Twenty years since Film and TV Directing was studied in Montenegro is an important moment, emphasized the director, Prof. Dr. Nikola Vukcevic, founder and long-time professor of this program at a ceremony organized specifically to mark the anniversary. Vukčević added that he is pleased that the two decades of the program's existence are being celebrated in dialogue, on panels, and with a screening of student films from different generations.
"A lot has changed in these twenty years, from professors and students, to techniques and technology, but one thing has remained the same: the desire to tell our film stories as well as possible and to teach our students to do so successfully, while at the same time nurturing authenticity, courage, and creative curiosity," he said.
The program gathered numerous former and current students, professors, associates and film industry representatives in the hall of the technical faculties of the University of Montenegro, who marked a significant anniversary through discussions, panels, masterclasses and screenings of student films, confirming the continuity and strength of film education at the University of Montenegro.
Dean of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Prof. Dr. Edin Jasarovic, and the president of the organizing committee of the Festival of Arts, Science and Culture (FUNK), within which the event was organized, said at the ceremonial opening of the two-day program on the occasion of the jubilee that it is a special story that comes from that faculty, with the intention of jointly marking the first 20 years of film and TV directing.
Director and professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Marija Perović She said that it is incredible what has happened in the 20 years since the Film and TV Directing program at the Cetinje FDU has existed.
"This is a direction and program that is recognized not only outside the borders of Montenegro, but also in Europe," Perović pointed out.
Vukčević summed up the previous 20 years, expressing pride in everything achieved.
"From the first lectures in modest conditions, through the pioneering generations that contributed to the further development of Montenegrin cinema, to today's professors and students whose work is recognized on the regional and European map, this study program has grown into an important point of the cultural and artistic identity of Montenegro. Twenty years later, we are proud of all our students and colleagues, of the generations that have become the bearers of contemporary Montenegrin cinema, and of those who are yet to come, ready to continue this story with equal enthusiasm and faith in the power of film," he said.
After the opening, along with the awarding of a certificate of appreciation for the contribution to the development of the study program, there was an inspiring conversation with Branko Baletić, the first professor of film directing in Montenegro, and Prof. Dr. Nikola Vukčević, head of the Film and Media study program. Through a generational dialogue, they spoke about learning the art and craft of directing then and now, evoking the beginnings and development of the study program that has produced numerous prominent authors.
Screenings of student films were also organized, which presented thematic and stylistically diverse poetics of young authors from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Cetinje, and a series of professional and inspiring discussions were held. After the presentation by Dr. Stanka Crnobrnja on contemporary television and TV directing, followed by the panel "Challenges of Directors in Youth" with the participation of former students who are currently actively working in film and television production, and in addition, panel discussions "Opportunities in the Market - Film Industry, Television, Digital Media, Education" and "Two Decades of Studying FTV Directing - Different Perspectives" were also held.
The program ended with a masterclass by directors and professors. Srđan Vuletić from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, dedicated to the specifics of short films, festival advice and education of young directors through short films and related formats.
"The two-day program, held as part of the FUNK festival, confirmed that the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje is not only the cradle of film education in Montenegro, but also an important point of the country's cultural and artistic identity, whose students and professors continue to shape its contemporary cinematography with the same enthusiasm and faith in the power of film," it was announced.
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