Prishtina, 26 December 2023
Together with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku and Deputy Minister Daulina Osmani, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, attended the end-of-year ceremony organized by the Kosovo Cinematography Center.
The Prime Minister considered the beginning of 2024 for Kosovo’s cinematography to be very promising, highlighting the first-place win in the Tiger Short Competition at the Rotterdam Film Festival by Ilir Hasanaj, the first prize for best short documentary at the new Sarajevo festival with “Si e verdhë e Sëmurë” by Norita Sefa, and the participation of Samir Karahoda in the Cannes Film Festival with the short film “Rrugës”.
“Many other films of different lengths participated in festivals around the world and brought awards back to their homeland, Kosovo. International representation with our cinematography has not been lacking this year”, the Prime Minister stated.
He emphasized one of the greatest cinematic achievements in the entire history of Kosovo’s film industry: the introduction of the rebate incentive, a long-requested measure for our film industry. The goal is to make Kosovo a regional focal point for attracting investments in cinematographic productions and video games, with a 30% return on eligible expenses within the local economy.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister announced that, through the highest budget ever allocated to Kosovo’s cinematography, 35 film projects have been supported, and a new call for feature films has been launched.
“We are working on improving the infrastructure of public cinemas in the country to ensure that our film productions, along with others, are showcased to our audience in our public cinemas”, he added.
In the context of international cooperation, the Prime Minister mentioned the agreement between Bulgaria and Kosovo on film co-productions reached in October and announced the signing of a memorandum of cooperation on 14 February of the next year, between the KCC and the Austrian Film Institute.
Wishing the artistic community a happy New Year, the Prime Minister concluded his speech by emphasizing the need to produce increasingly better films in quantity and quality, as our country has countless extraordinary stories that need to penetrate both generations within and beyond our borders.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Dear Mrs. Blerta Zeqiri, Director of the Kosovo Cinematography Center,
Dear Mrs. Liza Gashi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora,
Dear Mrs. Vlora Matoshi, deputy of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear members of the Board of the Kosovo Cinematography Center,
Distinguished attendees and dear artistic community,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A very successful year for short films in 2024, which started well in January when Ilir Hasanaj won the first prize in the Tiger Short Competition at the Rotterdam Film Festival with his film “Krahët e punëtorëve”. In August, Norita Sefa brought home the first prize for best short documentary from the new Sarajevo festival with “Si e verdhë e Sëmurë”.
In May, Samir Karahoda once again participated in the Cannes Film Festival with the short film “Rrugës”, as part of the main competition for short films. I have of course watched all three of these films. Many other films of various lengths participated in festivals around the world, bringing awards back to their homeland, Kosovo. International representation with our cinematography has not been lacking this year.
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest cinematic achievements, not only of this year but in the entire history of Kosovo’s film industry, is the introduction of the rebate incentive. This long-awaited request from our industry serves as both a stimulus and an encouragement, aiming for Kosovo to become a regional focal point for attracting investments in cinematographic productions and video games, with a 30% return on eligible expenses within the local economy. Tonight, I believe we have a reason to celebrate this joint achievement as well.
Today, Kosovo’s cinematography has the highest budget it has ever had, and it continues to grow year by year. This year, 35 film projects have been supported, and a new call for feature films has recently been opened. We are working on improving the infrastructure of public cinemas in the country to ensure that our film productions, along with others, are showcased to our audience in our public cinemas.
In October, the intergovernmental cinematographic co-production agreement with Bulgaria was signed in Prishtina. As one of the countries with which we cooperate extensively in the area of film, we hope this agreement will accelerate and further facilitate joint film productions. I am pleased to announce tonight that during the Berlinale in February of next year, five days after the great day we all celebrate, namely on 14 February, for Valentine’s Day, a memorandum of cooperation will be signed between the Kosovo Cinematography Center and the Austrian Film Institute with the aim of developing co-productions between Kosovo and Austria.
From individual achievements, I would also like to congratulate Mrs. Sevdije Kastrati on her membership in the American Society of Cinematographers, alongside the most successful directors of photography in the film industry. We are proud of this extraordinary achievement, which will undoubtedly contribute to the continued promotion of our national cinematography internationally and the establishment of new, high-quality and professional relations.
I hope that in 2025, we will continue to see even more excellent films and produce more than in the past, both in quantity and quality, because our country has countless incredible stories that need to be known abroad, and certainly, by our generation, and especially the younger generations.
Happy 2025 and many successes and good health to all of you!
Last modified: December 30, 2024