Along with a bevy of Albanian beauties, the 2012 Miss Shqipëria pageant featured Bashtovë Castle, located in Vilë-Bashtovë near the banks of the Shkumbin River. The pageant, noted director/producer Petri Bozo, is “first and foremost a cultural event.” Italian director of photography Franco Ferrari agreed. “The Albanian people are proud of their history, and want to communicate it to the world,” he said. “The decision to hold the event in a different castle every year is a step in this direction.” The 2012 event’s challenges included the need for beams to extend skyward from the castle in the open air, where atmosphere effects would be limited. “Even a light breeze makes them totally useless,” Ferrari noted. Ferrari chose Sharpys and other Clay Paky fixtures from Albania-based ASLV for striking beam effects without haze.
—From “Global News,” PLSN, Jan. 2013
