​Bertrand Delais is a French documentary filmmaker, writer, journalist, and photographer. Born in Paris's 14th arrondissement, he graduated from Sciences Po (1986) and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS, 1988) after studying cinema.
 
For over 20 years, Delais worked as a documentary filmmaker, directing and producing political and historical television series based primarily on interviews and archival footage. Notable works include the series *Pouvoir et Télévision* and the documentary series *Je vote comme Je suis* for France 5, both presented at FIPA. He directed *Le jour où la France a dit non* (about the European referendum) for France 2, which won an award at the SCAM victories, and *Les raisons de la colère* on the CPE crisis. He also created documentaries on the television war and the French Socialist Party for France 5, and his film on the Berlin Wall, *Décompte fatal*, was selected at the Festival of Pessac.
 
More recently, Delais made three films featuring Emmanuel Macron: a portrait, a campaign diary broadcast on France 2 the day after Macron's election, and *La fin de l'innocence* documenting Macron's first year as president, aired in prime time on France 3. In 2022, he completed a series on 20th-century icons broadcast on France 5.
 
From 2018 to 2024, Delais served as president and CEO of LCP - Assemblée nationale (the parliamentary channel). He currently directs the Documentary division of france.tv studio. Alongside his filmmaking career, he has practiced photography for over 15 years, developing a personal photographic universe. Delais is a Chevalier (Knight) of the Arts and Letters order. He has also worked as a chronicler on Radio Nova. ​

​It is a great pleasure to address the esteemed audience of the SEE FF-Paris-Berlin-Washington 2026 Southeast European Film Festival. For years, the SEE festival has succeeded in showcasing the best of Southeast European cinema to Western Europe and America. Beyond celebrating talent and promoting film professionals, the SEE Film Festival bridges differences, elevates, connects, and fosters mutual learning. In these times of social and political divisions, culture—where dialogue and exchange are inherent—serves to unify society, encouraging cohesion and better understanding, sparking new ideas and forging stronger connections. A vibrant, evolving culture supports its members and invites others to join.
 This edition of the festival is marked by the winner of the SEE Actress 2026 Award, which was bestowed to the legendary Montenegrin actress Varja Đukić. This great artistic achievement corresponded with the celebration of the 20-th anniversary of the independence of Montenegro, a leading country in the region for joining the European Union.
Together, we can achieve small victories that lead to a true cultural revival, establishing a deserved place for culture in every country and society.
 
Once again, Montenegro is represented at the SEE festival with both feature and documentary films. The International selection jury has selected the feature films “THE TOWER OF STRENGHT” by Nikola Vukčević and “15 AND A HALF” by Milivoje Obradović and documentary „Vud, you won! “ by Senad Šahmanivić.
This year, the festival will also present the award for best documentary film, named after the renowned French documentary filmmaker Frédéric Rossif (1922-1990), who was born in Cetinje.
 
Film is not only a crucial cultural segment but also a developmental resource and a national brand. Our goal is to enhance the visibility and status of Montenegrin cinema, ensuring it has the future it deserves. The Ministry of Culture and Media is dedicated to legislative changes in the cultural field and will work to increase Montenegro's international presence through stable, continuous action. We are committed to supporting young cultural creators, providing them with a stable future, and fostering cultural creativity.
 
With deep appreciation for your achievements since the festival's inception in 2011, and for future accomplishments, I congratulate you on your continued success and wish you a successful festival!

 
Slobodan Šijan is one of the most influential and internationally acclaimed filmmakers of the former Yugoslavia and South Eastern Europe. Born in Belgrade in 1946, Šijan is celebrated for his cult film classics, distinctive visual style, and pioneering contribution to modern Serbian and Yugoslav cinema. His work combines dark humor, social satire, tragicomedy, and avant-garde aesthetics, creating films that have become an enduring part of the cultural identity of the region.

