MORE THAN 90.000 TICKETS SOLD DURING 37th FEST
During this year's 37th FEST, for more than 165 film projections, with 70 premiers, 92.486 tickets were sold.
THE 37th FEST ENDS
The premiere of Darko Lungulov’s “Here and There” in the Main Hall of the Save center closed the 37th FEST. Prior to the film, awards were extended to the authors of the film of the Europe out Europe: A Gift for Stalin, which received the Eritrocite award for Best Film and The Other Bank, awarded with a special mention.
B2B - BELGRADE INDUSTRY MEETINGS PRIZES AWARDED
This year's B2B pitching - Belgrade Industry Meetings held in the scope of this year's FEST presented 12 projects from 12 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The projects have been selected by an international commission, out of 80 projects that have been applied from 17 countries.
POLITIKA "ERITROCIT" AWARD
After careful consideration of all nine films in the competitive program, the „Politika“ Award Jury consisting of: Ms Yashim Ustaoglu, film director from Turkey, Mr Sergey Lavrentiev, film critic and historian of art from Russia, and Ms Dubravka Lakić, film critic from “Politika”, would firstly like to announce the special mention of The Other Bank, Georgian film, by Giorgi Ovashvili for promissing, talented direction and a great feeling of what cinema is and also for a wonderfull performance of Tedo Bekauri.
“Politika” Eritrocit award for Best Film in Europe out of Europe program goes to flim The Gift to Stalin, by Rustem Abdrashev, for the great proffesional merits in a film art, powerfull threatment of historical subject and a humanisam.
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THE NEBOJSA DJUKELIC AWARD
The Jury of the Association of Film Journalists and Critics, questing in the 37th FEST programs for a film distinguishing itself with style, aesthetics and message, has unanimously decided to extend the Nebojsa Djukelic Award to the first full feature film of Mladen Djordjevic "Life and Death of a Porn Gang".
More...DECISION OF THE FIPRESCI SRBIJA JURY on the 37th FEST
The Jury consisting of Borislav Andjelic, Chairman; Milan Nikodijevic and Dinko Tucakovic, on the session held on February 27th, 2009, adopted the following decision:
The Jury of the Critic FIPRESCI SRBIJA has awarded, ex-aequo, the Best Film Award, to the film Gomorrah of Mateo Garone and Il Divo of Paolo Sorentino, which are radically shifting the borders of the genre of political film and proving that a good film needs not only artistic talent, but also individual courage.
More...DARKO LUNGULOV DIRECTOR OF THE MOVIE “THERE AND HERE”
The first full-feature film of the director and the scriptwriter of the film “There and Here” will close the 37th FEST. The film made by an international crew from two continents was awarded the initial resources for production on the Competition for the Funding of Film Production of the Belgrade City Hall. The scenario for the film was extended the award of the Balkan Script Development Fund on the Thessalonica Film Festival.
DAVID THORNTON, ACTOR IN THE FILM “THERE AND HERE” OF DARKO LUNGULOV
“It was fantastic working with Darko. He fared incredibly well in working with an international crew. To be more precise – with an international crew from two continents! With a crew including Germans, Japanese, Americans, young and old… It was great working with them. I say that also because the budget for this film was extremely tight and hence the shooting, especially in New York, was like a guerilla action.
MOVIE „LANDSCAPE NO. 2“
Natasa Ninkovic, actress in „Landscape no. 2“
„I have shot Landscape no. 2 in Slovenia two years ago. I was in for the film about four or five days. It was a very interesting experience to work with Slovenian actors, especially with young Marko Mandic. I got the role in the film at the recommendation of our photography director Dusan Joksimovic, who also worked on the film. An interesting experience that lasted less than a week.
Slobodan Custic, actor in the film „ Landscape no. 2”
„What could I say, without crying… I had just thought that directors gave up giving any roles to me…
B2B STARTS TODAY
Like in the last three years, FEST will host about thirty representatives of film funds and production companies from Europe on its B2B gatherings, which start today.
The program and the business focus of this fourth consecutive B2B business meeting are the films of countries that are geographically part of Europe, but are yet to become EU members.
„THE PAIN“ OF MARGARETE DURAS BY DOMINIQUE BLANC IN THE YUGOSLAV THEATRE OF DRAMA
The „Ljuba Tadic“ stage of the Yugoslav Theatre of Drama saw last night the performance of „The Pain“ by Patrice Chereau and Thierry Thieu Niang. The monodrama was performed by the 37th FEST guest of honour Dominique Blanc.
