The first edition of the Gjon Mili International Video Art Festival took place this September across two vibrant capitals: Tirana, Albania, and Manhattan, New York. Over five days, the festival showcased the work of sixty-one artists representing Italy, France, China, Romania, Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, and beyond, all working in video art, experimental film, and short-form documentary.

In Tirana, screenings and installations were hosted at the National Gallery of Arts and the Pyramid Center, while simultaneous events ran at Producer Club Theater in Manhattan. Each venue was transformed into a dynamic creative hub, featuring site-specific projections, roundtable discussions, and live Q&A sessions with participating artists.

Festival co-producers Alfred Tollja and Yllka Gjollesha, together with New York Artistic Director Lorena Kalaja, curated a diverse program that blended immersive visual experiences with theoretical panels on the future of experimental cinema. Highlights included a masterclass on narrative in non-linear video art and an outdoor projection mapping installation that lit up Tirana’s historic Skanderbeg Square.

Inspired by the pioneering photographer and filmmaker Gjon Mili—whose innovations in stroboscopic imagery left an indelible mark on 20th-century art—the festival aimed to foster international collaboration and creative exchange. Attendees praised the event for its bold programming and for bridging cultural dialogues between Eastern Europe and the United States.

Looking ahead, the Gjon Mili International Video Art Festival plans to expand its footprint, with proposals already underway to partner with additional venues in Europe and North America. Organizers hope to establish the festival as a biennial landmark, nurturing emerging talent and celebrating the ever-evolving landscape of experimental moving-image art.