Kosovo is a dynamic destination where tradition meets modern creativity, and its vibrant calendar of events reflects the country’s youthful energy and rich cultural roots. Among the standout happenings is Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, a world-class music event founded by global pop icon Dua Lipa, which brings top international artists and thousands of fans to the capital each summer. Also gaining traction is NGOM Fest in Prizren, where music, nature, and activism come together in a unique blend, set against the stunning backdrop of the Sharr Mountains. For cinema lovers, the Dokufest International Documentary and Short Film Festival is a must-attend — turning the historic city of Prizren into a lively hub of film screenings, workshops, and late-night riverfront gatherings.
Kosovo also proudly celebrates its deep-rooted cultural heritage through events that honor its history and traditions. The Etno Fest in Kukaj village revives traditional rural life with folk music, artisanal crafts, and local cuisine in an authentic mountain setting. Meanwhile, Anibar Animation Festival in Peja showcases the power of animated storytelling, bringing together artists and audiences from across Europe. Whether you’re drawn by the sounds of global music, the depth of Balkan tradition, or the energy of emerging creatives, Kosovo’s events offer a fresh and unforgettable way to experience its unique identity and warm hospitality.
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Screening of “First on Everest”
Join us for an evening that explores a common feature of Austria and Kosovo: Mountains!
18:00 Opening Remarks
18:30 Screening of the documentary “First on Everest” (eng/alb. subtitles) by Austrian film maker Gerald Salmina, which follows an expedition investigating one of the first attempts to reach the top of Mount Everest almost a century ago.
20:00 The screening is followed by a small cocktail.
Want to know more about the movie?
First on Everest
(Documentary, 2010, 99 Minutes)
A film by Gerald Salmina
In 1999 the German geologist Jochen Hemmleb makes his first sensational discovery, which makes him world-famous overnight. His team discovers, at a height of 8300 metres, just below the summit of Mount Everest, the corpse of possibly the first man to conquer the mountain – Englishman George Mallory.
Mallory is a legend. In 1924 he and his partner Andrew Irvine start their dramatic attempt to reach the summit at Everest. They never return. Since then, the greatest mystery of alpine history surrounds Mallory. Could it be that the strong-willed mountaineer was the first human to succeed in conquering the world’s highest peak – a quarter of a century before the New Zealander succeeded in doing so, who officially holds the record.
In 2010 Jochen Hemmleb starts a second time to try and find perhaps the last bit of evidence that George Mallory and Andrew Irvine were the first to conquer Mount Everest. Together with a team of Austrian mountaineers made up of Theo Fritsche, Axel Naglich, Volker Holzner and Sepp Bachmaier, as well as cameraman Günther Göberl and director Gerald Salmina, a new adventurous search begins in the snowfields of Mount Everest. The corpse of Andrew Irvine is still missing and with it the camera which both had taken to the summit…
During the expedition a 150-metres high tower of glacial ice collapses and while the huge avalanche of ice just barely misses the Austrian team, it kills one mountaineer of the Hungarian team. Although the Austrian team is immediately at the scene, it cannot save the Hungarian mountaineer because of the inaccessibility of the terrain and the persisting danger of a new avalanche. The situation is hopeless – only the harsh fact remains that death must be reckoned with at any time on Mount Everest.
During the long ascent the weather situation worsens again, and in addition to the increasingly unfavourable development, circulatory problems and a defective oxygen apparatus make the search ever harder. The very utmost is demanded from every member of the exhibition. Will David Irvine remain missing? Will the mountain ever reveal its secret?