In 2026, Kino Kosova Film Festival unfolds as a shared journey across two cities, shaped as one continuous narrative. Rather than separate events, this year’s edition is conceived as a dialogue that begins in one place and carries forward into another – shaped by context, audiences, and the films themselves.

Zurich marks the opening of the festival’s conversation. It is where themes are introduced, questions are raised, and films meet their first audiences. Through screenings, discussions, and encounters, the festival sets the tone for an exchange that goes beyond borders and fixed perspectives.

The 5th Zurich edition unfolds under the theme Between Resistance and Paradise: Stories of Survival and Hope.

The history of Kosovo, marked by struggle yet illuminated by resilience, reminds us that survival and hope are never abstract ideas; they are lived experiences, passed through generations, and carried across borders.

Today, these stories remain urgently relevant. In a world increasingly divided by inequality, triggering waves of migration, and new forms of conflict, the voices from Kosovo and the region echo far beyond the region. They speak to anyone who has fought for dignity, dreamed of freedom, or sought belonging.

Yet, as comfort zones expand in privileged corners of the world, the risk of forgetting grows. Do we remember the price of peace once it is achieved? Do we continue to resist when comfort dulls our senses? Or does the pursuit of security breed the very ignorance and uncertainty that threaten it?

The theme is an invitation to reflect. By revisiting the source – our histories, our wounds, our triumphs – we rediscover the power of cinema as both resistance and refuge.

Bern continues this journey in September with its 7th edition. Returning to the same core vision, the festival reopens its questions in a new setting, allowing stories to resonate differently and conversations to deepen.

Across both chapters, Kino Kosova Film Festival remains committed to cinema as a space for reflection, dialogue, and connection.