Varja Đukić receives the SEE Actress 2026 award for her contribution to film and theater in Southeast Europe

Varja Djukic, a prominent Montenegrin film and theater actress and doyen of the Montenegrin National Theater, is the winner of the prestigious SEE Actress 2026 award for her exceptional contribution to film, theater and cultural life in Southeast Europe, the SEE Film Festival management announced.

The award was established with the founding of the festival in 2011, and previous laureates include some of the most significant names on the regional art scene, including: Anja Šovagović, Cvetana Maneva, Milena Zupančič, Anica Dobra, Miki Manojlović, Rade Šerbedžija i Ion Caramitru.

An actress with a recognizable artistic sensibility and a strong authorial personality, Varja Đukić has had a career spanning more than four decades in film, television and theatre across the former Yugoslavia and Europe. She graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, and gained international recognition with her role in the cult film "Variola vera" by director Goran Marković, for which she was awarded the award for best debut role at the Yugoslav Film Festival in Pula.

During her rich career, she collaborated with the most important directors and theater institutions in the region, including the Yugoslav Drama Theater, Budva City Theater, and the Royal Theater Zetski Dom.

Her roles in the plays "Jonescomania", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", "Višnjik", "Banović Strahinja", "Nigdje nikog nemam" and "Pod oba sunca", as well as in numerous contemporary works, have brought her some of the most important theatrical awards in the Balkans, including the Sterija Award, the MESS Award, several Ardalion Awards for Best Actress, as well as two CNP Grand Awards.

In addition to her exceptional acting career, Đukić is also recognized as a writer, director and cultural activist, and the founder of the bookstore and cultural space "Karver" in Podgorica, which over the years has become a significant regional place of literature, dialogue and independent artistic exchange.

The Southeast European Film Festival is an international platform with centers in Paris, Berlin, Washington and Skopje, dedicated to the promotion of film art and strengthening international cultural cooperation. Since its inception, the festival has brought together prominent filmmakers, artists, universities, institutions and cultural workers from all over the world.

The 16th edition of the SEE FF festival will be held from 1 to 6 June 2026, under the auspices of the French Ministry of Culture and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro. Festival programs and events will be organized simultaneously in Paris, Berlin and Washington.