Many of you know filmmaker Doug Gillen, founder of Fifth Wall TV, as the producer and co-host of the Radio Juxtapoz Podcast. In 2020, Gillen spent a few weeks in Kosovo, capturing Mural Fest Kosovo, celebrating its 5th consecutive year as a socially engaged initiative with a mission to make a strong cultural impact. Watch the full film here

Managed completely by local artists and community members, Mural Fest Kosovo has evolved into a powerful movement that works to create a safe creative environment that will galvanize  the young country, especially Ferizaj, with energy for urban regeneration and revitalization. For this 5th edition, the organizers collaborated with the cultural platform Void Projects and their program fostering public dialogue in a multicultural society, particularly among young people. This is particularly resonant in Kosovo, which boasts one of the youngest populations in Europe, with more than 40 percent of the population under the age of 25. The platform mobilized 10 international artists who arrived in the burgeoning country to incorporate past and present, as they create new works throughout the city.

While documenting the work of participating artists, the film focuses on portraying the ways the visitors from Void Projects learn about this country recovering from a recent war, healing as the participants  relate their personal stories, speak out and create art. —Sasha Bogojev