The opening ceremony at Belavista was marked by the performance of Mjesna muzika Đenović, which performed several songs specially prepared for this occasion in front of a large audience.
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Photo: Vuk Ilić/HSF
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.Mirela Zogović
05.09.2026. 11:50h
Riccardo Secchi, screenwriter of the cult comic book “Alan Ford” and one of the most important names on the current European comic scene, opened the jubilee, 20th edition of the Herceg Novi Comic Strip Festival (HSF) last night in Herceg Novi, according to the organization.
“The beginning of the opening ceremony at Belavista was marked by the performance of Mjesna muzike Đenović, which performed several songs specially prepared for this occasion in front of a large audience. An exhibition of works by world comic stars who are special guests of the Festival and young comic creators from Montenegro was opened in the ‘Josip Bepo Benković’ gallery, and the ‘Sue Ryder’ gallery hosted the exhibition ‘Unfolding – Mileta Poštić’,” is part of the HSF statement.
The organization adds that this was followed by a concert at the Forte Mare fortress, where Neonoen performed, followed by Partibrejkers.
“Riccardo Secchi thanked for the opportunity to open the Festival and for the attention paid to the comic book ‘Alan Ford’, a publication that is part of his family’s story and has captured the attention of the audience for decades, especially in the Balkans where this comic has been very well received,” the HSF said.
“Alan Ford is not just a good comic, but also a vision of life and the world, a way of understanding life that is, in a way, unique to our two countries,” said Secchi, adding that he has only been the screenwriter of “Alan Ford” for a few months, but he hopes that new stories will soon see the light of day and find their way into the hands of readers in our region. He hopes that the new episodes will surprise the audience, but also remain in the tradition of this important comic.
For the eleventh year in a row, one of the many friends of the Festival is the Embassy of Italy in Montenegro, on whose behalf Ambassador Laura Egoli spoke.
“Italy was among the first countries to support this event, recognizing from the very beginning its value and ability to connect people, cultures and different forms of creativity. This connection has been further strengthened over the years, thanks to the participation of significant Italian authors. For example, Moreno Burattini, the first Italian comic artist to participate in the Festival, to Zerocalcare, one of the most original and recognizable voices of the contemporary scene. The presence of so many Italian authors tonight further testifies to how alive and significant this relationship is today,” emphasized Ambassador Egoli.
As she said, Italy has an exceptionally rich tradition in the world of comics, with characters and series that have become part of the collective imagination, from “Tex Wheeler” and “Diabolik”, through “Dylan the Dog” and “Mickey Mouse”, to new generations of authors and artists who continue to develop its forms and languages.
“Comics are an authentic carrier of language and culture, capable of crossing borders, connecting people and different sensibilities, and recognizing what unites us, even despite language barriers and any forms of censorship that, unfortunately, limit freedom of thought in many countries. It is precisely the opportunity to promote and share the power of comics that makes a festival like this so precious,” said Egoli.
One of the organizers, Nebojša Mandić, recalled that the first HSF was organized in 2007 by artist Nikola Ćurčin, with the vision of creating a quality festival dedicated to comics in Herceg Novi, which would bring together authors and lovers of this art form.
The event, which was born from the love of art, city and country, has grown over the past two decades, encompassing the entire Boka Bay and Lovćen, becoming the flagship of the Montenegrin comic scene and one of the most important comic book festivals in this part of Europe.
“We have made it so that now in small Herceg Novi, in small Montenegro, we have an event that is very high on the world map of the ninth art. This year it brings together more than 150 artists, we have printed 300 accreditations for guests from 25 countries,” said Mandić.
Organizer Jovan Subotić pointed out that over the past years the Festival has succeeded in many things that were just a dream at the beginning.
“We dreamed that Milo Manara would be a guest at our Festival – he was, and became our friend. We dreamed that someone from “Alan Ford” would come – he is here with us tonight. We dreamed that Zerocalcare, perhaps the best-selling in the history of Italy, would be a guest – he was. Everyone loved this Festival, this city and country, and I hope that you all loved it just as much and that you will enjoy everything that is coming in the next six days,” concluded Subotić.
The grand opening was preceded by several daily programs – a drawing school and a comics and illustration workshop for elementary school students at the “Dašo Pavičić” school, as well as a comics exchange and the promo program “Ecology and the Ninth Art” at Nikola Đurković Square.
Today, fan drawing and T-shirt drawing began at 11 a.m. on the main city square, along with a sales fair of new regional comic book releases, as well as the promotion of ecology through comics.
An educational program for the youngest – a drawing school and a comic and illustration workshop for children over 10 years old, is organized at the City Library in Belavista, with free participation, from 11 a.m. to 13 p.m.
At 13 p.m. at the Novi Hotel (formerly Lazarev Vrt), on the staircase on October 28, a series of presentations by comic book authors is scheduled – the audience will be introduced to Riccardo Secchi, the new screenwriter of the comic book “Alan Ford”, as well as other special guests of the Festival and Montenegrin comic book authors.
The music program, starting at 22 p.m. at the Forte Mare fortress, will feature one of the key Yugoslav new wave bands, Film, led by the legendary Jure Stublić, as well as a band from the Bunt Rock Festival, the group San Guida from Hokkaido.
Admission to all programs is free.
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