The Her Frame project empowered a new generation of women filmmakers and media artists, providing them with tools, visibility and professional connections necessary to thrive in the industry. Designed as a comprehensive program, it combines targeted workshops, conferences, mentorship and networking sessions. The project addresses persistent gender inequalities in the media arts and film sectors of the Western Balkans, with a particular focus on Serbia and North Macedonia. Women in the region’s audiovisual and media art sectors continue to face structural barriers such as underrepresentation in decision-making roles, gender bias, unequal access to funding, and limited mentorship opportunities. Her Frame sought to disrupt these dynamics by offering a robust framework for young women creators to develop their projects under the guidance of experienced professionals and through direct participation in festival programming in Novi Sad and Bitola.
The programme engaged over 30 applicants from across the region, out of which 16 promising women filmmakers and artists were selected: Angela Dimeska, Teodora Miodragović, Tina Veličković, Ružica Anja Tadić, Višnja Sretenović, Nikolina Đenadija, Dragana Đokić, Stefanija Trpeska, Maša Rudović, Ivona Gjorgjiovska Kuzmanoska, Lenka Trajković, Nataša Veličkovska, Aneta Šijakova, Sonja Đurić, Ajsela Vojka i Bojana Nikolovska.
The core programme included four online workshops on key industry topics, scriptwriting for animation, directing, cinematography, and distribution, led by acclaimed mentors: Bojana Andrić, Dragana Tešić, Dina Duma and Sanja Poštić. A series of three masterclasses and individual one-on-one mentoring sessions followed, culminating in the selection of four finalists whose projects are now ready to move into the next phase of production. Two conferences were held as part of the official programmes of the Novi Sad Film Festival and Manaki Brothers Film Festival. These events created the needed space for honest, intergenerational dialogue on gender inequality in film, creative leadership, and professional challenges in the Western Balkan industry. Building upon success of the Novi Sad conference, which featured esteemed film industry professionals: Bojana Andrić, Dragana Tešić, Dina Duma and Sanja Poštić, the conference held in Bitola was elevated by the speakers who are also renowned regional and international filmmakers: Kumjanova Novakova, Ivana Shekutkovska, Asja Krsmanović, Rachel Clark and Lara Vilanova. The showcase event in Novi Sad in November 2025 marked the final step in the project, with the finalists presenting their developed projects alongside their mentors to an engaged public audience:
- Screenwriting for Animated Movies with Sanja Poštić – Ivona Gjorgjiovska Kuzmanoska
- Distribution with Dragana Tešić – Tina Veličković
- Directing with Dina Duma – Angela Dimeska
- Cinematography with Bojana Andrić – Višnja Sretenović
Through Her Frame, the project not only nurtured tangible creative outputs, but also strengthened cross-border cooperation, interlinked the public and private sectors, and reaffirmed the value of inclusive creative ecosystems.
Implementing partners: Cultural Centre of Novi Sad (Serbia), Manaki Brothers Film Festival (North Macedonia), Novi Sad Film Festival (associated partner).
Her frame project was supported by the British Council through the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” project, funded by the European Union. CC4WBs aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.