Šijan graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Belgrade in 1970 and later completed film directing studies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 1975, where he studied under renowned Yugoslav filmmaker Živojin Pavlović. Before establishing himself as a feature film director, he was actively involved in experimental film, conceptual art, photography, psychedelic painting, and the neo-avant-garde artistic movements of the 1970s. His early artistic practice included influential fanzines, collage works, performances, and multimedia experiments that positioned him among the most innovative visual artists of his generation.

He achieved international recognition with his debut feature film Who's Singin' Over There? (Ko to tamo peva), written by Dušan Kovačević. The film became one of the most beloved and quoted works in Yugoslav cinema history and was later officially proclaimed the best Yugoslav film of all time by the Yugoslav Academy of Film Art and Science. The film received numerous international awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, the Georges Sadoul Prize in France, and recognition from the family of Charlie Chaplin at the Festival of Film Comedy in Switzerland.

Šijan continued his remarkable success with the cult classic The Marathon Family (Maratonci trče počasni krug), another collaboration with Dušan Kovačević, widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of Balkan black comedy. He later directed a series of highly influential films including Strangler vs. Strangler, How I Was Systematically Destroyed by an Idiot, Tajna manastirske rakije, and Poor Little Hamsters. His films are recognized for their original cinematic language, absurdist humor, and sharp commentary on social and political realities.

In addition to filmmaking, Slobodan Šijan has had a distinguished career as a writer, film theorist, educator, and cultural historian. He served as director of the Yugoslav Film Archive and was a professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade from 1997 to 2012, mentoring generations of filmmakers and artists. He has also published numerous books and essays on cinema, visual culture, and experimental art, including the acclaimed anthology Pisci u bioskopu (“Writers in Cinema”).
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Šijan’s contribution to film and visual culture has been recognized with many prestigious domestic and international honors, including the October Prize of the City of Belgrade, the Aleksandar Lifka Award for Outstanding Contribution to European Cinema, the Golden Seal of the Yugoslav Film Archive, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival. In 2021, he became the first film director elected as a Corresponding Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, marking a historic recognition of cinema within the institution.
Beyond cinema, Slobodan Šijan remains an important figure in contemporary visual arts and intellectual life in the Balkans. His multidisciplinary work — spanning film, painting, criticism, conceptual art, and cultural theory — has had a profound influence on generations of filmmakers, artists, and audiences throughout South Eastern Europe and beyond.
 

Photo by Duško Miljanić

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​Varja Đukić is one of the most distinguished actresses and cultural figures of South Eastern Europe, whose artistic career spans more than four decades across theatre, film, television, literature, and cultural activism. Born in Zagreb in 1962 and raised in Podgorica, she graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in the class of renowned professor Ognjenka Milićević. Already during her studies, she achieved remarkable success with her role in Variola Vera by Goran Marković, for which she received the Award for Best Debut Actress at the Yugoslav Film Festival in Pula in 1982. Her early career also included acclaimed performances in films such as Stepenice za nebo and numerous television dramas and series.

Đukić made her theatrical debut at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre while still a student, performing in The Devils directed by Stevo Žigon. From 1985 to 1990 she was a member of the ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre, where she created a series of notable roles, later returning as one of its leading actresses from 2008 onward. During her rich stage career, she collaborated with many of the most important theatre directors and institutions in the region, including the Royal Theatre Zetski dom, Atelje 212, and numerous festival productions throughout the Balkans.

Her repertoire includes leading roles in classical and contemporary works such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Cherry Orchard, Banović Strahinja, Blood Wedding, Nora, Richard III, The Visit, and Jerma. Her performances earned her some of the highest theatre honors in the region, including the prestigious Sterija Award for Best Actress, multiple Ardalion Award awards, the Golden Laurel Wreath at the MESS International Theatre Festival, and major annual awards of the Montenegrin National Theatre.

