Stefan Bošković
HOMEBOYZ
A pair of young friends from a Podgorica neighbourhood are trying to become rap stars, but on that path they come into conflict with the law, a local loan shark, and eventually with each other.
SYNOPSIS
In Podgorica, childhood friends Mensur and Koča are trying to express their passion and change their lives through rap, but they will find out that they must preserve what is more important—their friendship. Although they create work together, they have different dreams. Koča wants to get out of the neighbourhood, become famous, and build a career. Mensur is aware that he will never become famous (and escape the family butcher shop), he just wants his talent to be recognised and to get a chance to improve his skills. These differences are not only generational, they are also class-based. Koča comes from a fallen teacher’s family and wants to succeed in life, while Mensur is a descendant of a well-known patriarchal butcher family, whose business he is supposed to inherit, so he seeks a way out through art, without having fantasies about another career.
Their talent has brought them popularity in the neighbourhood, but hasn’t been recognised farther afield. In the absence of local artists, in Podgorica, rappers from the region are still popular. They attract attention with tastelessness, kitsch, and speech that is not typical for the local area. Inspired by this situation, while recording their first song, Mensur and Koča decide to organise a big performance in Podgorica, for which they borrow money from Ljuka, a local loan shark and thug. They believe the debt will be repaid quickly thanks to Mensur’s inheritance, which he is expecting from his recently deceased grandmother. However, it turns out that the inheritance is worthless. The debt to Ljuka continues to grow, and the relationship between the two of them is broken. Even music can’t save it. Through music that is raw, witty, and painfully honest, the two try to survive problems that don’t leave much room for plans.
CREATOR
Stefan Bošković
PRODUCER
Ivan Đurović
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Artikulacija Film
COUNTRY
Montenegro
FORMAT
45’ x 8
GENRE
Drama, Crime, Comedy, Music
Stefan Bošković
Stefan Bošković published the novel “Minister,” which won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2020 and the Central European Initiative CEI Award for Young Writers in 2021. His novel “Slapping” was named the Best Unpublished Novel in Montenegro. His short story collection “Transparent Animals” was published in 2017, and one of the stories was included in a US anthology of the best European fiction of 2019 published by Dalkey Archive Press. His story “Fashion and Friends” took second prize at the European Short Story Festival in 2016. His work has been translated into English, German, Italian, Mandarin, Russian, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Albanian, and Macedonian, and has been published in various international magazines. In 2024, Bošković wrote the screenplay for the feature-length film SUNDAY, about the popular singer Dže Ramadanovski. He co-wrote the screenplay of the feature film UNDER THE BRIDGE, AMONG THE ROCKS in 2016. He also wrote the award-winning short films PELOID, BLOOD FLOW, THE PATH, and MARTIN. His dramatic works have been performed and published in anthologies, and he is the creator and writer of twelve episodes of the drama series SUNDAY and eight episodes of the Serbian-Danish drama series KIDNAPPING. His feature film BLACK TRUMPET is in post-production. He wrote the script for the film OTTER, which has its premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2025.
CREATOR’S STATEMENT
Creating a story about the formation of a music band while avoiding clichés seen in countless films and series is not an easy task. However, HOMEBOYS is not a classic story of a musical rise. The authenticity of this series lies in its setting and language. Set in Montenegro, it reflects a part of the regional reality rarely depicted on screen. I found the premise for the series in the Podgorica hip-hop duo Džej Džej Okoča, who became one of the leading voices in the Montenegrin music scene about a decade ago. Their music speaks against socio-political injustices, using rap as resistance. One of the band's founders, rapper Random, is also a co-creator of this series. Together, we have been working for years on transposing his authentic poetry and worldview into the language of television storytelling. The series is set in contemporary Podgorica, and its main characters refuse to fit into cliché narratives of success and failure. Their only weapon is sharp language, imbued with the specific cynical humour that arises from the atmosphere of the capital—a place unknown to wider audiences. The title HOMEBOYS suggests a story about two men but has deeper symbolism. It reflects the problem of Montenegrin identity—both collective and individual. In a society where identities are unclear or denied, individuals are reduced to generic designations, disappearing behind the term “those guys." A key theme of the series is the Montenegrin language—rich and authentic, yet fighting for its place as an official language. The characters speak a radicalised Montenegrin as a form of struggle for visibility. Their music is a political act, conveying a notion of “We are here, we exist, and you all understand us.” The supporting characters are marginalised individuals trapped in a decades-long transition. Their destinies are shaped by uncertainty, poverty, and survival in a system that has long ago written them off.
