Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival
Tirana, Albania – 2022
The Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival concluded successfully after a five-day competition held from June 23 to June 28, featuring 25 films from 39 countries around the world. The DEA Cup for Best Feature Film went to “Despite the Fog” by renowned director Goran Paskaljević – Italy, 2019.
Held in a festive atmosphere and in the presence of artists, filmmakers, and audiences, DEA OPEN AIR once again offered the capital a new cultural experience while continuing to expand its cinematic map of world cinema, stretching from Europe to the United States, from Canada to Asia and Latin America.
According to tradition, the awards ceremony began with the Documentary Film Section, which this year presented 11 films from 8 countries, including Albania, Kosovo, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, and the United States.
The Documentary Film Jury, composed of Ilir Kabashi, Vasjan Lami, and Erion Kristo, nominated the following films:
“Venice Elsewhere” – Elia Romanelli – Italy, 2022
“Hug of Destiny: Jews and Albanians” – Jakov Sedlar – Croatia, 2019
“Our Horizons” – Charlotte Cayeux – France, 2022
The DEA Award for Best Documentary Film went to “Venice Elsewhere” by Elia Romanelli – Italy, 2022.
The jury also decided to award a Special Jury Prize in the Documentary Section to “Hug of Destiny: Jews and Albanians” by Jakov Sedlar – Croatia, 2019.
The Short and Student Film Jury, composed of Esther Maaß, Adele Budina, and Redi Mazi, selected from a program of 14 student films from 11 countries the following nominees for Best Student Film:
“Lethal Shopping” – Mahay Alayón – Spain, 2022
“Bolzmann” – Janis Westphal – Germany, 2022
“Batim” – Mauro Zaçe – Albania, 2022
The DEA Award for Best Student Film went to “Lethal Shopping” by Mahay Alayón – Spain, 2022.
In the Short Film Section, where 16 films from 14 countries competed, the jury nominated:
“Just Like Water” – Manos Triantafillakis – Greece, 2021
“A World Free of Crisis” – Ted Hardy-Carnac – France, 2021
“Marko” – Marko Šantić – Croatia, 2021
The DEA Award for Best Short Film went to “Just Like Water” by Manos Triantafillakis – Greece, 2021.
Present at the festival, director Manos Triantafillakis described the documentary as a dedication to his father and a reflection on the passing of time, expressing surprise and gratitude for receiving the award.
The DEA OPEN AIR Media Award, dedicated to films distinguished by their civic engagement and social message, was awarded by a jury composed of Elsa Demo, Leontina Nika, and Kamuran Goranci.
For the Special Media Award in the Short Film category, the nominees were:
“Tramway” – Bartosz Reetz – Poland, 2021
“Rainbow” – Aleksandar Vujović – Montenegro, 2021
“Repeated Memories” – Soo-Min Park – Uzbekistan, 2021
The Special Media Award for Best Short Film went to “Tramway” by Bartosz Reetz – Poland, 2021.
For the Special Media Award in the Feature Film category, the nominees were:
“Despite the Fog” – Goran Paskaljević – Italy, 2019
“Borders, Raindrops” – Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Serbia, 2019
“Mighty Flash” – Ainhoa Rodríguez – Spain, 2021
The Special Media Award for Best Feature Film went to “Borders, Raindrops” by Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar.
The Feature Film Program remained the festival’s central competition and included productions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Albania.
The Feature Film Jury consisted of Steffen Hacker, Afrim Spahiu, Andrea Stucovitz, Altin Basha, and Sasho Pavlovski.
For the DEA Award for Best Actress in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Donatella Finocchiaro for “Despite the Fog” – Italy, 2019
Susanne Wolff for “Borrowed White” – Germany, 2021
Kristina Stevović for “Borders, Raindrops” – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Serbia, 2019
The DEA Cup for Best Actress went to Donatella Finocchiaro for “Despite the Fog”.
For the DEA Award for Best Actor in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Florist Bajgora for “Borrowed White” – Germany, 2021
Vasjan Lami for “Two Lions Heading to Venice” – Albania, 2021
Kastriot Çaushi for “Two Lions Heading to Venice” – Albania, 2021
The DEA Cup for Best Actor went to Florist Bajgora for “Borrowed White”.
