Through the promotion of Montenegro as a film destination and the increase of foreign filming in our country, the Film Center of Montenegro (FCCG) brings concrete benefits not only to the Montenegrin film sector, but also to the entire economy of Montenegro, and these results will be significantly more visible in the coming period. FCCG director Aleksandra Božović said this in an interview for "Vijesti".
She added that filming can be a "real economic generator, especially in smaller areas" and presented concrete data, but also pointed out that Montenegro, as a Mediterranean country, does not yet have the visibility of neighboring Croatia, Italy, and Greece, as well as that constant work must be done. to maintain competitiveness and use its comparative advantages and impose itself on the film map of Europe and the world.
She reminded that FCCG "turns" five years old this April and praised the team gathered in that institution, as well as young film workers, as well as the numerous organizations with which they cooperate, and pointed out that in the coming period they will focus on greater participation in the organization of the Hercegnov Film Festival. .
Of special importance for Montenegro as a film and tourist destination is the recent visit of renowned names from the world of film, Brian Kirk and William Simpson, who, although they have a number of successful and popular achievements behind them, are most often associated with the world popular series "Game of Thrones". ..
Aleksandra Božović talks to "Vijesti" about the continuation of the promotional strategy through the "Film in Montenegro" brand, Montenegrin cinematography today, the work of the Film Center.
Your appointment as director of the Film Center of Montenegro was accompanied by stormy reactions from the profession and the public. What is the situation at the Film Center half a year after the director took office?
The Film Center is a young institution that will celebrate five years of existence in April. In addition to all the projects that it supports through the film fund and thus directly influences the development of Montenegrin cinematography, this institution also consists of a phenomenal team of young and professional people who, thanks to the good personnel policy of the previous director, Sehad Čekić, got the opportunity to realize themselves and show themselves in this, I have to say that, by all accounts a different public institution, which really deviates from the stereotypical experiences of public institutions. It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team, which readily welcomes all challenges and dedicatedly performs the very complex work that we deal with at the Center, with the wholehearted help of the president of the FCCG Council, Assoc. prof. Edin Jašarović, Ph.D.
Montenegro is no stranger to filming large productions even in the last century. If it is said that there is hyperproduction in the countries of the region, but also that many actors and actresses from Montenegro tend to shoot abroad, then what is the situation here and how do you plan to improve it, together with the working conditions in Montenegro?
Although in one period Montenegro had a serious setback in the development of cinematography, in recent years things are changing rapidly, primarily thanks to the creation of a more favorable environment for the development of the film industry, through the adoption of the Law on Cinematography and, of course, the formation of the Film Center. Today, Montenegrin films participate in world festivals where they achieve exceptional success and receive very good reviews. It is especially important to mention the achievements of young filmmakers such as Ivan Marinović, Dušan Kasalica, Ivan Salatić, Ivan Bakrač, who already have their debut feature films and were noticed not only by the domestic audience but also in the region, Europe, and beyond. Since 2013, Montenegro has submitted films for the "Oscar" award of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in the category for the best foreign film, which has a positive effect on increasing the visibility of Montenegrin cinematography on the international scene. Montenegrin projects were regularly selected at the Cinelink Pitching Forum of the Sarajevo Film Festival, but also at other workshops such as Midpoint, Script Station Berlinale, Jerusalem Film Lab, MFI Script Lab and similar ones.
In the period before the establishment of the Film Center of Montenegro, from 2003 to 2017, support for film production, provided by the Ministry of Culture, amounted to a total of 3,8 million euros, while the Center, since its establishment until today, has co-financed the production of cinematographic works in all allocated funds in the total amount of almost four million (3.927.000) euros to competition lines and supported the production of 12 feature films, 15 short films, 13 documentaries, 15 minority co-productions, 6 animated films, 17 films in the development process and 27 projects in the development phase scenario development. Also, it is important to note that the amount of funds allocated for competitions increases from year to year.
How important is the visit of world-famous names such as Brian Kirk and William Simpson for the promotion of Montenegro as a film and tourist destination? In what ways can film contribute to Montenegro?
The recent arrival of William Simpson and Brian Kirk in Podgorica is the result of the cooperation of the Film Center of Montenegro with the British Council, which began in 2019, when Montenegro was visited for the first time by Andrew Reed, chief producer at the Film Agency of Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Screen) and on that occasion gave valuable guidelines for further work on the promotion of Montenegro as a film destination. The logical continuation of that cooperation was the project "Creative economy - Development of policies in the field of the film industry in Montenegro", the results of which we are very satisfied.
The arrival of renowned names from the world of film, such as Brian Kirk and William Simpson certainly are, is of extreme importance because it is the best indicator that Montenegro is slowly but surely positioning itself on the map of film destinations in Europe. In the last three years, the Film Center has paid special attention to this, in accordance with its possibilities, recognizing it as one of the key elements for the development of not only the film sector in our country, but also a whole series of related activities, from the tourism industry to numerous craft activities.
