. After the screening, Sabina Talović will speak with the audience.
The film program in Podgorica concludes with the 20:00 screening of The Brink of Dreams by Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh. This documentary follows a group of teenage girls who decide to defy social constraints by founding a street theatre troupe. The film tells a story of growing up, friendship, loss, and small victories, through their daily struggle for freedom of expression and the right to be heard in a community that tries to silence them. On the Edge of Dreams offers a gentle, courageous, and deeply humanistic story of art as a space of resistance.
Throughout the day, matine talks are held at the CCE – on the themes of dealing with the past and LGBT rights – providing further analysis of some of the film stories showcased by the FAST FORWARD 2025 Festival.
This year’s edition is organized with the support of the Municipality of Kotor, Municipality of Berane, Cultural Centre “Budo Tomović”, Montenegrin Cinematheque, Public Institution Cultural Centre “Nikola Đurković”, Berane Cultural Centre, Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Minority Fund, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office, UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the European Union.
FAST FORWARD festival partners include the Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival from Belgrade and the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), based in Amsterdam.
The commitment to social responsibility is again reflected in the business sector, with special thanks to sponsors of the Festival – Crown Plaza Podgorica, Metropolis, Compania de Vinos and PG Taxi.
The media sponsors of FAST FORWARD 2025 are Nova M TV, PG TV, TV E, Antena M radio and portal, daily newspaper Pobjeda, DAN portal and daily newspaper, Radio D, CdM portal, Analitika portal, Radio Kotor, Radio Berane, Radio Tivat, Radio Titograd, and Elmag, El, Mag and Arena radio.
Admission to all screenings is free, and more information is available at https://ubrzaj.me/en/
Lejla Šabotić, Project Assistant