The Herceg Novi Film Festival has been officially accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) FIAPF, becoming part of the global network of the most prestigious international film festivals.
The accreditation is the result of a process that lasted nearly a year and involved cooperation with the FIAPF team, the submission of documentation regarding the festival’s operations and standards, and a visit by FIAPF representatives. The Accreditation Commission particularly recognized the festival’s long tradition, as well as its continuous development through the introduction of new programs and initiatives. The consistent quality of the selections was also acknowledged, featuring an increasing number of domestic film productions in recent years.
Minister of Culture and Media Dr. Tamara Vujović stated that this news represents an exceptionally significant moment for the culture and media sector in Montenegro, as well as a strong confirmation that our cultural policies and investments in the development of film art are yielding tangible results.
“The inclusion of Herceg Novi in the network of festivals that includes the Cannes Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival represents a strong signal to the international community that Montenegro is a reliable partner in the field of culture and creative industries,” the Minister emphasized.
According to her, this accreditation serves as an additional incentive for the further development of the film sector: from supporting domestic production and authors to strengthening festival infrastructure and international cooperation.
“It opens new opportunities for our creators to network with producers, distributors, and professionals from all over the world, which is of particular importance for the promotion of Montenegrin cinematography. At the same time, such international recognitions contribute to strengthening the cultural identity of Montenegro and confirm that culture can be a powerful bridge for international cooperation, as well as an important factor in the development of the creative economy,” the Minister highlighted.
She stated that the Ministry of Culture and Media will continue to provide strong support to projects and initiatives that contribute to the international affirmation of Montenegrin art and culture, convinced that such successes represent only the beginning of an even stronger development of our film scene.
President of the Council of the Herceg Novi Film Festival and Director of the Film Centre of Montenegro, Aleksandra Božović, pointed out that this accreditation is a recognition not only for the Herceg Novi Film Festival but for Montenegrin cinematography as a whole.
“This is a sign of recognition for the young but increasingly dynamic Montenegrin film scene by the most influential international organization in the field of the film industry. I am proud that our festival has been included in the network that includes Cannes, Venice, and the Berlinale. I am convinced that this accreditation will further contribute to the development of festival culture and film production in Montenegro, and open new doors for Montenegrin authors and professionals on the international stage,” said Božović.
FIAPF accreditation is of manifold importance for Montenegrin cinematography. It confirms that the Herceg Novi Film Festival meets high international standards of quality and reliability, placing it on the map followed by film industries worldwide. For the young Montenegrin cinematography, which has recorded increasingly visible international successes in the last few years, this is institutional confirmation that it is progressing in the right direction.
The President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katić, emphasized that “the accreditation of the Herceg Novi Film Festival by FIAPF represents an exceptional recognition for the Festival, but also for our city. For decades, Herceg Novi has been recognized as a meeting place for filmmakers, audiences, and ideas, and this international recognition confirms that the festival bearing the name of our city has reached the standards of the world’s most prestigious events. For us, this is a strong confirmation that Herceg Novi rightfully carries the title of a city of culture and film, and an additional incentive to continue developing the festival and strengthening its international reputation.”
Katić added that the FIAPF accreditation is a confirmation of many years of work on improving the quality and image of the Film Festival, noting that this year’s edition will be held from August 22 to 28.
FIAPF is an international organization founded in 1933, which represents the interests of the film industry on a global level. Its film festival accreditation program has existed since the 1950s and represents one of the most respected quality standards in the international film world.
Until now, 64 festivals held FIAPF accreditation. As of this year, five new festivals from different continents are joining the list, including the Herceg Novi Film Festival as the only newly accredited festival from our region.
The list of accredited festivals includes some of the most famous festivals in the world: the Cannes International Film Festival, the Venice International Film Festival (Mostra), the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale), the Locarno Film Festival, and many others.
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Herceg Novi Film Festival joins the network of the world’s most prestigious film festivals
The Herceg Novi Film Festival has been officially accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films), becoming part of the global network of the world’s most prestigious international film festivals.
The accreditation follows a process that lasted almost a year and included close cooperation with the FIAPF team, the submission of documentation regarding the festival’s operations and standards, as well as a visit by FIAPF representatives. The Accreditation Commission particularly recognized the festival’s long-standing tradition, as well as its continuous development through the introduction of new programmes and initiatives. The consistent quality of the festival’s programme selections was also acknowledged, with an increasing number of Montenegrin film productions featured in recent years.
Minister of Culture and Media, Dr. Tamara Vujović, stated that this news represents an exceptionally significant moment for the cultural and media sector in Montenegro, as well as a strong confirmation that the country’s cultural policies and investments in the development of film art are producing tangible results.
“Inclusion of Herceg Novi in a network of festivals that includes the Cannes Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival sends a strong signal to the international community that Montenegro is a reliable partner in the fields of culture and the creative industries,” the Minister emphasised.
According to her, this accreditation represents an additional incentive for the further development of the film sector — from supporting domestic production and filmmakers to strengthening festival infrastructure and international cooperation.
“It opens new opportunities for our creators to connect with producers, distributors and film professionals from around the world, which is particularly important for the promotion of Montenegrin cinema. At the same time, international recognition of this kind contributes to strengthening Montenegro’s cultural identity and confirms that culture can serve as a powerful bridge of international cooperation, as well as an important driver of the creative economy,” the Minister added.
She emphasised that the Ministry of Culture and Media will continue to provide strong support to projects and initiatives that contribute to the international promotion of Montenegrin art and culture, convinced that such achievements represent only the beginning of an even stronger development of the national film scene.
President of the Council of the Herceg Novi Film Festival and Director of the Film Centre of Montenegro, Aleksandra Božović, highlighted that this accreditation is a recognition not only for the Herceg Novi Film Festival, but also for Montenegrin cinema as a whole.
“This is a sign that the young but increasingly dynamic Montenegrin film scene has been recognised by the most influential international organisation in the field of the film industry. I am proud that our festival has joined a network that includes Cannes, Venice and Berlinale. I am confident that this accreditation will further contribute to the development of festival culture and film production in Montenegro, and open new doors for Montenegrin filmmakers and professionals on the international stage,” Božović said.
FIAPF accreditation carries multiple benefits for Montenegrin cinema. It confirms that the Herceg Novi Film Festival meets high international standards of quality and reliability, placing it firmly on the map followed by film industries around the world. For Montenegrin cinema — a relatively young industry that has achieved increasingly visible international success in recent years — this represents an institutional confirmation that it is progressing in the right direction.
The Mayor of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katić, noted that “the accreditation of the Herceg Novi Film Festival by FIAPF represents an exceptional recognition for both the Festival and our city. For decades, Herceg Novi has been recognised as a meeting place for filmmakers, audiences and ideas, and this international recognition confirms that the festival bearing the name of our city has reached the standards of the world’s most prestigious events. For us, this is a strong affirmation that Herceg Novi rightfully carries the title of a city of culture and film, and an additional incentive to continue developing the festival and strengthening its international reputation.”
Katić added that the FIAPF accreditation represents confirmation of many years of work dedicated to improving the quality and reputation of the Herceg Novi Film Festival, noting that this year’s edition will take place from 22 to 28 August.
The International Federation of Film Producers Associations is an international organisation founded in 1933 that represents the interests of the global film industry. Its film festival accreditation programme has existed since the 1950s and is considered one of the most respected quality standards in the international film world.
Until now, 64 festivals held FIAPF accreditation. This year, five new festivals from different continents have joined the list, including the Herceg Novi Film Festival, the only newly accredited festival from the region.
Among FIAPF-accredited festivals are some of the most renowned in the world, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival and many others.
