Dear festival friends,
 
The 11th edition of the SEE FF PARIS-BERLIN-WASHINGTON 2021 is officially closed.
We hope you had a good time with the SEE films.
 
We like to thank our friends: 
CINESQUARE.NET  film platform,
for their generous contribution and support, which made this online edition possible.  
 
The members of the European jury of SEE FF  2021:

Frosa Pejoska-Bouchereau, president
Frederic Fappani von Lothringen, and
Yves Rousslet

announced their winners:
 

• Best actor : Petar BOŽOVIĆ (SER)
• Best actress : Vica KEREKES (HUN)
• Best script : SENIOR CITIZEN (CYP)
• Best director : Attila SZÁSZ (HUN)
• Best feature film : TALL TALES (HUN)
• Best short film : RAINBOW (MNE)
• Best documentary : DO YOU GO OUT? (CRO)
• Best animation: QUARANTINE (MKD)

 Special Award for "The Witch's Cauldron" - Branislav Jankić (SER),  
 INALCO Student Jury award: "Dante’s Heaven" (BUL)
The award of “Salon du livre des Balknas”: "Senior Citizen" (CYP)


The awards of the American jury, consisting of:

Roman Kostovski, president
Patricia Corbett, and 
Jacqueline Headington, are:
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• Best Actor: Savo Šćepanović (MNE)
• Best Actress: Marina Argyridou (CYP)
• Best Director: Attila Szasz (HUN)
• Best Script: Tall Tales (HUN)
• Best Feature: Lazy Guy (MNE)
• Best Documentary: Testament to Time (BIH)
• Best Short: The Visit (MNE)
• Best Animation: The Rhythm of the Fall (MKD)

Congratulations and SEE you next year! 

Regardless of the Covid 19 pandemic, which caused colossal turmoil on the Planet Earth, Southeast European Film Festival will be present in the three capitols, to show that the cinematography of the Balkans is continuing the odyssey of the living pictures by The Seventh art, and the dream of the young generations from the Balkan countries, with The Ideal of Art  as the fundamental contribution which will be recorded in the Chronology of Civilization, and will leave traces of immortality, in spite of statistics which are exhibiting the number of dead across the meridians, and provoking anxiety that we could also be a part of that necrophilic catastrophe which fiercely erases the boundaries between Life and Death.   
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Ever since the first intellectual revolution in Europe, that took place in the Medieval Ages, with the believe that love can save the world, we can find apocryphal records, which are pointing that the etymology of the word Planetos, in fact means A Desolate man, and whole of the Planet today reflects in that Desolate man, which you can see online, in the selection of feature and animated films, shorts and documentaries, in the three metropolises of the world, through the immortal words of Nicola Bouvier: “Balkans is the heart of Europe”, from his book “The Usage of the World”, and that heart will always pulsate, if not in the common history, then in the Artist, as a Desolate man – Planetos, who believes, as Jorge Luis Borges believed,  that everything is mortal, safe for the Humanity!
 
As a response from Paris, Berlin and Washington, the awarded films from the festival will be presented in many Balkan cities, in cooperation with the Cinematheque in Macedonia, under the name “Balkanofilmophilia”, to prove the film can overcome the Balkan’s traumas and tensions, which rule in the region as a product of political industry, corruption and crime!

Let us all unite in the wishes for success of this online edition in Paris, Berlin and Washington, and in spite all the pandemic barriers, believe that from the next year we will see you live!

Jordan Plevnes
Founder and President of SEE Film Festival

Kujtim Çashku is a Film Director, Scriptwriter, Producer, Human Rights Activist and Head of Marubi Film and Multimedia Academy. He studied on the Higher Institute of Arts in Tirana, Institute of Theatre and Film Bucharest -and post graduated at Columbia University - CSHR, NYC - USA. Çashku, started film-making in 1975, as assistant director in Kinostudio. 1978 he, directed his first feature. Several of his movies won national and international prizes. His career took him to Romania, USA, France, Poland and Germany. He is considered as Albania’s internationally best-known cinema personality.

