The data on gender inequality in the field of the state of the film industry in Montenegro is worrying, according to a survey conducted by the Film Center of Montenegro (FCCG) in the past period, which has not yet been officially published. This was announced today by the director of the FCCG Aleksandra Božović at a press conference, the occasion of which was the signing of an agreement between the Film Center of Montenegro and the Uniqa SEE Future Foundation on joining the "Support Program for Female Filmmakers".
It was also an opportunity for the Program representatives to present the mechanism through which, among others, FCCG will work to improve the position of women in cinematography.
The program was launched by the Uniqa SEE Future Foundation in cooperation with the Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days, and the plan is to provide additional support to female filmmakers in the region, enabling them to develop and realize projects in a better way. The goal is to increase the representation of women in the regional film industry and provide financial and professional support through the CineLink Industry training and Skills Program, thereby supporting, promoting and empowering women in film from the six countries in which Uniqa operates in Southeast Europe: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro.
The value of the "Support Program for Female Filmmakers" is 150.000 euros for 2025, and has been approved for the next two years.
Božović pointed out that the partnership, through which Montenegrin female authors will receive concrete support for career development, professional mentoring and professional development, as well as the opportunity to apply for funding for production and post-production, is also supported by the decision of the Film Center of Montenegro to open a competition for the first time this year for co-financing the development of scripts and projects led by women.
"In this way, we will ensure continuity in production, but also increase the quantity and quality of projects whose authors are women," said Božović.
She previously announced that in Montenegro, of the total number of film directors, only 15 percent are women, while 26 percent are female producers.
"Another piece of information is that for every three to four men, only one woman has had the opportunity to achieve success as an author and filmmaker in these key film professions. Also, what we have seen through this research is that in production companies in Montenegro, of which we have a lot, over 90 percent of them are founded and managed by men. One of the parameters that empowered us to join this Program is the data released by the European Audiovisual Observatory, which in its research on gender policies for 2024 stated encouraging facts, namely that the presence of a woman in one position in a film project or film crew encourages greater representation of women in other positions. For example, if a woman is at the head of the project as a director, there is a high probability and chance that we also have a woman who is the holder of other very important functions in the film project, that is, the progress of women in one profession also has a positive impact on the presence of women in other professions, not only in the film industry, but in art in general. This is the progress for which we all stand together here today," said Božović.
Manager of the Uniqa SEE Future Foundation Petra Solman, she emphasized that they are happy and proud to have launched this important project.
"Additional support was given to us by the Film Center of Montenegro, which also recognized this special project, and I am sure that together we will enable talented female authors to show their talent and love for creating new films. Both in the film industry and in the business environment, we promote and advocate for diversity and equality, and by supporting this project we want to provide an opportunity for talented female authors to realize their potential, as well as to positively influence the entire community with their example. We look forward to seeing where this project will take us and what inspiring stories will be told," said Šolman.
Long-time director of the Sarajevo Film Festival, founder and director of Slano Film Days, Mirsad Purivatra, said that the great interest in the "Support Program for Female Filmmakers" confirms how much this initiative was needed by the regional film industry.
"The joining of the Film Center of Montenegro further strengthens this platform and enables even more talented female filmmakers to access financial support, professional development and networking. This program not only provides crucial financial support, but also opens doors to international opportunities, skill development and career strengthening for female filmmakers from Southeast Europe. Through initiatives like these, we are jointly building a more inclusive and diverse film scene, enabling authentic voices to tell their stories, reach audiences and leave a lasting mark through art," said Purivatra.
He recalled that back in 2018, the Sarajevo Film Festival signed the "5050X2020" charter for gender equality at film festivals, thereby contributing to the establishment of equality for women in the film industry, together with the Locarno Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.
"Which means that we already recognized some of the first data provided by the European Audiovisual Observatory. We saw that students graduating from academies disappear somewhere and do not get opportunities, and this was our first incentive to change that at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Today, it is a pleasure to say that over 65 percent of employees and those engaged at the Festival are women, which can be felt in the atmosphere of the festival itself. Another significant item that we implemented in 2021 was the establishment of a gender equality award intended for female directors from the region for their first feature film - a debut film. And that turned out to be a complete success," he emphasized.
Purivatra also reminded that the region, like Montenegro, has a large number of prominent and recognized, but also young and talented female directors and producers, and that the goal is to empower women in all positions in cinematography.
"The response to the program has exceeded all our expectations. We received 54 projects from these six countries, 40 of which were accepted, and we will have a sweet time choosing one, two or three projects that we will support right now," he pointed out, adding that he expects the projects to reach European and world festivals.
He expressed his gratitude to everyone who applied and encouraged other young female authors to do so in the future.
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