Tenth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival
Tirana, Albania – 2023
The Tenth Edition of the DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival marked an important milestone in the history of the festival, consolidating a decade-long tradition dedicated to the promotion of auteur cinema, cultural dialogue, and the development of cinematic audiences in Albania and the region. Organized in Tirana, the anniversary edition continued the festival’s mission of bringing together filmmakers, artists, critics, students, and audiences through a diverse international film program and a broad network of cultural exchanges.
The festival program was structured in four competitive sections — Feature Film, Short Film, Student Film, and Documentary Film — accompanied by a special program and a series of public screenings, discussions, and meetings with filmmakers. A total of 38 films from 22 countries were selected by the preliminary selection committees and entered the official competition program, reflecting the geographical and artistic diversity that has characterized DEA OPEN AIR since its foundation.
According to the festival organizers, the tenth edition continued the established tradition of combining quality cinema with socially engaged themes and contemporary artistic approaches. The program brought together productions from both consolidated European cinematographies and emerging film cultures, ranging from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, and Spain to Kosovo, Israel, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, and the United States. The selected films addressed themes such as migration, social fragmentation, individual identity, loneliness, violence, humanism, family relationships, collective memory, and the tensions between the individual and society.
The Feature Film Section represented the central competition of the festival and included productions from Germany, Sweden, Italy, North Macedonia, Israel, the United States, and Poland. Competing films included “The Ordinaries” by Sophie Linnenbaum, “Charter” by Amanda Kernell, “Black Bits” by Alessio Liguori, “The Business of Pleasure” by Goce Cvetanovski, “Touch Me” by Boris Kazhdan, “Out and About” by Peter Callahan, and “EO” by internationally acclaimed Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski.
The Feature Film Competition was evaluated by an international jury composed of Isa Qosja as president of the jury, together with Sonja Hofmann, Gentian Koçi, Anna Ladinig, and Fabio Canepa. The jury awarded the DEA Prize for Best Feature Film to “EO” by Jerzy Skolimowski – Poland, recognizing the film’s artistic originality and cinematic language.
The DEA Prize for Best Director was awarded to Sophie Linnenbaum for “The Ordinaries”, while the DEA Prize for Best Screenplay went jointly to Sophie Linnenbaum and Michael Fetter Nathansky for the screenplay of the same film. The DEA Prize for Best Cinematography was awarded to Fejmi Daut for the visual work in “The Business of Pleasure”.
The DEA Prize for Best Actress/Actor in a Leading Role went to Scandinavian actress Ane Dahl Torp for her performance in “Charter” – Sweden. The jury also awarded a DEA Special Mention for Best Actor to Alon de Vrijes for his role in “Touch Me” – Israel, recognizing the intensity and sensitivity of his interpretation.
The Short Film Section once again represented one of the most internationally diverse segments of the festival, presenting films from Turkey, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Israel, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Argentina, Spain, Italy, and the United States. The program explored a broad range of contemporary themes, from personal identity and migration to loneliness, social isolation, generational tensions, and emotional trauma.
Among the competing short films were “Cemile” by Belkiz Bayrak, “Hero of the Desert” by Lorena Sopi, “I’m Here” by Vilma Kartalska, “Just the Two of Us” by Clara Lemaire Anspach, “On My Father’s Grave” by Jawahine Zentar, “Purple Lemon” by Dimitris Andjus, and “The Bank Loan” by Alex Escudero.
The Short and Student Film Competition was evaluated by a jury composed of Kastriot Abdyli, Valina Muçolli, and Giuseppe Marco Albano. The DEA Prize for Best Short Film was awarded to “On My Father’s Grave” by Jawahine Zentar – France, a film distinguished for its emotional intensity and cinematic expression.
The Student Film Section featured productions from Israel, Kazakhstan, Poland, Iran, Spain, and Albania, confirming DEA OPEN AIR’s ongoing commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers and new cinematic voices. Films such as “Let’s Talk” by Elad Mukades, “Something’s Wrong” by Polina Khalenko, “Hide and Seek” by Karolina Belka, “Sphinx” by Hamid Yousefi, and “Why Not!” by Tedi Arifi formed part of the official selection. The DEA Prize for Best Student Film went to “Lethal Shopping” by Mahay Alayón – Spain.
The Documentary Film Section brought together productions from Ukraine, Albania, China, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, and Israel, offering audiences documentaries centered on memory, war, social transformation, historical trauma, and individual experience. Competing films included “The Address on the Wall” by Sergej Krutsenko, “Butterflies” by Bujar Alimani, “Go Through the Dark” by Yunhong Pu, “Lights Out Berlin” by Dimitris Arguriou, “Metamorfosis” by Michele Fasano, “Pristina University” by Ekrem Xani, and “Unwell Mind” by Danna Levy.
The Documentary Film Jury, composed of Ledia Dushi, Vllasova Musta, and Kliton Nesturi, awarded the DEA Prize for Best Documentary Film to “Metamorfosis” by Michele Fasano – Italy.
In accordance with the festival’s tradition of evaluating cinema also from the perspective of its civic and social impact, the competing films were additionally reviewed by the Media Jury, composed this year of Ardita Bala, Ani Ruci, and Evis Trebicka. The Special Media Prize in the Short Film category was awarded to “Just the Two of Us” by Clara Lemaire Anspach – France, while the Special Media Prize in the Feature Film category went to “Charter” by Amanda Kernell – Sweden.
The festival also continued its tradition of honoring distinguished personalities of Albanian cinema. The DEA Gratitude Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to renowned Albanian director Piro Milkani in recognition of his long-standing contribution to Albanian cinematography and culture. DEA HOMAGE, dedicated to commemorating important figures of cinema, was awarded posthumously to filmmaker Kristaq Mitro.
Alongside the professional jury awards, the festival also presented the Tirana Audience Award, which went to the documentary “Butterflies” by Bujar Alimani. The University of Arts Award was presented to “Pristina University” by Ekrem Xani, further strengthening the collaboration between the festival and academic institutions dedicated to film education and artistic development.
DEA OPEN AIR
Press Office