In 1990 he was one of the founder of Albanian Helsinki Committee In 2004 he founded the first film school in Albania "The Academy of Film and Multimedia Marubi " www.afmm.edu.al. In 2006 he founded the International Human Rights Film Festival in Albania. 

He is member of European Film Academy, Member of Albanian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Member of Balkan Academy of Art and Sciences.

Kujtim Çashku is honoured as : “Artist of Emeritus”, “Great Master” , “Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Letters” France, “Doctor Honorius Causa”  USA,  “La order del Merito Civil”  Spain.

He speaks: English, French, Italian, Romanian and his mother language is Albanian. 

Pedro Roberto Menéres Cudell CvGDM - ComM (Porto, December 28, 1950) is a Portuguese economist and manager, having worked in banking in Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Spain, Bahrain, Luxembourg, France and Cape Verde. He was one of the founders of Grémio Luso-Brasileiro of São Paulo, founding member and first Ombudsman of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Paris.

He attended the Military College and graduated in Economics and Business Management at Instituto Universitário de Évora (ISESE) and in International Marketing and Foreign Trade at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil.

Pedro Cudell began his professional activity in 1972, in Lisbon, at Banco Totta e Açores. In January 1974 he moved to Angola to join Banco Totta Standard de Angola, and then to São Paulo, Brazil, in August 1975, where he joined the International Directorate of Banco Comércio e Indústria do Estado from Sao Paulo, as manager of the Foreign trade division. He later worked at Comind Interconsult, an investment bank held 50% by the N.M. Rothshild & Sons group.

From January 1981, he opened and represented the Bank of the State of São Paulo (BANESPA) in Lisbon, and he was General Manager of BANESPA in Bahrain and Madrid. In 1988 he assumed the position of General Manager of the União de Bancos Portugueses in Luxembourg. From 1989 until 2014, Pedro Cudell was connected to the Espírito Santo Group, first in Paris, as director and General Manager of Banque Espírito Santo et de la Venetie, then in Lisbon as Advisor to the Board of Directors of Banco Espírito Santo (BES) and responsible for the creation and development of the Corporate International Department.

From 2007 on wards, he holds the position of General Manager of Banco Espírito Santo SFE Cabo Verde, and from 2010 on as the first President of Banco Espírito Santo Cabo Verde.
Between 2007 and 2012, he is representing Banco Espírito Santo, CGD and BCP, and he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Portuguese Consortium of Airports ASTERION, which supported the privatization of ANA and the construction of the new Lisbon airport (NAL) in Alcochete.

Between 2007 and 2019, Pedro Cudell was a Member of the Board of Directors, and non-executive Director of SOFID - Sociedade Financeira para o Desenvolvimento , remaining connected and this company as a member of the Strategic Council.

In 2012, he was one of the founders of the Portugal-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which he chaired until 2017. He currently holds the vice-chairmanship of the Portugal-Cote d'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which he was also one of the founders in 2017.

He has been a partner of the Portuguese Institute of Corporate Governance since 2016, and member of the Strategic Council of CIP for Economic Cooperation, Development since 2019.

He is honorary consul of the Republic of Northern Macedonia to Portugal.

In June 1999 he was decorated by the then President of the Republic, Jorge Sampaio, with the degree of Commander of the Order of National Merit.
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In 2006 he was honored by the Sovereign Order of Malta as Commander Pro Merito Melitensi.