IGOR KALENOV, DIRECTOR OF THE FILM „ ALEXANDER, THE BATTLE OF NEVA“
In the framework of the program Discoveries of the 37th FEST, the first film shown was Igor Kalenov’s „Alexander, the Battle of Neva“. The film is based on the historical event from the 13th century, the famous battle on the River Neva, when the Russian army beat the Swedes. The Russian commander was Prince Alexander, who after the battle became known as „Alexander of Neva“. The battle took place on July 15, 1240. Kalenov’s film has drawn much attention, not only in Belgrade (the first sold-out screening), but also in Poland, France, Germany.
MLADEN DJORDJEVIC, DIRECTOR OF „LIFE AND DEATH OF THE PORN GANG
Mladen Djordjevic has graduated film direction on the Faculty of Drama Arts with a feature documentary MADE IN SERBIA, who brought him fame, on can say. Owing to the success of that film, he managed to raise the funds for “Life and Death of the Porn Gang”, the only domestic film in the program “Europe out of Europe”. The film was created wanting to take people from the documentary, namely the people from the margins of society, on a trip on Serbian roads (it’s a road movie) and to combine them with elements from genres not close to East European film, says Mladen Djordjevic.
FEST GUEST OF HONOUR: DOMINIQUE BLANC
One of the most esteemed French actresses of today, Dominique Blanc, landed to FEST yesterday, straight to the press conference. The winner of four Cesar awards is present with two films – One Day You’ll Understand and the Other Woman. After the screening of the latter, Ms. Blanc addressed the audience in Sava Centar.
I HAVE MADE A „NEWER“ FILM
Director Goran Rusinovic is an old acquaintance of the Belgrade public, who had the opportunity to see his previous two films – Mondo Bob and the World Monster. The third film, Buick Riviera, was inspired by the same named book of bestseller mid-generation writer Miljenko Jergovic. Rusinovic says the cooperation with Miljenko was excellent and that it began at a very specific moment of his life:
“This film was a big adventure, having lasted four and a half years of difficult production. It is not very easy to plan a shooting on another continent, as it was not easy to plan it financially. But it was worth it. Since the Sarajevo film festival, where it was first shown, it has a very successful festival life.
More...ROUND TABLE: WOMEN DIRECTORS OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE
Director Goran Rusinovic is an old acquaintance of the Belgrade public, who had the opportunity to see his previous two films – Mondo Bob and the World Monster. The third film, Buick Riviera, was inspired by the same named book of bestseller mid-generation writer Miljenko Jergovic. Rusinovic says the cooperation with Miljenko was excellent and that it began at a very specific moment of his life:
“This film was a big adventure, having lasted four and a half years of difficult production. It is not very easy to plan a shooting on another continent, as it was not easy to plan it financially. But it was worth it. Since the Sarajevo film festival, where it was first shown, it has a very successful festival life.
More...FEST IS THE PINNACLE OF YUGOSLAV GLAMOUR
Director Goran Rusinovic is an old acquaintance of the Belgrade public, who had the opportunity to see his previous two films – Mondo Bob and the World Monster. The third film, Buick Riviera, was inspired by the same named book of bestseller mid-generation writer Miljenko Jergovic. Rusinovic says the cooperation with Miljenko was excellent and that it began at a very specific moment of his life:
“This film was a big adventure, having lasted four and a half years of difficult production. It is not very easy to plan a shooting on another continent, as it was not easy to plan it financially. But it was worth it. Since the Sarajevo film festival, where it was first shown, it has a very successful festival life.
More...THE ROUND TABLE WOMEN DIRECTORS OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE
At the initiative of FEST Board member, director Slobodan Sijan, one of the associated programs of the 37th FEST will be the Round Table Women Directors of Southeast Europe. Mr. Slobodan Sijan says that the topics were many, adding the women
directors imposed themselves with their presence and expansion.
This entire project aims at transcending the regular event in FEST and therefore at the very beginning the expert for Eastern European film Ronald Halloway was included. Mr. Halloway will be the moderator and introductory speaker and owing to him and his efforts, Belgrade will also see Zilke Johana Rebiger, the Director of the International Festival of Women Film in Dortmund.
More...A FOOD FOR THOUGHT FILM
The program Discoveries includes the film „The Lake“ of French director Philippe Grandrier, who is a guest of this year’s FEST. In Belgrade, he was reunited with the actress in his film, Natalia Rehorova, who came to FEST from Prague. This young actress has graduated on the acting conservatory in the Czech Republic. She has been playing in the theatre and on film in her country. The Lake has been her first international experience.