Film is first and foremost a cultural product, but it can also be a significant engine of economic development, especially in a small country like Montenegro. Examples from the region, especially Serbia and Croatia, whose film industries have flourished in recent years thanks to the arrival of foreign productions, show the absolute financial justification of investing in this sector. It is up to us as an institution to bring it closer to the decision makers in the country, because without their open support we as an institution cannot achieve much.
In an interview with "Vijesti", Simpson said that the interest of people in Montenegro to work is evident, but he also emphasized that a lot depends on finances, "that is, whether the state has the money to support all this". Is there and is there enough current support from the state in this sense?
Our common desire was to gather in Montenegro the aces of the film industry of Northern Ireland who would share with us their experiences of working in a country with little production capacity, such as Montenegro and Northern Ireland. The experiences they gained through working on the globally popular series "Game of Thrones" are a good example of how all the potential of a small country can be valorized through a good film/television project. At the time when the first episode was filmed in early 2009, Northern Ireland had practically no film industry. A decade later, it became one of the biggest film destinations in that part of the world.
The task of the Film Center is, among other things, to bring and present to our public as many good examples as possible, both from Europe and from the region, so that with joint efforts - and I mean decision-makers at the state level, film workers and the wider the public - heard that it is possible to develop the film industry in such a short period of time and use the potentials that Montenegro has, and valorize them not only through future artistic expressions but also through economic and financial profit.
On the other hand, Brian Kirk stated that he could imagine himself filming in Montenegro. How do you comment on that and will you do anything to make it more likely?
Brian said at the aforementioned panel in Podgorica that if it was possible to develop the film industry in Belfast, then anything is possible. His experience as a visionary who returned from America to Northern Ireland to direct the first two episodes of "Game of Thrones" and thereby made a strong contribution to the development of national cinema is something that is very inspiring for all of us at the Center, and gave us an additional incentive to continue our work. on promoting Montenegro as a film destination.
Do you have a developed strategic plan in connection with the "Film in Montenegro" project or the promotion of Montenegro as a film destination? What is the backbone of the project and how much does the strategic plan rely on the previous management's concept(s)?
The project, i.e. the "Film in Montenegro" brand, which the Film Center team is intensively developing, was launched in 2019, with the aim of shaping and presenting the promotion of Montenegro as a film destination to the world public in a modern and visually attractive way. Since the promotion program was started during the covid-19 pandemic, when most film festivals were canceled or held in online format and when travel and live contact with producers were practically impossible, the Center focused on digital tools during that period, primarily through realization of the web platform www.filminmontenegro.me, which offers in one place all the key information necessary for producers to familiarize themselves with the state of the film sector in our country. Also, the program was promoted on all relevant film markets, either live or in online format, as well as through a continuous campaign in renowned magazines specialized in the promotion of film locations, such as "Makers" and "World of Locations".
The core of the "Film in Montenegro" program consists of incentive measures for foreign producers, the so-called "cash rebate", in the form of a refund of 25 percent of the funds that the foreign producer invests in filming film and television projects in Montenegro. The government adopted it in 2017 and it was a decisive moment that made Montenegro catch up with the countries of the region and, in addition to unique locations, cultural heritage and other benefits, offer producers concrete incentives to shoot in Montenegro.
Since the end of 2020, the Film Center has been a member of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN), an association that brings together over 100 local, regional and national film associations from all over Europe, and whose goal is networking, exchange of experiences, as well as joint promotion of European film locations. In the following period, it is planned to join the International Association of Film Associations (Association of Film Commissioners Internatioanl - AFCI), whose seat is in Los Angeles, which will round off the presence of the Film Center in all relevant international bodies dealing with the promotion of film destinations.
What are the advantages of Montenegro as a small country compared to other popular destinations and are these advantages clearly presented? In addition, to what extent can Montenegro emulate and use the experience of the countries of the region, as well as the territorial proximity and the similarity of the landscape, all in order to improve its offer?
Our goal is first of all to draw attention to Montenegro as a lesser-known destination, because Montenegro, as a Mediterranean country, does not yet have the kind of visibility that neighboring Croatia, or Italy and Greece have. In a way, we offer foreign producers everything that the mentioned countries offer, only in a smaller, more compact form.
The backbone of our promotional strategy through the "Film in Montenegro" brand is also based on the fact that Montenegro, with its abundance of diverse locations and diversity of cultural heritage, can very successfully "play" the aforementioned countries, while offering producers much more favorable prices for services compared to the region. , not to mention the rest of Europe, as well as the variety of landscapes in a relatively small territory, and the like.
What are the specific benefits of filming abroad in Montenegro? Also, what is the profit from film tourism and foreign productions? On the other hand, how is it used and how much is invested in the development of these spheres?