Virginie Linhart est historienne de formation et Docteur en Sciences Politiques, ancienne élève de Sciences Po. Elle a écrit et réalisé une trentaine de documentaires historiques et politiques, dont de nombreux portraits, pour toutes les chaînes de télévision française : Françoise Dolto, au nom de l’enfant (doc 60’ – France 2, 2018, sélection Fipadoc 2019), Jeanne Moreau, l’affranchie (doc 52’ – Arte, 2018 ; Prix du documentaire Histoire du cinéma Festival de Pessac 2018), Vincennes, l’université perdue (doc 95’ – Arte, 2016, Laurier d’or du meilleur documentaire télévisé 2016) Jacques Derrida, le courage de la pensée, (doc 52’ – Arte, 2014) Ce qu’ils savaient, les Alliés face à la Shoah (doc 70’- France 3, 2012- Étoiles de la SCAM 2013) ; Après les camps, la vie (doc 75’– France 2, 2010) ; 68, mes parents et moi (doc 65’– Planète 2008 –, Étoiles de la SCAM 2009) 
Elle est également l’auteure de cinq ouvrages : Volontaires pour l'usine. Vies d'établis 1967/1977, réédité en 2010 ; Enquête aux Prud'hommes, 1998 ; Le jour où mon père s'est tu, 2008, prix de l'essai de l'Express, poche 2010 ; La Vie après, Seuil, 2012 ; L’Effet maternel, Flammarion, 2020, poche 2021.

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Virginie Linhart is a historian by training and Doctor of Political Science, former student of Sciences Po. She has written and directed around thirty historical and political documentaries, including many portraits, for all French television channels: Françoise Dolto, on behalf of the child (doc 60 '- France 2, 2018, Fipadoc 2019 selection), Jeanne Moreau, the enfranchised (doc 52' - Arte, 2018; Award for documentary for history of cinema, Festival de Pessac 2018), Vincennes, the university lost (doc 95 '- Arte, 2016, “Golden Laurel” for best television documentary 2016) Jacques Derrida, courage of thought, (doc 52' - Arte, 2014) What they knew, the Allies facing the Shoah (doc 70'- France 3, 2012- Stars of the SCAM 2013); After the camps, life (doc 75’– France 2, 2010); 68, my parents and I (doc 65’ - Planet 2008 -, Stars of SCAM 2009)
She is also the author of five books: Volunteers for the Factory. Established lives 1967/1977, reissued in 2010; Prud'hommes Inquiry, 1998; The day my father was silent, 2008, award for essay of l'Express, 2010; Life after, Threshold, 2012; The Maternal Effect, Flammarion, 2020, 2021.

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Dear Mr. Plevneš,
Dear participants in the 11th SEEFF of Southeast Europe,
Admirers of the seventh art,
 
          I want to extend a very warm welcome to all of you and wish you a successful realization of the 11th edition of the Southeast European Film Festival SEEFF-Paris-Berlin-Washington 2021.

         The global pandemic has forced us to replace direct communication, which is the core of culture, with a hygienic concept of culture. Therefore, festivals, as well as numerous cultural events, have assumed online formats. The 11th edition of SEEFF promotes the idea that culture is indispensable. It always finds a way to communicate, to send a moral and a message, through artistic creation. Montenegrin cinematography will be presented in this festival by means of a selection of Montenegrin feature and documentary films made by Film Centre of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.

          SEEFF's mission has lasted for 11 years. It is reflected in the continuous promotion of film culture of Southeast Europe, its specificity, as well as in universal film themes that are familiar and accessible to the audience in Paris, Berlin and Washington. Montenegrin cinematography has substantially contributed to the profiling of film culture of Southeast Europe. The beginning of the development of film production in Montenegro marks the period after the Second World War and the founding of a film production company "Lovćen film". Nevertheless, the first filmmakers from Montenegro - Vladimir Đ. Popovic, Marko M. Dragović and Pavle Petrović Njegoš, achieved notable results in filmmaking abroad in the first decades of the 20th century. For example, Pavle Petrović Njegoš, the grandson of King Nikola, participated in the directing of the film "Naked Woman" (based on the adaptation of the play of the same name by the French writer Henri Bataille) in Paris, in 1931.        

          Nurturing the film culture in Montenegro, as well as fostering the development of film production will be one of the priorities of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports in the future, with the aim of making Montenegrin film production even more competitive on the regional and international film cultural scene.
​
         Once again, I want to commend your efforts to make SEEFF grow and enhance it each year. I see this festival as an opportunity for Western Europe and America to mirror the filmmaking of Southeast Europe.
 
 
 PROF. DR VESNA BRATIĆ, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, CULTURE AND SPORTS OF MONTENEGRO