Minority Film Festival "Thoughts of Others": Films and topics for gourmets

The Minority Film Festival "Think of Others" (MOD FEST), which aims to present the work of filmmakers, members of minority nations or other minority communities, or to show films that have minorities as their theme in the broadest sense, was opened yesterday in Podgorica, in Kulturno - information center "Budo Tomović".

It is the first and only festival of this type in Montenegro, whose aspiration is that the films shown have a positive effect on national minorities for the sake of greater tolerance and respect for representatives of minorities, according to the announcement.

The festival was opened by the director of the Fund for the Protection and Realization of Minority Rights Emir Dacić, who invited visitors to take advantage of the opportunity, get information and get inspiration for similar projects, emphasizing that they will have the support of the Fund.

"It seems to me that there is no shortage of inspiration for these topics in Montenegro because we have a special wealth that we should be proud of - the wealth of diversity. I hope that this festival will also contribute to having more significant film productions on this topic because it is a permanent good that remains behind us", said Dacić.

Director Danilo Marunović in his opus there are also documentaries on the subject of minority rights and vulnerable social groups, he emphasized the importance of the existence of the Fund and the financing of such films.

"These topics are not approached a priori from a human rights aspect, but above all from an artistic one, because the space of national minorities is always a space of exclusive artistic themes. And that's why this festival is important, because you can see exactly such films at it," said Marunović, emphasizing that these are "films for gourmets", which do not have large cinema distribution.

Director Sead Sabotic he added that the possibilities and means for financing such projects are available, but the quality of the idea and the topic that the film should deal with is crucial.

Željka Raščanin from the Fund for the Protection and Realization of Minority Rights reminded those present that this institution once a year announces a competition in which both legal and natural persons have the right to participate.

"The main theme of the films that have been supported so far is actually coexistence and the story of how people used to live, how holidays and customs were celebrated together, and how it is today. I think it is clear to everyone that these films do not only talk about how it used to be, but also carry a certain message about how we should behave and treat each other today, but to leave the same message for the generations to come," she said. Raščanin.

After yesterday's program, today's repertoire begins at 11 a.m. in the multimedia hall of KIC "Budo Tomović", with a panel discussion on the topic "Cultural heritage preservation: Challenges and opportunities for filmmakers, members of minority nations". The director will speak on the panel Gabriel Camaj and producer Farah Ljaljevic. At 11.35:XNUMX a.m. screenings of feature films and documentaries begin, so the audience will have the opportunity to see Camaj's production "Palma", a film Duško Miljanić "Life according to David", as well as "Rožaje - the town that no longer exists" Damir Skarep, and the entrance is free.