Zhupa: 13 years without a national film festival, a symbol of neglect towards art and culture

2026-03-25 16:32:00, Aktualitet CNA

Zhupa: 13 years without a national film festival, a symbol of neglect towards

The Chairwoman of the Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Committee, Ina Zhupa, through a reaction, has raised concerns about the state of the film industry in the country.

She emphasized that the low budget for financing projects, the lack of modern infrastructure and the departure of professionals are hindering the development of the sector.

Zhupa called for broad consultation on the preparation of a law on cinematography and more institutional support, while criticizing the government for a lack of priority for culture, also highlighting the fact that the country has not had a national film festival for 13 years.

According to her, the film industry has great potential to influence the promotion of Albania, the development of tourism and economic growth, if properly supported.

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At the National Center of Cinematography, we closely discussed the problems that the film industry in the country continues to face.

One of the main concerns remains the low budget available for financing projects, which makes it very difficult to develop a competitive and sustainable industry. This directly affects the quality of productions and the opportunities to support young talents. Beyond financing, the industry also faces a lack of modern infrastructure, a lack of an organized market for film distribution, a lack of incentives in the sponsorship law, as well as the departure of professionals to foreign markets due to a lack of opportunities.

The urgent need for a new cinematography law was also emphasized, to respond to today's realities and create more spaces of support, including the need for broad prior consultation.

It is worrying that for 13 years there has been no proper Albanian film festival, a kind of national "Oscar", to motivate all professionals in the field but also to create an atmosphere of promotion and appreciation. This clearly shows that culture and cinematography have not been a priority of Edi Rama's government.

The film industry can become an important asset for the country, if invested in. It plays a key role in international promotion, tourism growth and economic development. Investing in this sector is not a luxury, but a necessity for our cultural and economic identity and future. /CNA