Macedonia – Country in Focus

We are proud and delighted to announce that 1st Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is taking place in the period of 06-09 November 2008 in the majestic cinema complex Louis Hartlooper Complex in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Macedonia country in focus on Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, Utrecht

We are proud and delighted to announce that 1st Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is taking place in the period of 06-09 November 2008 in the majestic cinema complex Louis Hartlooper Complex in Utrecht, The Netherlands. (www.louishartloopercomplex.nl ).

Eastern European Film Festival: Albania, Belorussia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine

This year the focus is on Macedonia.  A country living in continuous turbulences, transition that is never-ending, conflicts and injustice.  The artistic director has chosen the movies coming from Macedonia that are to be screened during the festival. Presentation of Macedonian films is organized by Public Room and is supported by Film Funds Macedonia and Ministry of Culture of Macedonia.

Selected films:

  • Senki (Shadows), Milcho Manchevski, Macedonia, 2007
  • Boli li? (Does it hurt?), Aneta Lesnikovska, Macedonia/Netherlands, 2007
  • Prevrteno (Upsidedown), Igor Ivanov, Macedonia, 2007
  • Iluzija (Mirage), Svetozar Ristovski, Macedonia, 2005
  • DAE, Stole Popov, Macedonia/SFR Yugoslavia,  1979
  • Voyeur (Voajer), Macedonia, Aleksandar Spasoski, 2008

This Film Festival is a project of Cultural Aid Foundation (www.culturalaid.com) in the production of NewGround Productions (www.newgroundproductions.com), in the co-operation with Louis Hartlooper Complex and Ms. Rada Sesic, the artistic director of Eastern Neighbours FF and the head of the program.

The concept of the festival is presented in several categories. However, one of the most attractive categories is the In Focus. The aim of this category is every year to present a specific country from the East European region, thereby to make this category a traditional one.

Ms. Rada Sesic  on Land in Focus Macedonia:

Macedonia is politically and culturally a country in focus right now at the Balkans with the tensions concerning Serbian resistance to Kosovo’s independence at one border, and long lasting political and cultural strive with Greece. The country is progressing and changing fast yet deeply cherishes its ancient culture and traditions. Macedonian cinema reflects these stories in its new productions. No matter how many Macedonian films were awarded in the last decade, they are still rather unknown. While Bosnian films, as well as Serbian, received much attention in the world press, Macedonian cinema remains a bit aside. That’s why we bring now to the Dutch audience new and exciting cinema of this southern Balkan state that borders with the still enigmatic Albania and turbulent Kosovo.

This is just a modest pick of an upcoming and dynamic cinema of directors whose talents are showing the promise of a bright future. Interestingly enough, out of four fiction films we present three debuts, and these, along with work of other inspiring directors such as sisters Teona and Labina Mitevska or Igor Trajkov, Darko Mitrevski, Sergej Stanojkovski, put Macedonian production on the world map.