As for the foreign shootings that took advantage of the Film Center's incentive measures, three projects have been realized in Montenegro so far and a consumption of close to 900.000 euros has been achieved. That expenditure refers to what we call qualified production costs during filming, while the actual expenditure incurred by those film crews during filming in Montenegro certainly exceeds 1.000.000 euros. Filming can be a real economic generator, especially in smaller communities.
In order to talk about film tourism, we must first have large and world-recognized film and television projects realized in our country. The best example of this is the series "Game of Thrones" and Dubrovnik. Such projects are not beyond our reach, but all decision-makers in the country must be ready to make efforts to make it happen. The task of the Film Center is to first draw the attention of foreign producers to Montenegro, and then to encourage them to come and film here. But once the production of the film starts, their contact is transferred to local governments, state authorities, hoteliers, transporters, etc., who must show understanding for their specific needs.
What are you currently working on, what are your plans for the future, what is in particular focus?
We are currently working on the preparation of the Swedish Film Day in Montenegro in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy. The Montenegrin audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the newest film production of this Scandinavian country from April 11 to 14 in Podgorica, Bar, Pljevlja, Nikšić and Kotor. On this occasion, we will also host representatives of the Swedish Film Institute, as well as numerous Swedish filmmakers.
In cooperation with the Center for Vocational Education, we launched an initiative to create a program for the acquisition of key skills in order to develop the deficit staff in cinematography.
I would also like to mention that thanks to the "Film in Montenegro" program in the previous period, we had the opportunity to achieve good communication and cooperation with numerous decision makers in our country. Through the promotion of Montenegro as a film destination and the increase of foreign filming in our country, the Film Center brings concrete benefits not only to the Montenegrin film sector, but also to the entire economy of Montenegro. Those results will be much more visible in the coming period.
Of course, in addition to the numerous activities that the Film Center strives to carry out with the aim of continuous development of Montenegrin cinematography, it is essential to mention the dedicated work on improving the system of evaluation and monitoring of the projects that we co-finance through competitions, because only in this way can we raise the level of quality and manage to be as serious as possible. let's get closer to the results of successful European cinematography. This is especially contributed by our awareness of the importance of international networking and focusing on co-productions, which I consider a key factor in the development of cinematography, especially if it is a country with a small production capacity. Co-productions are a way to be visible, present, for our film professionals to realize their industrial and artistic communication outside the framework of Montenegro and the region. This is the task that the Film Center has focused on since its inception until today, and is dedicatedly working on its successful implementation.
Good cooperation with everyone, festivals are especially important
What kind of cooperation do you have with the National Tourist Organization, local organizations, the Montenegrin Cinematheque, the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, but also film festivals, and even the Hercegnov Comic Festival, considering that they all play a significant role in this sphere?
Specifically, last year we signed a Cooperation Agreement with NTO in which we defined key areas of mutual interest, as well as ways to improve and speed up institutional cooperation. We see them as an important partner in creating a "film-friendly" environment in Montenegro, which is a necessary step towards completing the offer of Montenegro as a film destination, and it refers to the creation of numerous administrative facilities for film crews. We cooperate continuously with Kinotek, as well as with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, especially in the part related to the development of insufficient personnel in the film industry.
We pay special attention to film festivals. The novelty that we have recently introduced is the annual calendar of film festivals, which will make the work of festival organizers easier, and give film lovers a better overview of the film offerings in our country. The Herzegovina Film Festival, the oldest brand of the Montenegrin film industry, is especially important to us, and I believe that in the coming years we will participate more and more in its organization, in order to create space for the greatest possible promotion of projects co-financed by the Film Center in all competition categories.
Most wanted locations
Which locations are most in demand among foreign producers? Also, how attractive is Montenegro to them in terms of the benefits it offers for foreign productions, i.e. a return of 25 percent of invested funds, if something has not changed in the meantime? What is the most attractive thing on offer?
It's really hard to say which locations are the most sought after, as it depends on the nature of the project. They are not always necessarily the ones that come to mind first. For producers from the region, and here I am primarily referring to series like "Biser Bojane", "Besa" and "Long Sea", the most interesting locations are on the coast: Ulcinj, Velika plaža, then Kotor, Tivat, Herceg Novi, but also Porto Montenegro, Lustica and many others throughout Boka.
Foreign productions are more interested in some less iconic locations, which with minor interventions can be transformed to look like some exotic places around the world. In the previous decade, we had big Hollywood projects, such as "The Brothers Bloom", "The November Man", "Papillon", "Minamata", which filmed scenes of South America, Mexico, Switzerland, and even Japan in Montenegro.
The return of 25 percent is already not as competitive as it was a few years ago when it was adopted, because in some European countries it goes up to 40 percent, as in the case of Malta. Everyone is fighting for their share of the production pie, which is growing year by year. Montenegro must use its comparative advantages and impose itself on the film map of Europe and the world, because the potential benefits are enormous, both for the film sector in the country and for the entire economy.
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