Samir Karahoda's "Lost Images" is in its early stages of gaining attention at Cannes

When he returned from the Cannes Film Festival last year, where he missed out on the Palme d'Or for the second time with "The Road", director Samir Karahoda would discover that the organizers of the "festival of festivals" had a firm request of him: to return with a feature-length film. It didn't take him more than a year to respond to a request like this. Without even finalizing the script, Karahoda returns to Cannes for the third time, now with the film project "Lost Images" that will be presented at "Focus COPRO" in the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, and this proves the festival's confidence and is a sign of the film's potential success from its very first steps.

Samir Karahoda's name is not only known for the world's festival awards. Now he is also reliable for a film project still in its early stages. That he will succeed with his debut in a feature film, the signs are given. "Lost Images" will be presented at what is known as the "festival of festivals". 

Karahoda will return to the Cannes Film Festival with the project, which has not yet finalized the script and is expected to go on set in the middle of the year. The news was given by the Kosovo Film Center, confirmed by the director, who also spoke about the importance of the presentation at the event, which this year will be the 78th edition from May 13 to 24. It was 2023 when he started writing the script. In this process, he has a collaborator, Baresh Karamuçon. 

“After the successes with the films 'Pa vend' (2021) and 'Rrugës' (2024), with which he was twice selected in the official short film competition at the Cannes Film Festival – an achievement that makes him one of the few directors in the world with this success – director Samir Karahoda now embarks on his first feature-length journey with the project 'Lost Frames',” the CCK wrote in the announcement posted on Facebook. It also states that the first feature-length project directed by Karahoda, supported by the CCK as a project in development, “has been selected to participate in 'Focus COPRO' 2025, within the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival. 

The Marché du Film, which is the Cannes Film Market, is an annual film market and one of the largest film markets in the world, founded in 1959, and held as part of the festival. It brings together film industry representatives from all over the world and is considered not only a window on cinematography but also a bridge for co-productions. 

"Since 2018, 'Focus COPRO' has been part of the Cannes Film Festival's creative programs that aim to support and highlight directors with strong potential, supporting the presentation of their first feature-length projects to key decision-makers in the global film industry," the CCK said. 

Samir Karahoda has strong potential and as such has stood out at this festival and beyond. “Lost Frames”, as confirmed by the QKK, is one of seven international projects that will be presented this year.

"We believe that 'Lost Frames' will benefit from the opportunities offered by 'Focus COPRO', making this involvement an important starting point for the next steps of the project," the highest cinematographic institution in the country said.

Cannes is the first station that "Images..." is presented publicly. Samir Karahoda, in his answers to KOHĪN, late Thursday, said that it has weight for several reasons. 

"First of all, I would like to thank the Cannes Film Festival for this initiative that aims to support directors with potential and open up international opportunities for them. This is the first time that our project is being presented publicly, and the fact that it is happening on such a platform is a very good and concrete opportunity to move forward. The festival has selected seven projects that will be presented in front of professionals with global influence, and we will have the opportunity to share our vision, both in the artistic and the production aspect," said Karahoda. 

According to him, for a film coming from a country with a small film industry, being included on a platform like this is a confirmation that the story they want to tell has international potential. 
"It is a great encouragement and proof that we are on the right track that our project has the opportunity to communicate with the public anywhere in the world," said Karahoda. 

According to the synopsis, set in post-war Kosovo, “Lost Images” follows the story of Sherif, a wedding and funeral cameraman whose life begins to unravel after he loses footage from a grand wedding. What begins as a technical error turns into a deeper personal and social downfall. 

But, this is not the message it conveys. It is universal, as Karahoda skillfully does with all the film projects he has already proven. “Images...” is expected to be a 120-minute fiction/drama, produced by Yll Uka from “Ikonë Studio”. Kosovo will be the filming location. 

Karahoda expects the focus in "Focus COPRO" to be one that responds to the spirit of the project.

"First of all, it is a good opportunity to promote the project, as well as an opportunity to create new connections with potential collaborators, such as producers or international partners who understand and share our vision," he said, adding that there have been people interested in co-production before, especially from France.

"But this is a much greater opportunity to find collaborators who fit the spirit and concept of our film and, above all, who are committed to the project," he said. 
Currently, "Lost Images" is in the development phase of a new draft of the script. 

"We have recently been working intensively to finalize a new draft that we will share with consultants to get their comments and opinions. In parallel, we have held meetings with various productions and currently Germany is already one of the confirmed co-producers in the project," he said. 

Karahoda has exclusively shared with KOHĦA a promotional poster for the project. Just one image from "Lost Images" is enough to investigate the unique hand of Karahoda, who has made history in the country's cinematography. 

It was May of last year when Karahoda announced his decision to make a feature film. He had just returned from Cannes, where for the second time with "The Road" he was in official competition for the "Palme d'Or", and even the favorite for the grand prize, which was won by "The Man Who Couldn't Keep Silent" by Croatian director Nebojša Slijepčević, and the absolute winner was the American film "Anora" by Sean Baker. In 2021, with his film "Without a Place" he entered Kosovo in the competition for the grand prize for the first time, he escaped it even then, but the film had a sign of success, being shown in a hundred countries and winning awards, three out of the five top world festivals.

Last year, the organizers of Cannes had a specific request for Karahoda. And he is responding to that no later than this year.

"I've received comments like: 'Don't send us any more short films, we're waiting for the feature film, and that gives you a little bit of responsibility. It's a new challenge," Karahoda revealed last May, while he was still working on his feature film debut. 

"After our presence in Cannes, even last time, but this time I have seen greater interest, especially from productions from France and I am in contact with some productions in the US, but I have left them to time, because I have a lot of work to do with preparing the next project and normally I have to review each one and I believe it will be a much bigger project and the expectations are greater", said Karahoda, describing the long film as challenging, requiring "more time, more commitment, more people". 

"The more people you have, the more problems you have, and I have no experience working with large teams. The way I work on films is with as small teams as possible with as few people as possible so that it works the way I work, but we'll leave it to time...", Karahoda had said. And the time has already come. 

The story in "Lost Images," as written in the synopsis, quietly explores themes of memory and migration, and shows the slow destruction of trust, justice, and hope for the future.

But the journey of the project, from its first steps, is the antonym: even a festival hall like Cannes has faith in it, and this proves that the film will have a bright future.

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