The cultural association Occhio Blu has announced a two-day preview event of the seventh edition of the Euro-Balkan Film Festival in Rome, scheduled for November, in the Albanian capital. This event will take place on the weekend of 20-21 April in Tirana, with the support and collaboration of the Italian Institute of Culture in Tirana, the Marubi film school of Kujtim Çashku, and the Albanian association Syri Blu, led by Besim Petrela.

The initial event will be an international panel held on the morning of Saturday 20 April, at the Marubi film school. This panel will discuss opportunities for collaboration between Italy, the Balkans and Europe in general, focusing on co-productions, distribution and film restoration. Among the expected speakers are Mario Bova, director of the Euro-Balkan Film Festival; Kujtim Çashku, director of the film school; Roberto Stabile, head of internationalisation for Cinecittà; directors Mimmo Calopresti, Gregor Bozić, More Raça and Ado Hasanović; producer Amedeo Pagani; film critic Steve Della Casa; and important representatives of the Albanian industry and culture, such as Ylljet Alicka, Jonid Jorgy, Genec Permeti, Niko Ajazi and Diana Çuli.

Subsequently, the two-day preview will continue at the Millennium cinema in Tirana with the screening of six titles selected from the last three editions of the Roman festival.

The recent change in the title of the initiative, previously known as the Balkan Film Festival, is significant. "From this year on, the Rome Festival will be called Euro-Balkan in homage to the common European origins of all Balkan cinema," said President of Occhio Blu Mario Bova.