Present at the Gala Evening, actor Florist Bajgora expressed his honor and emotion upon receiving the award, noting the challenge of preparing for the role in German within only 24 days.
For the DEA Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Andreas Köhler for “Borrowed White” – Germany, 2021
Milan Spasić for “Despite the Fog” – Italy, 2019
Miloš Hačimović for “Borders, Raindrops” – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Serbia, 2019
The DEA Cup for Best Cinematography went to Andreas Köhler for “Borrowed White”. The award was accepted by production representative Clemens Ehrbach.
For the DEA Award for Best Screenplay in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Goran Paskaljević, Marco Alessi, and Filip David for “Despite the Fog” – Italy, 2019
Ainhoa Rodríguez for “Mighty Flash” – Spain, 2021
Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar for “Borders, Raindrops” – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro, 2019
The DEA Cup for Best Screenplay went to Goran Paskaljević, Marco Alessi, and Filip David for “Despite the Fog”.
For the DEA Award for Best Director in a Feature Film, the nominees were:
Sebastian Ko for “Borrowed White” – Germany, 2021
Goran Paskaljević for “Despite the Fog” – Italy, 2019
Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar for “Borders, Raindrops” – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro, 2019
The DEA Cup for Best Director went to Sebastian Ko for “Borrowed White”.
For the DEA Award for Best Feature Film, the nominees were:
“Despite the Fog” – Goran Paskaljević – Italy, 2019
“Borrowed White” – Sebastian Ko – Germany, 2021
“Borders, Raindrops” – Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar – Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Serbia, 2019
The DEA Cup for Best Feature Film went to “Despite the Fog” by Goran Paskaljević – Italy, 2019.
As in previous editions, the organizers, in cooperation with the mobile company One, organized the lottery campaign “Watch a Film – Win a Gift,” whose winners were announced during the Gala Night.
Based on audience evaluations collected through the lottery tickets, DEA OPEN AIR also awarded two Special Audience Awards:
Special Audience Award – Best Film: “Two Lions Heading to Venice” by Jonid Jorgji – Albania, 2021.
Special Audience Award – Best Actor: Vasjan Lami and Kastriot Çaushi for their performances in “Two Lions Heading to Venice”.
The DEA Career Award, also known as the DEA Recognition Award, was dedicated this year to one of the most respected names of Albanian cinema, Muharrem Fejzo, while DEA HOMAGE honored actor Rikard Ljarja.
At the closing of the Ninth Edition of DEA OPEN AIR, organizers Edmond Topi and Mirela Oktrova announced that the Tenth Edition would take place in June 2023.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office
***
The Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival
The Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival took place in Tirana from June 23 to June 28, 2022, continuing the festival’s tradition of presenting its program across five main sections. A total of 39 films from 25 countries were included in competition for the DEA Awards, divided into four competitive sections and one special program, while the films were evaluated by five professional juries.
The Feature Film Section presented productions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Albania, including “Borders Raindrops”, “Borrowed White”, “Despite the Fog”, “Mighty Flash”, and “Two Lions Heading to Venice”. The section was evaluated by a jury chaired by Steffen Hacker, alongside Afrim Spahiu, Andrea Stucovitz, Altin Basha, and Sasho Pavlovski, which awarded the DEA prizes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Leading Actor/Actress.
The Short Film Section featured 16 films from various European and international countries, including France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Germany, Israel, Poland, Italy, and Uzbekistan. At the same time, the Student Film Section presented films from Albania, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Estonia, Italy, Hungary, Poland, and the Russian Federation. Both programs were evaluated by the jury composed of Esther Maaß, Adele Budina, and Redi Mazi, which awarded the DEA prizes for Best Short Film and Best Student Film.
The Documentary Film Section included 11 films from Germany, Belgium, Norway, Albania, Kosovo, France, Spain, the United States, and Italy. The documentary program was evaluated by a jury chaired by Ilir Kabashi, with members Vasjan Lami and Erion Kristo, which awarded the DEA Prize for Best Documentary Film.
