DOKUFEST, The International Documentary and Short Film Festival, is the largest film event in Kosova. The Festival is organized in August in the picturesque and historical town of Prizren which attracts numerous international and regional artists. In this annually organized festival films are screened twice a day in two open air cinemas as well as in two regular cinemas. Except for its films, the festival is also well-known for lively nights after the screening. Various events happen within the scope of the festival: workshops, DokuPhoto exhibitions, festival camping, concerts, which altogether turn the city into a charming place to be.
Soon after the end of the 4-month application period, 655 films from 49 states of the world were counted within deliveries for DokuFest. This total number of arrivals consists of 475 documentaries and 180 short and animated films.
A genuine interest from the USA, England, Spain and Germany was evident due to the greatest number of applications that arrived from these countries as well.
Film lovers will have an opportunity to see 139 films, both short and documentary, screened in 4 venues and followed by special programs through the Dokufest week from 4 to 10 August.
Ten films will be competing for the main prize of DokuFest 2008 International Long Documentary Competition. English Surgeon is among them, the winner of Hot Docs festival Toronto and Silverdocs-Washington, the most important festivals in North America; then a film about the former Czech president Vaclav Havel named Citizen Havel; To See If I’m smiling, double winner of the most important documentary festival in the world IDFA of Amsterdam, and finally Blind Loves from Slovakia that comes directly from Cannes Festival and Karlovy Vary.
There are films of well-known producers, such as Eric Daniel Metzggar’s Life. Support. Music. that will open the festival, and Phie Ambos Mechanical Love and Lost Colony of the Dutch producer Astrid Bussink, winner of DokuFest 2006 with The Angelmakers.
Out of 12 documentary short films The Tailor from Spain is a notable film worth of mention that continues its success initiated at IDFA, where it was valued as the best film; then films such as The First Day and 52 Percent that continue respectably the Polish tradition of quality filmmaking. In competition will also be Ah;Liberty, winner of Roterdam festival and three films from Scottish Documentary Institute, one of the most essential organizations of documentary film category in Europe.
FINCA Kosovo is the “Proud Sponsor” of this festival