It may seem like a question that needs no answer because we assume we already know it. But at a time when identity can be reduced to a profile, human relationships to a screen and reality to what a camera can capture, the question takes on new urgency.

That is the idea behind the 24th edition of TIFF. “HUMANOGRAPHY – Bring it back” is more than a festival theme; it is an attempt to refocus attention on people and on what we still share: emotion.

Dignity, memory, identity, love, fear, desire, belonging and the need to be seen and understood form part of a cinematic map that does not necessarily seek answers. Instead, the films appear to leave audiences face-to-face with questions.

Cinema has always had a complicated relationship with reality. It promises to show us the world, while in fact placing us before a particular perspective on it. What do we see? What do we miss? And, above all, whose reality are we looking at?

From the humanism that once sought to transcend class, religion and borders to an increasingly fragmented society, TIFF 2026 seeks to put back at the centre what risks being lost amid the noise of our time: the human being.

In that sense, “HUMANOGRAPHY” also provides a lens through which to view the festival programme. Albanian and international films screening during TIFF week will not simply tell stories, but explore different territories of reality – personal stories, conflicts, identities, relationships and dilemmas that invite audiences to reflect on themselves.

Cinema, in this case, is not only a window through which we observe others. It is also a mirror. And sometimes what appears in it is not what we expected to see.

For seven days, Tirana will once again become a meeting place for Albanian and international cinema. Alongside film screenings, the 24th edition will feature masterclasses, exhibitions, workshops, industry events and special programmes.

Kinema Millennium, Kino Piramida, Agimi Art Center, Vila 31 × Art Explora and Tunel Terrace will be among the venues hosting this journey through film and image.

But perhaps the most interesting challenge of this edition is not simply to see how far cinema can go in portraying reality. It is to consider how far we may have moved from ourselves.

“Bring it back” therefore sounds less like a slogan than a call: bring the human being back to where they belong – at the centre.

Because before we talk about images, technology, identity or new ways of telling a story, one question remains the simplest and most difficult of all:

What does it mean to be human today?

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Minister of Defense Pirro Vengu stated today that participation of the Military Cyber ​​Security Unit in the international exercise “Cyber ​​Yankee 2025”, one of the most important at the tactical level for the protection of critical infrastructure in the United States and which brought together over 300 experts in the field from the US armed forces, federal and state agencies, international partners and the private sector, is one of the most important activities in this field with a focus on strengthening Albania’s capacities.

Vengu emphasized in a post in the social media that, “This commitment confirms our increasingly active role in the global cybersecurity architecture”.

“The establishment of the Cyber ​​Security Unit, the engagement in international partnerships and the involvement in advanced exercises are part of a clear vision for building an armed force prepared for the challenges of tomorrow”, Vengu underlined.

The minister added that, “In face of increasing hybrid and cyber threats, Albania continues to build a coordinated and modern approach to protecting sovereignty in the digital space – in close cooperation with our strategic allies.” /j.p/p.s./

In addition to the salary increase in 2024, Vengu said that the Ministry of Defense is also promoting the process of professional education to meet the needs of the Armed Forces on their way to modernization.

The Air Force is currently in a process that has started with completion of the fleet with flying vehicles, while in parallel, there is underway the professional education related to young pilots which is going ahead at full speed, the minister added.

Vengu emphasized that theoretical and mainly practical training is very important in the professional courses of future pilots of the Armed Forces, a valuable asset of the Air Fleet. /a.f/p.s./

The opening ceremony will be held on September 16, at the Marubi Film & Multimedia Academy in the former Film Studios, one of the locations where part of the films will be shown. The rest will be played in the COD cinema, in the premier’s office and in the “Maks Velo” cinema in Lapraka.

Every day, from September 16-21, 2024, the films will be screened in the presence of directors, human rights activists, filmmakers, etc., followed by a question-and-answer session between them and the public.

The motto of the 19th edition of this festival is, “Go green for now and for the future”.

The selected films deal with sensitive topics for the times we live in. The activities of this festival will be free for the audience, while the films will be shown with subtitles in two languages, Albanian and English. /p.s./