Albanian National Film Festival crowns winners in Tirana

The 14th edition of the Albanian National Film Festival concluded in Tirana, marking the event's return after a 14-year hiatus. Held from September 3 to 12, the festival featured approximately 220 films produced since 2012, attracting roughly 20,000 viewers across various venues including the University of Arts and the Pyramid.

The top honor, the Festival Cup, was awarded to the film ‘Një filxhan kafe dhe këpucë të reja veshur’ (A cup of coffee and new shoes worn), directed by Gentian Koçi. Other major winners included Adriana Matosh for Best Actress (‘Luna Park’) and Blerim Destani for Best Actor (‘Amsterdam Express’).

Additional awards included Best Director for Gjergj Xhuvan, Best First Film for Florenc Papas (‘Derë e Hapur’), and a Career Award presented to cinema icon Tinka Kurti. The festival evaluated works through an official jury, a film academy, and public voting.