Prishtina International Film Festival (PriFest) happens in the capital of newest country in Europe, Kosovo, in Balkans every year in July.
Before you read more see for yourself video of highlights of last year's edition by copying the YouTube link below in your browser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb9bbxOfqOA
PriFest is the biggest and most important film industry event in Kosovo. It emerged as a need to bring back and build the cinema culture which was lost during many years of repression and war. PriFest is an opportunity to young filmmakers from Kosovo, who because of the visa regime have big limitation to travel freely in Europe and elsewhere, to meet filmmakers and experts from the region and Europe that visit the festival and increase their chances to network and coproduce their films.
PriFest film program offer the audience every year newest films from Europe, Balkan and the world, with addition special programs that promote human rights, tolerance and acceptance for marginalized groups of society. It is the only festival in the Balkan that has a special program of films with the LGBTQ theme which is done in partnership with Outfest in Los Angeles and Queer and Migration Film Festival in Amsterdam. Besides films, the festival has a very good regional film industry development platform (PriFORUM) that offers training, lectures, inspirational masterclasses from distinguished guests and other opportunities for filmmakers from Kosovo and the neighbouring countries to benefit from. It is a great networking event for filmmakers from Kosovo, the region and Europe.
Prishtina Rendezvous brings distributors and sales companies that meet and explore film projects from the Balkan region, while Prishtina Kino Kabaret is dedicated to filmmakers from all over the world to come and spontaneously make short films in Prishtina during the festival.
Producers, directors, film industry experts, casting directors and agents, filmmakers and actors have an opportunity to meet in a totally unconventional, friendly environment and network during the festival and forum days.
Relaxed atmosphere and easy access to guests makes it a unique place to be for people that want to expand their network and show their films to some important key players in the film industry from Europe and region.
To date PriFest was visited by Mr. Paul Haggis (Canadian screenwriter and director), Ms. Vanessa Redgrave (British Actress) who is also the President of our Honorary Board, Stephen Frears (British Director), Joshua Marston (American Director), Franco Nero (Italian Actor), Eva Orner (Australian producer), Gideon Burkhard (German actor), Samuel Maoz (Izraeli director), Danis Tanovic (Bosnian director), Velibor Topic (Bosnian actor), Jasmila Zbanic (Bosnian director), Mirjana Karanovic (Serbian actress) and other important guests.
We like to think that PriFest is a true cultural diplomacy tool for a new country like Kosovo to present itself to the world in the best possible light.
Last but not least, we have very cool parties of electronic music with international and local DJs, great music, great bars to hang out, and most importantly great food and lots of booze with very affordable prices. Kosovo and Prishtina is fun to visit because 65% of our population is under 25 years old!
We can guarantee that hot summer nights should be spent here, and seaside (Albania) is just 3 hours drive from here :)
The slogan of the festival is Friendship. Forever.
