The city of Korçë welcomed the opening day of the fourth edition of the Gjon Mili International Video Art Festival on Friday, bringing together artists, filmmakers, and visual creators from across the world.
The festival began at GAD Gallery, where audiences had the opportunity to experience works by artists from South Korea, the Netherlands, Canada, China, Australia, Italy, the United States, Germany, Belgium, France, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The program featured short films, video installations, and experimental projects addressing a wide range of social, cultural, and technological themes.
One of the highlights of the opening day was the VR-STATION program, developed in collaboration with Minus Art Space. Visitors were introduced to projects created using virtual reality technology, offering new ways of engaging with contemporary visual art.
Throughout the day, additional screenings were held at the Gjon Mili Museum. In the evening, festival activities moved to the Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre, where the official opening ceremony took place.
The welcoming address was delivered by the festival’s founder and curator, Yllka Gjollesha. She greeted participants and guests attending the fourth edition of the festival and reflected on this year’s theme, “Are You Dreaming?”
According to Gjollesha, dreams inspire artists, filmmakers, and audiences alike to imagine new ideas, create new stories, and discover different ways of seeing the world. She noted that the festival itself began as a dream — a vision of bringing together artists from different countries through art and film.
In her remarks, Gjollesha thanked the festival staff, volunteers, collaborators, and everyone who contributed to making the event possible. She expressed special appreciation for Sisi Ndini, who joined the curatorial team this year, as well as Artur Sokoli, Gentian Gjikopulli, and Maria Sokoli.
She also extended special thanks to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports, the Municipality of Korçë, and the artists and filmmakers who traveled from various countries to participate in the festival.
The evening continued with the screening of the documentary Dezo Hoffmann – Photographer of the Beatles, directed by Laura Sivakova-Passova and Patrik Lancaric. Following the screening, guests attended a reception held in the theatre lobby.
The evening program concluded with a selection of contemporary works, including The Champ by Ermir Keta, Antimuzeu by Renis Hyka, Easter by Ksenia Yurkova, Kingdom of Animals by Thadeusz Tischbein, PA ZË (Soundless)by Gentian Gjikopulli, and Shards of Absence by Margherita Bagnara.
The festival will continue over the next two days with screenings, artist talks, and additional events dedicated to contemporary visual art and experimental cinema.