Cinematography has the power to turn dreams into reality and the ability to turn reality into a dream. A movie is the strongest form of expression.

A movie is a strong visualization and voicing of the deepest thoughts and feelings the artist holds within, translated into real images. Watching a movie means walking together with the visualizations of someone else’s dream and welcoming them to your own being. Movies have the ability to open up people to new realities and ideas. Few other disciplines have the ability to evoke such feelings like cinematography can.

Tirana is honored to host for the thirteenth consecutive year, through TIFF, a grand parade, a festival of 111 dreams and realities coming from 110 different states. TIFF is indeed a world of ideas which color the small, black movie room.

I am happy to see how TIFF is developing at a very high pace. From a short movie festival in 2003, today TIFF welcomes long international movies competing in famous international festivals. My most sincere wishes go to the staff of TIFF for a milestone achievement, being listed among 102 most important movie festivals for 2015-016, from Hollwood Press Association.

I would like to encourage all artists not to be afraid to share their dreams with us and color the small movie room Their own way. Ideas are the most important. Great movies are not always made by great budgets, rather by great ideas. The best film festivals are the ones which promote these big ideas, which undertake difficult and risky initiatives, fearless, with the desire to show everyone that it takes courage, passion and goodwill to grow big and successful.

Tirana welcomes all movies, documentaries, directors, artists, movie enthusiasts and TIFF friends to share with all of us part of their magic, their world and important ideas.

Erion Veliaj
Mayor of Tirana