Films that raise questions about human intimacy, dignity and solidarity at Forte Mare Fortress

The open stage of the Forte Mare fortress will once again be a meeting point for top film achievements and fans of the seventh art, as part of the 39th Herceg Novi - Montenegro Film Festival, the organizers announced.

"In a unique setting under the stars, from August 23 to 27, audiences will have the opportunity to watch a carefully selected program of new European and African films that convey strong messages, explore contemporary social themes, and raise important questions about human intimacy, dignity, and solidarity," the statement said.

It was also announced today that two-time Oscar winner, Iranian director and screenwriter Asghar Farhadi will be a guest at this year's Festival, and will attend the screening of his latest film "Parallel Tales", which will be held on Sunday, August 23, at 20:30 PM at the Forte Mare Fortress. The film was produced by the French production company Memento Production in 2026, and was screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Farhadi is also this year's laureate of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival.

"With a top-notch cast led by Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel i Catherine Deneuve, "The film tells the exciting story of an author whose imagined fiction begins to overpower her reality," the announcement states.

Farhadi will also hold a special masterclass on Tuesday, August 25, from 10 am to 11 am as part of the Montenegro Film Rendezvous industry program, organized by the Film Center of Montenegro.

A special touch to the program at Forte Mare is the selection of the Adriatic Region Festival Network, whose goal is to promote regional and European cinematography and connect festival audiences across the region. The Adriatic Region Festival Network program is supported by the Media sub-programme of the Creative Europe Programme.

"Also, the festival audience will have the opportunity to learn about the richness of African cinematography through the New African Voices program. This program is being implemented by the Film Center of Montenegro in cooperation with the International Organization of Francophonie (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie - OIF), with the support of the Embassy of France and the French Institute in Montenegro," the statement said.

"Life in Rhythm" is also on the program that same evening. (Life in a Beat, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, France, North Macedonia, Montenegro, 2025), the first feature film by a Greek director Ameris Baste.

"This regional co-production, in which Montenegro also participates, depicts the struggle of a young girl in Athens with poverty, a toxic environment and a sudden pregnancy, in search of her own independence," the description reads.

"At Forte Mare we will also watch the youth action comedy 'Gaja's World 3' (Gaja's World - Follow Me, Slovenia, 2025) by Slovenian director Peter Bratuša"The film follows 16-year-old Gaja as she copes with life's ups and downs after her parents' divorce through growing up, the challenges of first love, and changes in friendships," the organizers add.

The Adriatic Region Festival Network brings an interesting program...

"'Truly Naked' (Truly Naked), Netherlands, Belgium, France, Great Britain, 2026 – New work by a Dutch director Muriel d'Ansembourg", premiered at the Berlinale. This emotional coming-of-age story follows a teenager growing up in the shadow of his father's porn business and his encounter with a rebellious girl who changes his perspective on intimacy and acceptance," the announcement states.

Also on the program is the film "Hen" (Hen), a co-production of Germany, Greece, Hungary, 2025. Directed by Gyorgy Palfi, one of the most important contemporary Hungarian directors and a multiple festival winner. The film follows the escape of a chicken from an industrial farm to an abandoned seafood restaurant, while a complex human drama about poverty and moral choices unfolds nearby.

"Made in EU", a Bulgarian, German and Czech co-production from 2025, is a socially engaged drama by a celebrated Bulgarian director Stephana Komandareva, whose films have screened in Cannes and Karlovy Vary. The plot follows a garment factory worker in a Bulgarian province who becomes the first confirmed case of Covid in her town, enduring collective fear, stigmatization, and rejection.

"Black Money for White Nights" is a Bulgarian-Greek co-production from this year, and it is the latest film by the Bulgarian director duo. Kristine Grozeve and Petra ValchanovaThrough a blend of dark humor and realism, the film depicts a married couple who lose their savings in a tourist scam, with the search for the money bringing old family lies and betrayals to the surface.

The film "Only Beautiful Things to Look At", a 2026 co-production between Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, is a new film by a Slovak author. Ivan OstrochovskySet in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1980s, this poignant drama explores the legacy of forced sterilization of Romani women through the story of the relationship between a doctor and a Romani nurse, raising questions of personal responsibility and systemic oppression.

In the "New African Voices" selection is "Promised Heaven" (Promised Sky), a co-production of France, Tunisia and Qatar from 2025. This moving drama is directed by a French-Tunisian director Erige Sehiri, whose previous film "Under the Figs" was Tunisia's Oscar nominee. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the official Un Certain Regard selection, follows the lives of three women in Tunisia whose solidarity is tested by the arrival of a young orphan girl.

"Congo Boy" is a co-production of the Central African Republic, France, DR Congo and Italy from this year. It is the first feature-length film by the young director Friend Fariale, whose documentary "We, the Students!" won an award at the Berlinale. The story follows 17-year-old Robert from Bangui who dreams of a musical career in a war-torn country, forced to take care of his younger siblings while his parents are in prison.

As part of the New African Voices program, a new film by a prominent French-Moroccan director will be screened at the Park Hall on August 27th. Nabila Ayusha "Everybody Loves Touda" (Everybody Loves Touda), a co-production between Morocco, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands in 2024. This moving drama follows traditional Moroccan performer Touda, who, through songs of resistance and emancipation, tries to fight for artistic recognition in Casablanca and a better future for her son.