The films were also evaluated from the perspective of their social contribution by the Media Jury, composed of Elsa Demo, Leontina Nika, and Kamuran Goranci, which awarded the Special Media Prize in both the Feature Film and Short Film categories.
As part of the special CineKO program, the festival also presented a focus on Kosovar cinema through public screenings in central Tirana, featuring the films “An Unforgettable Spring in a Forgotten Village”, “The Flying Circus”, “A Prishtina Story”, and “Home Sweet Home”.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office
***
Albanian Days at DEA OPEN AIR Weekend
The weekend of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival became a celebration of Albanian cinema. Both documentary and feature film screenings from Kosovo and Albania attracted significant public attention, confirming the growing audience interest in Albanian film productions. In the short film program, directors of two of the competing films were also present.
French director Emilie Vandenameele attended the screening of her film “Young Hearts” in Tirana, where she spoke to Albanian audiences about her interest in the psychology of adolescents and their perception of the world. For the music of the film, she collaborated with an Albanian composer, and both explained how the soundtrack had been adapted to the “voice” the director imagined for the film itself.
The life of a painter, which inspired the film “Rainbow”, also brought Montenegrin director Aleksandar Vujović to Tirana. He spoke elegantly about the mystique surrounding an artist, from childhood through the arrival of fame. The 15-minute film “The Woman from Bar Blue” by Jalal Masarwa enriched DEA OPEN AIR’s map with a production from Israel, while “Balance 0” added the contribution of Spanish director Amanda Gutiérrez del Castillo.
On Monday’s program, the short film competition featured the Greek production “Just Like Water” by Manos Triantafillakis. The film focuses on the cycle of life, inspired by the loss of the director’s father, who stands at the emotional center of the work.
Documentaries Beginning with Albanians
From Kosovo, the documentary “Jews and Albanians” by Jakov Sedlar was presented during the weekend, inspired by the distinctive treatment of Jewish communities in Kosovo and Albania during the Second World War. In 1912, around 3,000 Jews lived in Kosovo in excellent relations with the local population. Their fate, however, changed dramatically during World War II, when Jewish communities in Kosovo suffered both under Nazi Germany and the Serbian Nazi regime of Milan Nedić.
The documentary program continued with the American production “The Adventures of Saul Bellow” and later the Albanian documentary “Exodus” directed by Dario Haruni. Monday’s program offered three additional documentaries from Spain, France, and Norway, all centered on essential themes of human life and identity, such as lived experience and the seemingly small traces individuals leave behind, which acquire profound meaning on a personal level.
Feature Films
Another strongly Albanian evening took place on Sunday, with the screening of the feature film “Two Lions Heading to Venice” by director Jonid Jorgji. The comedy-drama created a lively atmosphere among audiences through its road-movie structure — an ironic journey in which grand ambitions ultimately lead to grotesque outcomes.
Director Jonid Jorgji had previously explained to the media that the film is fundamentally about love, emerging after a difficult year in which many people lost loved ones and society endured the social consequences of the pandemic. The story follows two Albanian filmmakers invited to present their film at the Venice Film Festival. Their journey unfolds through adventures and mishaps across Italy, revealing landscapes, people, and cultures, while the protagonists themselves become carriers of these emotional experiences.
Meanwhile, Saturday evening’s feature film program presented “Mighty Flash” by Spanish director Ainhoa Rodríguez. The film centers on the isolated world of women whose lives are shaped by illusions and by the desire to escape a patriarchal environment that suppresses their inner wishes. Considered highly suggestive, the film avoids conventional narrative rules and leaves interpretation to the audience, offering multiple perspectives framed through carefully composed visual tableaux populated by diverse characters and unique stories.
The Closing Night
After five nights of competition among films from 25 countries, Monday evening marked the conclusion of the Ninth Edition of DEA OPEN AIR with the screening of an Italian production that became the emotional climax of the festival: “Despite the Fog”, the final work of acclaimed director Goran Paskaljević before his passing.
