PriFORUM Best Pitch competition projects revealed

The 9th edition of PriFest continues the tradition of hosting a unique opportunity for film projects (which are at the Script phase), namely the Best Pitch Competition.

The 9th edition of PriFest continues the tradition of hosting a unique opportunity for film projects (which are at the Script phase), namely the Best Pitch Competition. A record number of 37 ambitious projects from the region (Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey, Romania and Serbia) have applied for the opportunity to have their film project compete for the “Vanessa Redrgave” award, a 1,000 Euro prize, as well a new benefit which was added this year, one which provides postproduction services for the winning film (an agreement between PriFest and South African Company DEEPEND Production). They will also have the opportunity to benefit from free trainings lead by international experts of the film industry, namely training for pitching, script development - which will be conducted in cooperation with Berlin Script Circle - and coproduction opportunities - which will be conducted by EAVE finance expert, Linda Beath. The Best Pitch Competition is only one of many activities that fall under the umbrella of Prishtina Film FORUM, PriFest’s film industry program.

The projects that have been selected for the 9th edition of the Best Pitch Competition are 1. WE ALL DIE NAKED from Albania, with Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci both as directors and producers. 2. THE RETURN OF ELIJAH from Serbia, with Mladen Djordjevic as director and Milan Stojanovic as producer. 3. SIRIN from Montenegro, with Senad Sahmanovic as director and Jelena Miseljic and Jean-Christophe Barret as producers. 4. LOOKING FOR VENERA from Kosovo, with Norika Sefa as director and Besnik Krapi and Belina Jano as producers. 5. RAM’S SKIN from Kosovo, with Dren Zherka as director and producer. 6. LENA ANDVLADIMIR from Macedonia, with Igor Aleksov as director and Ilija Ciriviri as producer. 7. HIVE from Kosovo, with Blerta Basholli as director and Ylli Uka as producer. 8. BLOK62 from Kroacia, with Vanja Vascarac as director and Danijel Pek and Stjepan Hundic as producers. 9. AN ANCIENT STORY from Turkey, with Bunyamin Duranoglu as director and Bedir Afsin as producer. 10. NIK from Albania, with Jotti Ejlli as director and Gent Prizreni as producer.

‘We are especially pleased that in addition to having a record number of applications, we have applications from many countries in the Balkan region. Additionally, producers, directors and screenwriters will have the opportunity to attend a series of trainings and activities during PriFORUM. We will host panel discussions on important subjects of coproduction, and we will also host the second edition of Prishtina Rendezvous, in which European salespeople and distributors meet film project authors from the region. PriFest and PriFORUM provide what the local film industry needs most: promotion, presentation, training, as well as networking, coproduction and selling opportunities for film projects”, said Fatos Berisha, Head of PriFORUM and Artistic Director of PriFest.

PriFORUM and its activities - Best Pitch Competition, Script Development and Prishtina Rendezvous - have served as a catalyst for many regional film projects which by now have been finalized and have been highly critically acclaimed in film festivals and by the audience. PriFORUM - Prishtina International Film Forum - is the film industry’s regional platform and is a component of PriFest. It will be held during the PriFest, namely from July 14 to 17. This year the 9th edition of PriFest will be held from July 13 to 17 in Prishtina. Friendship. Forever. PriFest.