Rokumentarni dani was launched in 2017 in Niksic, with the idea of preserving, researching, and bringing important stories from local, regional, and world popular culture closer to the audience through documentary film, music, and direct encounters with authors. During the seven previous editions, 78 films from 18 countries were screened, 15 concerts were held, and more than 30 accompanying programmes took place. The festival continued its journey in Podgorica, Mojkovac, and Kotor. This year’s four evenings of film and music in Podgorica announce new gatherings in several Montenegrin municipalities.

The eighth edition is dedicated to the role of youth in shaping and questioning society through music, film, and other forms of popular culture. The programme will connect historical youth movements with contemporary practices, with a special focus on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, where rock and roll and pop culture often transcended political and national borders, becoming means of resistance, communication, and connection. Rokumentarni dani presents youth not only as a stage of life, but as a lasting cultural energy and a unique language of change.

The film programme will open on Thursday, September 17th, with the film Behind the Smile by Marko Djordjevic. This is an intimate look at Vlada Divljan through private recordings that his family found ten years after the artist’s death. This year’s line-up also includes: Grandpa Guru by Silvio Mirosnicenko, which brings a portrait of the band Kultur Shock and frontman Srdjan Djino Jevdjevic, his music, identity, and life between Sarajevo and Seattle; Praznovan by Slobodan Maksimovic – a biographical story about the life and career of Zoran Predin, from his beginnings in Maribor and the group Lacni Franz to a successful solo career; Vlajternativa etc. by Ante Storic, a film dedicated to the alternative music festival in Benkovac and the people who created it, visited it, and performed there. Rokumentarni dani will present more interesting titles this year. One of them is In the Name of the Father Petar by Ines Pletikos. This is an intimate story about the Istrian singer-songwriter, activist, and frontman of the group Gori ussi Winnetou, Franci Blaskovic, told from the perspective of his daughter Petra. There is also Vladimir Petrovic’s film Sanjalice, which brings the story of one of the first all-female rock bands in the world, founded in Belgrade in the sixties by four teenage girls.

It is a special pleasure to see several films from local production. There is Randomisation, a short film by Emilijan Dimitrijevic about Marko Lubarda – Random and his relationship with music, money, pressure, and life choices outside the spotlight. Born with a Flaw by Sead Sabotic will tell the Podgorica audience the story of the cult Niksic rock band Osma sila, its origin, long hiatus, reunion, and an album that waited for decades to be published. Behind the Scene – Made in NY Jazz Fest 2025 takes the audience behind the scenes of one of the most significant Montenegrin festivals and reveals the organization, production, and energy required for world-class jazz to come to life on stage. This year’s programme will also be completed by Funk Yu by Franko Dujmic, which was co-produced by Croatia and Montenegro. This film follows a vinyl collector on a journey through the former Yugoslavia in search of the only release missing from his collection.

In addition to the film programme, Rokumentarni dani also has a rich music line-up. Each festival day will end with a concert. Local forces represented by Mucir and Janjo & Yataguns will be joined by Short Reports from Serbia and Sara Renar from Croatia, who will close the festival on Sunday. During the day, she will also hold a Loop + Sample workshop for musicians.

From the accompanying programme, we highlight a conversation with Mucir and the promotion of their material recently released on vinyl, the panel “Zapisano mladnoscu” dedicated to the place of youth in music and film production, ways of their inclusion, gaining experience, and greater visibility of their work. During the weekend days, partners from Kruzni tok are organizing another Full House fair that connects handicrafts, workshops, a vinyl and comic book exchange, good music…

Kruzni tok is a place for creation, learning, and connecting at Dalmatinska 152, which creates space for cooperation, development of new ideas, and strengthening of the local cultural scene through various social events.

The eighth review of music documentary film was supported by the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City.

More information can be found at: www.rokumentarnidani.me