The film stands as a hymn to humanism. Inspired by an Interpol report stating that more than ten thousand unaccompanied refugee minors wander through Europe — half of them in Italy — the film tells the story of one such refugee child. His parents drowned while attempting to cross the sea toward the Italian coast, yet the boy survives and enters the life of a family grieving the loss of their own child. The refugee boy becomes a source of consolation for the parents, though they face resistance from relatives and society around them, who cannot accept their decision. The film portrays a world increasingly sinking into xenophobic fog at a time when humanity needs solidarity more than ever before.
Following the conclusion of the screenings, the evening was left to the deliberations of the festival’s four juries — three professional juries and the Media Jury — which gathered to determine the winners of the fifteen DEA Cups traditionally awarded each year. The winners of the Ninth Edition of DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival – Tirana 2022 were officially announced the following evening at the University of Arts.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office
***
DEA OPEN AIR Begins with a Minute of Silence and Tribute to Producer Vjosa Berisha – The Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival, Tirana 2022
The Ninth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival began in an unusual way… with a minute of silence and applause, as the audience stood in honor of Vjosa Berisha, director of the PriFest International Film Festival in Prishtina, who passed away only hours before the opening of the event. DEA OPEN AIR Artistic Director Mirela Oktrova invited those present to honor “a devoted and scrupulous producer, a woman of rare courage, an engaged intellectual, and a friend of DEA,” and then “to send her, from afar, an applause — the way artists are bid farewell.”
Everything else followed the tradition established over the previous eight years. The welcoming ceremony featured the traditional red carpet, photographs, handshakes among old friends and new acquaintances, and encounters between artists and filmmakers from Europe and around the world. Albanian actors, filmmakers, professors of film and performing arts, members of the diplomatic corps, politicians, cultural and educational personalities, representatives of institutions and media, as well as loyal friends of the festival from Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia, all attended the opening evening.
After two difficult years shaped by pandemic restrictions and social distancing, the Amphitheatre of the University of Arts became a place where all participants celebrated the return of the festival under normal conditions.
Festival Director Edmond Topi greeted the audience by referring to the global challenges cinema faced during the pandemic and the joy of returning once again to movie theaters:
“Back to the cinema, back to DEA… I believe I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that we are all happy to see each other again in the cinema… Alongside this feeling, however, it pains us that after we passed through one ‘war,’ another has followed to take lives and spread fear about tomorrow… But the world has learned to resist in different ways… Cinema is one of them.”
In her role as Artistic Director of the festival, Mirela Oktrova reflected on DEA’s eight-year journey as a continuity of tradition expressed through concrete achievements:
“Eight successful editions with nearly 70 feature films and 270 short and documentary films, presented across more than 60 memorable evenings in the presence of over 500 guests of the festival, who throughout these years communicated through the language of cinema.”
Oktrova emphasized that DEA has now succeeded in becoming a sustainable cinematic brand, oriented both toward quality cinema and toward the continuous effort to attract audiences in a country where cinema culture still remains absent in significant parts of society.
One of the festival’s main supporters, the Municipality of Tirana, was represented by Deputy Mayor Keti Luarasi, who highlighted the importance of DEA OPEN AIR for the city:
“Can cultural activities such as this festival influence our society? I believe they can. DEA OPEN AIR is concrete proof. If we exchange ideas with one another, receive positive information, create our own ideas and fight to defend them — just as filmmakers do through their works — they create a domino effect that inspires even policymakers to change. This alliance that we are trying to build with young people and artists has the power to change — if not the world, then certainly this city.”
Another important supporter of the festival, the National Center of Cinematography, was represented by its chairman Eduart Makri, who greeted the festival by stating:
“At a moment when we have almost lost communication, festivals such as DEA OPEN AIR allow us to look each other in the eye again. Through festivals, cinema brings its truths, where cultures encounter one another.”
During the Opening Ceremony, the festival also launched the traditional audience lottery:
WATCH A FILM – WIN A GIFT
While announcing the initiative, Artistic Director Mirela Oktrova referred to the history of cinema in Tirana:
“The Tirana of tradition was in fact a CINEMA CITY. For those who do not know, cinema in Tirana is 96 years old and began with the modern INTERNACIONAL Cinema — with a capacity of 600 seats — founded in 1926 by the Hobdari, Vokopola, and Koliaj families. Although it burned down in 1939, it was rebuilt within the same year and reopened together with nine other cinemas. During the years of fascist occupation, violating curfew regulations was possible only with one justification — a cinema ticket. Tirana once knew how to love cinema; now we must know how to revive this love, neglected throughout nearly one hundred years of cinema’s existence or nonexistence in the city… This lottery is one of those instruments.”
