OSCE-supported documentary film festival in Prizren attracts global attention

Their ambitious vision was to create a cultural event that would re-establish links between movie makers in Kosovo and the rest of the region and help to normalize relations between people living there.

Growing cultural phenomenon

Since then, three more annual festivals have been organized, and Dokufest - with financial support from the OSCE Office in Prizren - has turned from a mere vision into a well-established and still-growing cultural phenomenon.

More than 220 film-makers applied to show their movies at this year's festival, which was held from 31 August to 4 September. In addition to Kosovo and the region, nominations came from Western Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Far and Middle East.

Fifty-five movies from 23 countries were selected for screening in main programme of Dokufest 2005, while another 15 from four more countries were shown outside the competition.

The festival jury was chaired by Kosovo film-maker Isa Qosja, whose film Kukumi recently won a special prize at the Sarajevo International Film Festival. The other jury members were Dino Mustafic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Agron Domi (Albania), Birgitte Staermose (Denmark) and Filip Remunda (Czech Republic).

Picking the winners

Picking the winners at this year's festival was no easy task. Admir Istrefi, a regular Dokufest visitor, said it was like being at a horse race.

"I watched a lot of wonderful movies and no-one knew who would win until the very end. I was certain it would take a photo-finish to decide the winner," he said.

The winning films at Dokufest 2005 were:

• Best documentary: Nijnok/Tibbar by Leo Wentink (The Netherlands)
• Best short film: You Are There by Anna Kazejak (Poland)
• Best camera: 89 mm by Eugen Schlegel (Germany)
• Best animation: Little Dog Turpie by Ben Mars (UK)
• Best direction: The Turkey Shoot by Matthieu Donck (France)
• Public prize: Shuffle by Edon Rizvanolli and Ylber Mehmedaliu (Kosovo)
• Special prize for respect of diversity and tolerance: Shuffle

The enthusiastic students and professors who aim to strengthen ties with the region and the rest of the world are the backbone of the festival.

Most of them have had a chance to meet their colleagues outside Kosovo and see their work, either through their studies in Pristina, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Istanbul, Berlin or elsewhere, or at international film festivals.

Extending opportunities to film-fans

Through the Prizren festival, the students and professors are able to extend the same opportunity to other film-fans. Over 8,000 people attended Dokufest 2005, and combined attendance at the previous three festivals was more than 11,000.

"This festival not only brings movies from all over the world to Kosovo, it also helps to present Kosovo to the rest of the world," said Bari Uka, one of the festival organizers who is currently studying in Sarajevo.

"The contacts we have with movie makers and the invitations we get to visit festivals are helping promote Kosovo world-wide," he added.

More than just movies

In addition to movies, Dokufest 2005 also included an exhibition of work by prominent European photographers, as well as plays for children.

Thanks to this diversity, Dokufest has become a key cultural event, as well as an opportunity for visitors to learn about other cities, countries and continents through the different portrayals of everyday life and social issues featured in the competing movies and the photo exhibition.

"I have followed Dokufest since its establishment," said Petrit Ceku, a movie fan from Prizren, "and I believe that these September days are the brightest in Prizren's recent history."

Moving towards self-sustainability

The festival is a bright spot on Kosovo's cultural scene, but it does not come for free. Although the costs were initially covered by the Mission in Kosovo, Dokufest's organizers know that they cannot remain dependent on financial support from the OSCE.

Assisted by the Office in Prizren, the organizers are therefore looking for other, more permanent sources of funding. Only around one-third of the cost of Dokufest 2005 was financed by the Mission, and it is planned to reduce this further while increasing reliance on domestic sources.

The organizers expect that their financing plans will enable the festival to become fully self-sustaining in the next three to four years.