Ivana Miković
Ivan Đurović was born in Titograd in 1974 and graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, where he specialized in television production. In 2001, he founded Artikulacija Film, where he is CEO. He has produced more than thirty short and feature-length, fiction and documentary films and television series, and participated in the production of many high-budget commercials for well-known international brands and numerous foreign television projects that have been broadcast worldwide. He is also the founder of the Montenegro Film Forum and was the first president of Producers and Directors of Montenegro (PDM). Đurović is a co-author of the Law on Cinematography in MNE. He is a member of the European Film Academy and Producers on the Move, and is listed in the BBC Professional Guide with regard to Montenegrin production and production services. The films he has worked on have been showcased around the world and have won numerous awards. His most recent feature, OTTER, has its premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2025.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
When I first heard Random's music, I felt how it faithfully captures the unique humour of Podgorica, which we use even when our heads are on the line. I also felt that through this scenario, we can convey a message with political and social undertones, while the humour and adventure make it accessible to a wider audience. I feel producing this project is a duty to my hometown, as it seems many of us here have gone through this sort of experience. This series will be an organic co-production coming from countries who share a language, featuring actors from the region, while at the same time making it understandable and palatable for an international audience. Because I know how unique it is, and how people from outside the city perceive the spirit of Podgorica folks as both universal and uniquely crazy.
Our daughter rental company Aba Film will, as always, support the project with equipment, giving the filmmakers additional freedom. I believe Koča and Mensur are reflections of the people of Podgorica and that their story that can be universally felt with all its specifics. If we succeed in this, my heart will be full. Montenegro and Podgorica belong to the Mediterranean, and Podgorica is uncharacteristically sun-drenched, especially for this part of the region. So, we don't want the series to look like the established norm of Eastern European cinematic works. With a dynamic narrative unfolding over eight episodes, HOMEBOYZ will keep audiences engaged through intense plot twists and emotional moments. Other series have demonstrated how music—especially the hip-hop subculture of Podgorica—can be a powerful tool for bridging narratives about social issues, and HOMEBOYZ will continue this tradition.This project was submitted in the first call for series development by the Film Centre of Montenegro, and emerged as top-ranked project, and we are pleased that our public service broadcaster RTCG is very interested in entering into a co-production.
Production company profile
Founded in 2001 by producer Ivan Đurović, Artikulacija Film is the first independent production company in Montenegro. Over the course of two decades, Artikulacija has become synonymous with innovative and high-quality film production, pushing the boundaries of Montenegrin cinema through artistically and technically advanced projects. The company focuses on producing creative and art-house films, utilising modern technologies and high production standards. The company has produced more than twenty short and feature-length fiction and documentary films, as well as numerous television series and advertising campaigns.
Where are we at?
ESTIMATED PRODUCTION BUDGET FOR THE FIRST SEASON
560.000 €
FINANCING IN PLACE
€28,000 Film Centre of Montenegro, ABA Film in kind €20,000 film equipment
Production timeline
February 2024 - August 2025
Script development
October 2024–August 2026
Filming
February 2025–December 2027
Promotion of the project
August 2026–September 2026
Preproduction for shooting
September 2026–October 2026
Shooting of the series
October 2026–March 2027
Post-production
October 2026–November 2027
Distribution