Seventh Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival
Tirana, Albania – 2020
The Seventh Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival concluded successfully in Tirana with the traditional Gala Evening, organized in the hall of the University of Arts. The ceremony took place on Friday evening in the presence of the DEA OPEN AIR Jury and staff, though without a live audience, as the awards ceremony was streamed virtually through the festival’s official website and Facebook page.
Festival Director Edmond Topi stated that the development of this edition confirmed the organizers’ expectations. According to him, the program was warmly received by filmmakers and cinema specialists, while once again guaranteeing a diversity of cultures, styles, and artistic individualities despite the difficult conditions of the pandemic.
For the Artistic Director of the festival, Mirela Oktrova, “The awards ceremony – like the entire festival – is testimony to cultural resistance. At a time when other forms of film distribution face impossibility, film festivals remain the only alternative for organized film consumption and specialized reflection, becoming a mode of survival for cinema in the transitional period between yesterday and tomorrow.”
The first DEA Cup was dedicated to Documentary Film. In this section, 17 films from 11 countries competed. The documentary competition was evaluated by a jury composed of Florin Kelmendi, Ben Andoni, and Luljeta Progni.
The nominated documentaries were:
“17 Seconds” – Alon Marom – Israel, 2018
“When Winter Becomes Summer” – Ronald Urbancik – Germany, 2019
“Even Fish Cry” – Francesco Cabras & Alberto Molinari – Italy, 2019
The DEA Award for Best Documentary Film went to “17 Seconds” by Alon Marom – Israel, 2018.
The presence of Short Film at DEA remains part of a consolidated tradition developed through previous editions, which have presented nearly 200 short films. This year, the Short Film Program featured 22 films from 13 European countries, addressing a wide range of social issues with strong artistic and social engagement.
The Short and Student Film Competition was evaluated by a jury composed of Francesca Olivieri, Suela Bako, and Lorena Sopi.
The nominated short films were:
“Moonpoint” – Yoram Ever-Hadani – Serbia, 2018
“Take It and Finish It” – Kirineos Papadimatos – Greece, 2020
“Blue Flower” – Saadi Constantine – Switzerland, 2020
The DEA Award for Best Short Film went to “Moonpoint” by Yoram Ever-Hadani – Serbia, 2018.
In the Student Film Section, 24 films from 10 countries focused on friendship, social and individual attitudes toward work and life, talent and emotion, death, moving communities, and the struggle for existence.
The jury nominated the following student films:
“Boredom” – Alica Bednáriková – Slovakia, 2020
“Guri’s Blue Window” – Mauro Zaçe – Albania, 2020
“Alisa” – Monika Mahútová – Slovakia, 2019
The DEA Award for Best Student Film went to “Boredom” by Alica Bednáriková – Slovakia, 2020.
The DEA Special Media Award recognizes films for their civic engagement and contribution to raising public awareness on important community issues. The Media Jury, composed of journalists and TV hosts Rezear Xhaxhiu, Monika Shoshori Stafa, and Jonida Shehu, traditionally awarded two prizes.
The winner of the Special Media Award in the Short Film Competition was “The Robot Will Protect You” by Nikola Piovesan – Estonia, 2018.
The winner of the Special Media Award in the Feature Film Competition was “The Flying Circus” by Fatos Berisha – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020.
The Feature Film Program included productions from Kosovo, Germany, Russia, Italy, Belarus, and Montenegro. The competition was evaluated by a jury composed of Hazir Haziri, Sehad Čekić, Luis Diogo, Steffen Hacker, and Alert Çeloaliaj.
For the DEA Award for Best Actress/Actor in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Tristan Halilaj, Shkumbin Istrefi, Shpëtim Selmani, and Afrim Muçaj for “The Flying Circus” – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020
Riccardo Scamarcio for “I’m Not a Killer” – Italy, 2019
Emma Drogunova for “Cleo & Cleo” – Germany, 2019
The award winners were Tristan Halilaj, Shkumbin Istrefi, Shpëtim Selmani, and Afrim Muçaj for “The Flying Circus”.
For the DEA Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Rodja Kükenthal for “Cleo & Cleo” – Germany, 2019
Ivan Marković for “You Have the Night” – Montenegro, 2018
Andrey Katorzhenko for “Rock, Paper, Scissors” – Russian Federation, 2020
The winner was Rodja Kükenthal for “Cleo & Cleo”.
For the DEA Award for Best Screenplay in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Francesco Caringella, Paolo Rossi, and Andrea Zaccariello for “I’m Not a Killer” – Italy, 2019
Fatos Berisha for “The Flying Circus” – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020
Tatiana Lyutaeva and Galina Kopeliovich for “Rock, Paper, Scissors” – Russian Federation, 2020
The winners were Francesco Caringella, Paolo Rossi, and Andrea Zaccariello for “I’m Not a Killer”.
For the DEA Award for Best Director in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Andrea Zaccariello for “I’m Not a Killer” – Italy, 2019
Fatos Berisha for “The Flying Circus” – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020
Vladimir Zinkevich for “Spasm” – Belarus, 2020
The winner was Andrea Zaccariello for “I’m Not a Killer”.
For the DEA Award for Best Feature Film, the nominees were:
“The Flying Circus” – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020
“I’m Not a Killer” – Italy, 2019
“Rock, Paper, Scissors” – Russian Federation, 2020
The DEA Cup for Best Feature Film went to “The Flying Circus” – Kosovo/Albania/North Macedonia, 2020.
The Leonard Qëndro Award for a Promising Career in Cinematography went to Thaer Ibrahim for “Mzzaja” – Syria, 2020.
The DEA Recognition Award for distinguished contribution to cinema was presented to renowned Albanian director Ibrahim Muçaj.
More than 1,000 feature and short films from over 70 countries applied to participate in the sections of DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival 2020. The Seventh Edition of the festival was supported by the Municipality of Tirana, the University of Arts, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo, which created the welcoming atmosphere necessary for artistic contributions and civic engagement from around the world.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office