In addition to her acting achievements, Varja Đukić is an accomplished author, playwright, essayist, and director. She created several original theatre projects inspired by the works of writers such as Marina Tsvetaeva, Danilo Kiš, and Wisława Szymborska. She is also the author of books including Pozorišni geto, In Patria, and San na javi – O teatru s ovog kraja svijeta, as well as numerous essays on theatre, literature, and culture.

A prominent cultural advocate and producer, Đukić is the founder and director of the influential bookstore and cultural center Karver Bookstore and Cultural Center in Podgorica, established in 2005. Under her leadership, Karver became one of the most important independent cultural hubs in the region, hosting literary festivals, educational programs, concerts, exhibitions, and international artistic collaborations. She is also the creator and artistic director of the international literary festival Odakle zovem, which has brought together leading contemporary writers, translators, and intellectuals from across Europe since 2009.

Throughout her career, Varja Đukić has remained deeply committed to intercultural dialogue, independent artistic expression, and the promotion of regional cultural cooperation. Through numerous international cultural projects supported by European foundations and institutions, she has contributed significantly to the development of literary exchange, artistic education, and cultural networking in Montenegro and the wider Balkan region.
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In recognition of her extraordinary artistic achievements and her enduring contribution to theatre, film, literature, and cultural life, the South Eastern European Film Festival awarded her the prestigious SEE Actress 2026 Award.

Photo by Ivajlo Petrov​


​Valentin Ganev is one of Bulgaria’s most distinguished theatre and film actors, acclaimed for his exceptional versatility, commanding stage presence, and extensive contribution to European performing arts. Born in Rousse, Bulgaria, in 1956, he graduated from the prestigious All Russian State Institute for Cinematography in Moscow in 1981, where he studied acting under the guidance of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sergey Bondarchuk and actress Irina Skobtseva. He later specialized in theatre directing at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art in Sofia and completed advanced studies in cinema and television directing at the New Bulgarian University.

Over the course of a career spanning more than four decades, Ganev has established himself as one of the leading figures of Bulgarian theatre. He has performed in many of Bulgaria’s major theatre institutions, including the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, where he has been a permanent member of the ensemble since 1996, as well as the Sofia Drama Theatre, Tear and Laughter Theatre, Little City Theatre Off The Channel, Satire Theatre Aleko Konstantinov, and Theatre 199. His repertoire includes more than eighty major theatre roles, ranging from classical drama to contemporary European works.

Among his most celebrated performances are Treplev in The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, Hlestakov and later the Mayor in The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, Henry Higgins in Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Gloucester in King Lear, and Polonius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, as well as leading roles in works by Harold Pinter, Henrik Ibsen, Bertolt Brecht, Edward Albee, and Arthur Miller.

For his outstanding stage achievements, Valentin Ganev has received numerous prestigious awards, including three Askeer Award awards for Best Leading Actor and multiple Icarus Award recognitions. His acclaimed performances in Pygmalion, The Double Bass, and The Ride Down Mt. Morgan are regarded among the finest achievements of contemporary Bulgarian theatre.

In parallel with his theatre work, Ganev has developed an impressive international film and television career, appearing in more than ninety productions across Europe and beyond. His notable screen appearances include roles in East-West, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as The Abandoned, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and its sequels, The Tree of Life, King of the Belgians, Enemies, Sister, and Luka. His international film work has established him as one of the most recognizable Bulgarian actors on the European screen.

As a theatre director, Ganev has staged a wide range of dramatic, musical, and operatic productions, including works by Dušan Kovačević, Jaroslav Hašek, Slawomir Mrozek, and Franz Lehár. His directing work reflects a strong affinity for psychological drama, satire, and contemporary European theatre aesthetics.

In addition to his artistic work, Valentin Ganev has also contributed to theatre education through his teaching activities at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art and New Bulgarian University, mentoring younger generations of actors and directors.
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Widely respected for his artistic depth, intellectual precision, and extraordinary range, Valentin Ganev remains one of the defining figures of Bulgarian and South Eastern European theatre and cinema.