„Working with Philippe was wonderful. We filmed in Switzerland and France, the crew was an international one and I particularly enjoyed working with actors from Russia, although the other ones were very professional too. I would like to stress that this is a very strange and good film, intended for a selected audience. It’s a food for thought film“, says Natalia Rehorova.
More...I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY DREAMS
Actor Melih Selcuk in his „civilian“ life is a business student, who obtained the role in the film „Milk“ after having applied for the casting, on which the director Semih Kaplanoglou decided to pick him out of 200 candidates. Who knows why, Melih says, adding that they should ask the director about that.
„The film is a story about a young man who wants to fulfil his dreams after high school, but fails hampered by the boundaries imposed by his situation and society in general. It is always like that – society imposes certain standards of behaviour we must adhere to, whether we like it or not...
More...IN MEMORIAM OF MILUTIN ČOLIĆ
The initiator, one of the founders of FEST, Mr. Milutin Čolić died yesterday at the age of 90.
At the initiative of the FEST Directorate, the Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas agreed that the esteemed Milutin Čolić be buried in the Alley of Meritorious Citizens on the Novo groblje cemetery in Belgrade.
The commemoration will held in Politika on Tuesday, February 24th at 12 h in the room on the 4th floor. The funeral will be on Wednesday, February 25th. The condolences will be paid in the chapel at 12h and the procession shall depart towards to Alley at 12.30h.
KEN FOREE, ACTOR IN „ZONE OF THE DEAD“
When the shooting of the „Zone of the Dead“ was announced, some commented it was interesting that the plot of a horror film takes place in Serbia, which has been a source of horrific news for years. FEST’s guest Ken Foree “doesn’t have a clue what this was all about” and continues:
“I didn’t hear any horror stories about life in Serbia, but I did hear some about Pančevo! I heard it was the most polluted city in Europe. I don’t know how this fact affects life in this town, but I only know I had the best pizza in my life there!”
More...FEST'S SPECIAL GUEST, RALPH FIENNES, RECEIVES GOLDEN SEAL IN THE YUGOSLAV FILM ARCHIVE MUSEUM
It is an Honour to be in the Company of Great Directors and Actors
After Vim Wenders, Jirzy Menzl, Liv Ulmann, Ken Russell, Volker Schlendorf, Luc Besson, Theo Angelopoulos, Harvey Keitel and many others, the Golden Seal in the Yugoslav Film Archive was presented today to Ralph Fiennes. The famous actor was delighted to be in the company of such great names.
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JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI ON FEST
In the exhibition room of the Kuca legata gallery in Knez Mihajlova 46, yesterday at 18h saw the opening of the exhibition of works of the famed Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski. The exhibition includes twenty acrylics on canvas and six works created in the last ten years. Owing to the reputation of Mr. Skolimovski and the effort of his gallerist Mr. Bohuslav Vojtovitz, this exhibition is slowly touring the globe.
FROM THE BRAZILIAN SUMMER INTO THE BELGRADE WINTER
This year’s FEST guest Ferdanda Machado plays one of the main roles in Hose Padilla’s Elite Squad. The film was made according to the same-named semi-autobiography about a special operations unit of the Rio de Janeiro police, by Sociologist Luis Eduardo Soares and two former captains of the unit Andre Batista and Rodrigo Pimentela.
37th FEST BEGINS
“Thank you ladies and gentlemen”, Mr. Ralph Fiennes said in Serbian in the main hall of the Sava Center, adding: “Shortly prior to this opening, I took Serbian lessons in the backstage, but I nevertheless apologize for my poor accent. It is a great honor to be here and thank you for inviting me.
RALPH FIENNES LANDS ON FEST
Yesterday about 17h Mr. Ralph Fiennes landed on the Nikola Tesla Belgrade airport on a flight from London. He will be opening the 37th edition of FEST tonight. We are reminding you that after the official opening Steven Duldry’s “The Reader” will be shown, in which Fiennes is starring alongside Kate Winslet. The Reader was shown on the recently finished Berlin Festival.
RALPH FIENNES TO OPEN FEST 2009
The 37th FEST will be opened by the famous British actor Ralph Fiennes on Friday, February 20th at 19h in Sava Center.
After the ceremonial opening, the first film on the program of the 37th FEST shall be "the Reader", starring Ralph Fiennes, Jeanette Hain,
David Kross and Kate Winslet, who was awarded the Golden Globe for her role, as well as the Award of the Chicago Film Critics Association. The Director is Steven Daldry (Billy Elition, Hours…) and the film is based on the same-named novel by Bernard Schlink.
