For the first time, the Gjon Mili Video Art Festival proudly launches its International Residency Program in Dhërmi, Albania : a one-month artistic experience dedicated to video art, experimental film, and contemporary visual practices.
Taking place from May 1 to May 30, 2027, the residency invites video artists, experimental filmmakers, short film directors, documentary and hybrid documentary creators, moving image artists, immersive and multimedia practitioners, as well as audiovisual and projection-based artists from around the world to gather in one of the most unique coastal landscapes of the Mediterranean.
Conceived as an immersive artistic platform connected to the Gjon Mili Video Art Festival, the residency is designed to support contemporary moving image practices and experimental visual storytelling through direct engagement with landscape, light, architecture, memory, and everyday life.
Located on the southern coast of Albania, Dhërmi offers a rare environment where sea, mountains, stone villages, and Mediterranean light coexist in remarkable harmony. The residency encourages artists to work closely with the surrounding natural and cultural environment, transforming observation, experience, and human interaction into artistic material.
Participants will have the opportunity to develop their projects while engaging with the rhythms of local community life and the atmosphere of the Albanian Riviera. The program embraces the idea that artistic practice can be nourished not only through studio work, but also through place itself — through silence, movement, landscape, local traditions, and the sensory experience of everyday life.
Dhërmi becomes more than a location for production; it becomes part of the creative process. The changing light of the Ionian coast, the textures of old stone architecture, the sounds of the sea, and the coexistence of history and contemporary life create a unique environment for experimentation and reflection.
The residency also highlights the connection between contemporary visual art and the Mediterranean spirit of southern Albania. Artists will experience a culture shaped by hospitality, oral traditions, local cuisine, and a deep relationship with nature. These elements are intended to inspire new forms of visual language and encourage interdisciplinary dialogue between artists working across different media and cinematic forms.
As an extension of the Gjon Mili Video Art Festival’s international vision, the residency seeks to create an open space for artistic exchange, collaboration, research, and innovation in contemporary moving image culture. By bringing together artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds, the program aims to foster a temporary creative community where ideas, practices, and experiences can intersect freely.
The launch of the residency program marks an important new chapter for the festival, expanding its commitment to supporting experimental cinema, video art, and emerging audiovisual practices beyond exhibition and screening formats. Through this initiative, the festival continues to strengthen its role as an international platform dedicated to contemporary visual expression and artistic experimentation.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our official residency page at: gjonmili-ivaf.com/residency