Kinenova opens: Miroslav Terzić wishes audiences good films and great conversations, while Emin Alper thanks the festival for keeping cinema as an art and cinema culture alive

The power of film stories

“This year, we are taking you into the ocean of world cinema and revealing the latest film stories from different corners of the globe. The selection you will see over the festival days was developed along three main lines. As someone who believes in the universality of human rights and in their equal respect everywhere in the world, I felt the need to seek out the boldest, most rebellious and most uncompromising voices in contemporary world cinema. And as someone deeply captivated by cinematic aesthetics and their power, I could not overlook what I consider one of film’s greatest strengths: its ability, through image, light, sound and silence, to create an experience that no other artistic medium can offer in quite the same way. Let us keep watching. Let us keep asking questions. And, above all, let us never stop believing in the power of film stories. Let us celebrate good cinema and sincere cinematic voices,” said Nebojša Jovanović, director of the Kinenova International Film Festival, at the opening ceremony, describing this year’s selection as KINENOVA’s strongest yet.

Emin Alper receives the Golden Mane

At the opening ceremony of the 11th Kinenova International Film Festival, attended by President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, Kisela Voda Mayor Beti Stamenkoska Trajkoska, actors, directors, film professionals and numerous film lovers, this year’s laureate, Turkish director, screenwriter, actor and historian Emin Alper, received the Golden Mane award for outstanding contribution to world cinema.

“Thank you very much for this deeply meaningful award. It is a great honour to receive it from KineNova. This festival celebrates cinema as a universal language and seeks new filmmakers, new voices and new forms of expression beyond the mainstream. For me, cinema has always been a way of understanding people, their fears, their desires and the societies in which we live. And I believe cinema is at its best when it allows us to see the world from another person’s perspective. I believe that cinema is not only a way of telling stories. It is also a way of questioning the world in which we live. At a time when hatred, nationalism, intolerance and political polarisation are becoming increasingly powerful, I believe it is more important than ever that cinema remains a space for doubt, imagination and empathy. Cinema alone cannot change the world. But it can make us see the world differently. It can give a voice to those who are ignored, challenge the powerful and remind us that there is always another way of looking at things. I am deeply grateful to KINENOVA and to everyone who has supported my films and shared this journey with me. Thank you for this honour and, above all, thank you for keeping cinema as an art and cinema culture alive,” said Alper.

Young filmmakers take the stage

Children from primary schools in Kisela Voda also took to the stage. They had participated in the filmmaking workshop “Shoot Smart, Leave a Mark”, mentored by director Marija Džidževa. The audience had the opportunity to welcome them and watch the films they had made.

Welcoming those present, Kisela Voda Mayor Beti Stamenkoska Trajkoska said the workshop demonstrated how film can become a powerful tool for unity, empathy and understanding. Keeping her speech short, she spoke from the heart, saying that, as a teacher, a mayor and a mother, she wanted to support these children’s light and help it grow brighter — At First Light!

The international jury

The awards at this year’s festival will be decided by an international jury comprising chair Emin Alper, documentary filmmaker and film editing professor Aleksandra Marković, and film director Goce Cvetanovski, who has also distinguished himself in animation. They greeted the audience and expressed their pleasure at being part of the festival and having the opportunity to watch and discuss excellent films.

Kinenova is open!

The festival opened with a screening of “Three Weeks Later”. Its director, Miroslav Terzić, officially declared the festival open, speaking in Macedonian:

“It is a great honour for me to open the Kinenova festival. When I was thinking about which language to use, it was supposed to sound something like this: Thank you for inviting me to the festival, thank you for the invitation, and I wish you good films and great conversations. The Kinenova festival is open!”