More...NEW FILMS, AUTHORS AND SKIES
Miroljub Vuckovic, FEST 2009 Art Director
The Program of FEST 09 is the result of months of work. The first idea about some programs emerged back when last year’s FEST was finished. The backbone of this year’s festival are films which had their premieres last year in Cannes, whose program was terrific. Ensued discussions between the FEST Directorate, the distributors and the owners of the rights to films. Finally, late last year the program was set up. In addition to the films, FEST also has its guests. As you know, there is a long list of those who confirmed that they will be there for the 37th FEST.
FEST is aimed at the domestic public, in two directions. The first entails important internationally awarded authors and films. The second direction is to point to new films, authors and some new skies, Miroljub Vuckovic says.
ONLY FOR THE BEST!
Milos Paramentic, Director of the FEST Directorate
Dear and esteemed colleagues, welcome to the 37th FEST!
You have before you a long and professionally prepared festival, in my honest opinion one of the best in the previous two decades!
One hundred important films, almost 100 distinguished foreign guests. One hundred thousand expected visitors; important associated programs – from the 4th edition of B2B, the round table dedicated to the work of female directors of Southeast Europe, the exhibition of the painter Skolimovski, to Marguerite Duras’ monodrama “Pain” by Patrick Cherois, starring our guests, Ms. Dominique Blanc in the Yugoslav Theatre of Drama…
By Wednesday evening, as much as 60.000 of FEST’s best spectators had already REGISTERED for FEST 09!
I wish you all a pleasant festival with many important films. Thank you for your cooperation in the last couple of months and everything we will accomplish in the course of the 37th FEST, for the benefit of the festival, Belgrade and Serbian film.
EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THE NUMBER 100
Mrs. Ivana Avzner, City Culture Secretary
The City is glad to be able, in spite of the crisis, to help FEST as it did in previous years.
The amount we have earmarked this year is the same as last year, but I have to say that I find this year’s FEST to be better.
Everything seems to revolve around the number 100: we have about 100 films; about 100 guests will be coming to Belgrade; I also hope, after having seen the number of tickets sold to date, that we will have close to 100 thousand visitors.
The most important thing is that Belgraders love FEST. Without them, this important event has no sense. For this loyal audience’s sake, it is important to have as visitors some renowned names of international film, including Mr. Ralph Fiennes, who will be opening the 37th edition of FEST.
Oftentimes I hear about how this country or this city has too many festivals. I wouldn’t debate on this occasion whether it is true or not; I know that FEST is a film festival which has the most numerous and loyal fans. It is also one of the oldest events of this city. In addition to the funds earmarked for the festival by the City Hall, FEST wouldn’t have been possible without our partners and sponsors, whom I wish to thank once again, says Ms. Ivana Avzner, City Culture Secretary.
Dominique Blanc on the 37th FEST
The Fest Directorate is honored to inform you that the 37th FEST will host the renowned French actress Dominique Blanc, who shall present herself to the festival's audience with her latest film The Other Woman (L'autre). For her role in the film, Dominique Blanc was awarded the Best Actress Award on the Venice Film Festival in 2008. The film will be shown on FEST twice: on February 21st at 20h in the cinema Balkan, when the actress Anne Benoix will introduce herself to the audience and on February 26th, at 16.30h, when Dominique Blanc will do the same in Sava Centar.
FEST ROUND TABLE
The Fest Directorate shall organize a round table on the topic Southeast Europe Women Directors. The round table shall be held on February 26th, from 11h do 14h in Sava Center, Conference Room 3, Level 0. The whole concept was initiated by Director Slobodan Sijan.
The moderator will be Ronald Halloway, the renowned film critic and expert for Southeast European film.
Exhibition of Jerzi Skolimowski on the 37th FEST
The 37th FEST will host the exhibition of paintings of the distinguished Polish Director Jerzi Skolimowski. Skolimowski shall present his works from the previous ten years. The oil on canvas exhibition will comprise some fifteen most big format important works of the Director.
The exhibition was organized in cooperation with Jerzi Skolimowski, Polish galerist Boguslav Vojtovic and the Fest Directorate and agreed upon at the Cannes Film Festival, where Skolimovski presented his new film Four Nights with Ana, opening the program Fifteen Author's Days. The film will be shown in the program Horizons on the 37th FEST.
