Cinema City, last year's festival of film and new media, which took place in Novi Sad from 14th to 21st June, has pushed the boundaries in culture of watching films and enjoying the seventh art in an entirely new and positive way. 135 film were presented at twenty locations in period of eight days. A wide 14-selection choice of foreign and domestic production, as well as numerous film retrospectives were offered to the visitors of the festival.

The best film award - Grand Prix of Festival 2008 was given to Ballast, the very first film of American director Lance Hammer. Ballast is a drama which achieved authentic expression, using particular aesthetics of minimalism, in depicting complex relationships between people and in showing true social context of a small rural environment. Ballast was also the winner of prestigious Sundance Festival in 2008.

The creation of Icelandic director Olaf de Fleur Johannesson, The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, also made a great impression. The film is about the life of a transsexual, Raquela Rios, who bravely faces social rejection in conservative Catholic surrounding of the Philippines, who tries to reach freedom and success in relationship and career. The film won the Teddy Award in Berlin 2008 in category Best Feature Film, and at Cinema City 2008 it received the award for special contribution to contemporary film expression.

Apart from previously mentioned, Swedish film Let The Right One In attracted considerable attention of the audience, as well as the outstanding Norwegian feature The Art of Negative Thinking, films from Animatrix selection and especially Sita Sings the Blues directed by Nina Paley. Furthermore, numerous films inspired by music from Planet Rock selection made good impression, horror film fans certainly enjoyed convincing creations from the genre offered in Best of Horror selection. Retrospectives represented works of truly great film creators.


Films A-Z - Cinemacity 2008.
Program selections - Cinemacity 2008.