The director of Inhale-Exhale wins Golden Owl at the Tirana International Film Festival
The director of Inhale-Exhale wins Golden Owl at the Tirana International Film Festival
"Despite the minimal resources, far from glamour, using poor yards, rusty factories and dirty roads, as well as powerful faces, the director is able to return a vivid, somber and deep portrait of a community, of humans living at the border of the world. The bitter irony of the circumstances, a sense of decay that pervades houses, families, people hit and leave us thinking and feeling for a few desperate characters trying to survive in a world that offers them very little. A little courageous and unexpected film from a part of the world that at the same time is as near and as far from us."
37-year-old Irina, a doctor who returns home after serving a long sentence in prison. In order to start a new life and return to the society, Irina has to earn the trust of the people close to her. But does she need a place in such a society?
Tirana International Film Festival
TIRANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is the first international film festival and the only of its kind in Albania. This extraordinary cultural event created in 2003 is one of the most important cinematic event in Balkans.
TIFF aims to create in Albania, as well as in the region, a cultural center of worldwide alternative and independent cinema. Albania is a solar, enthusiastic and friendly country and besides the “strong competition” TIFF aims at the same time to be a meeting point of cultures, where people of Tirana, the guests and all those who love films will have a cinema-language-communication week.
TIFF aims to create a friendly space for film artists and cinema enthusiasts from Albania, Europe and the entire world to come together and share their linked passion and knowledge of the motion picture art form. The intention of TIFF is to bring filmmakers, producers and distributors from all around the world to Tirana, in hopes of fostering future co-operation in this interesting scenic area. By bringing together these distinct voices and their work, TIFF commits itself to introducing audiences to alternative visions of extraordinary diversity. “Think Different, Watch Alike” is the slogan and motto of TIFF.
TIFF aims at demonstrating strong efficiency in audience development (especially toward young audience) by implementing activities before, during and after the event, including year-long activities and travelling to other cities with various smaller partner and smaller festivals in the country. Partnering with small organizations and youth centers around the country in order to use the existing facilities in each city will not only give to TIFF a large national impact, but will enhance on the other side the increase of values of small events in each respective city in which TIFF will be present.
The Festival yearly getting thousands of submissions from submitting online in our website and other online platforms which applies for being selected. TIFF is an international cinema event whose main objective is to enlarge the number of venues and time of screening of European and non-European films of all genres and durations in Albania as well as it is considered to be an event to develop new audiences around the country, combining film screenings with public debates and thematic debates approaching new and an increased Film Audience and focusing also on Film Literacy.
Since its inception, TIFF receives over 40,000 short and feature films from over 120 countries around the world. Out of all these applications more than 200 films can be chosen each year for the competition and the special program.
We are thrilled and honored to be approved as an official Academy Awards® qualifying festival, it’s truly a tremendous opportunity for our filmmakers and future Best Short Film Award winners and for Student Academy Awards (SAA).