The festival was supported by the Municipality of Tirana, the National Center of Cinematography, the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo, the Ministry of Culture of Albania, the University of Arts, and the Italian Cultural Institute, among others.
The competition was organized into four sections:
- Feature Film Section, with productions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Albania;
- Documentary Film Section, featuring 11 films from 8 countries;
- Student Film Section, with 14 films from 8 countries;
- Short Film Section, presenting 16 films from 14 countries.
The films were evaluated artistically by three international professional juries, while — according to festival tradition — the films’ social relevance and community message were also assessed by the Media Jury.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office
***
Press Conference of the Festival Organizers
Today, June 22, at the premises of the FAB Gallery, near the University of Arts, the organizing staff of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival held its traditional press conference. The conference preceded the official opening of the Ninth Edition of the festival, scheduled to take place from June 23 to June 28, 2022.
Present at the conference were Festival Director Edmond Topi, Artistic Director Mirela Oktrova, Feature Film Program Director Genc Përmeti, and Short Film Program Director Ajola Daja.
The organizers responded to questions and media interest regarding the international film contributions and the participation of filmmakers from around the world in this year’s edition, while also focusing on the presence of Albanian cinema within the program.
Festival Director Edmond Topi reflected on the continuity and sustainability of the festival’s mission following five editions held in Saranda and four editions in Tirana. He stated that:
“The initiative has now succeeded in becoming a sustainable cinematic brand, oriented both toward film content and the promotion of cinema, as well as toward the continuous attempt to attract audiences in a country where cinema still remains absent in significant parts of society.”
In this context, Topi also mentioned concrete initiatives undertaken by DEA OPEN AIR to attract audiences, such as the proposal to introduce the subject of “Cinema” into pre-university educational curricula, as well as the festival’s traditional lottery initiative:
“Watch a Film – Win a Gift”, organized in cooperation with the mobile company One.
Artistic Director Mirela Oktrova stated that this edition continues the line of its predecessors through three major traditions:
“First, the tradition of scale and geographical diversity, with an offer of 39 films from 25 countries across Europe and the world, ranging from the region to consolidated cinematographies such as Germany, Italy, and Spain; from Kosovo, represented with a focus program titled CineKO, to Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Iran, and the United States. Second, the festival continues its tradition of promoting cultural communication as a connecting bridge, which this year materializes through the remarkable presence of co-productions and the attraction of filmmakers inspired by exoticism or by stories extended across time and space. Third, the festival remains committed to quality cinema and challenging themes such as migration and humanism, civilization and poverty, the individual and society.”
Regarding the Feature Film Program, Program Director Genc Përmeti explained that the selection process represented a major responsibility:
“The festival is approaching ten years in its pursuit of quality, therefore our challenge remains the orientation toward authors with a distinct artistic identity.”
Discussing the competing films — most of which relate directly or indirectly to the life, concerns, and challenges of individuals in Albania and the region — Përmeti emphasized that:
“Humanism is the connecting thread running through almost all the feature films presented at the festival, through which filmmakers convey messages about humanity’s struggle to make life better.”
Short Film Program Director Ajola Daja highlighted that the program includes several international premieres presented in the presence of their authors. According to her:
“Applications in this category remain extremely high, making the responsibility of selection even greater. The extraordinary interest of young people — the primary target audience of the genre — in becoming part of the festival is connected to their desire to communicate, share, and exchange experiences. This program truly serves as a ‘career bridge for future filmmakers.’”
Responding to journalists’ questions regarding the challenges of reconnecting audiences with cinema today, Festival Director Edmond Topi and Artistic Director Mirela Oktrova stressed that this process requires the engagement of all segments of society, including institutions, as well as changes in film policies. They emphasized the need to create new indicators for evaluating subsidized film works, not only from an artistic perspective but also from the standpoint of the relationships they succeed in building with cultural audiences.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office