Program director, Bojana Bandic, introduced everyone present with abundance and significant success of National Class selection, emphasizing the great number of premieres of domestic cinematography which are to be screened this year, but also commenting on other domestic features that premiered at previous editions of Cinema City Festival. Aleksa Gajic presented Animatrix selection through four Japanese anime that the audience will have a chance to see this year, all of which influenced him as a film creator and comic book author. Aleksa also greeted the selection of “Corto Maltese” programme, this year’s sensation. Audience have a chance to see five films dedicated to adventures of this famous comic book hero, an unsurpassed creation of Italian comic book author, Hugo Pratt. Although he wasn’t in charge of The Cool Kidz selection, Gajic highly recommended these animated features, among them especially singling out “How to Train Your Dragon”. Petar Protic who, for the third time in a row, presents festival audience with some of the most significant achievements in the history of cinematography, informed the guests that his goal this year remained the same: providing the medicine, which in Serbia still remains in short supply - laughter.
After intro from organizers of the Festival and selectors, with great excitement from the guests, press conference was attended by charismatic Juliette Lewis. Numerous questions from journalists and other guests present stand as a testimony of her great popularity since she managed to, by carefully selecting and magnificently performing character roles, hold a special and very high place in the world of film art. In her answers, Juliette put an emphasis on her music career, stating that she regards music as an important and liberating way of expressing herself. When asked what her dearest role was, she singled out “The Other Sister” from 1999 and her new achievement screened at Sundance, “Sympathy for Delicious” and with great fondness looked back at exceptional cooperation with Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow, while shooting “Strange Days”. Afterwards, Juliette officially opened Cinema City Festival, prior to the screening of “The Secret in Their Eyes”. From packed stands of spectacular open-air cinema at Katolicka porta, audience greeted charming Juliette, who later went to bow before the audience at Dunavski park open-air cinema who greeted her with the same level of enthusiasm, especially at her reminiscing of potential dangers while shooting “Natural Born Killers” and her statement of how pleased she is to be in Novi Sad for the second time. Her presence and addressing was surely the best possible overture for Oliver Stone’s cult classic.
This year, Festival continues to spread positive energy, which brought us to Petrovaradin fortress and a spectacular opening party where The Good Guys with greatly energetic performance put audience “on fire” and presented their debut album, which is also official soundtrack of this year’s Cinema City. Partying lasted into wee hours, in great atmosphere and with original performances. Next to absolute star of the Festival, Juliette Lewis and The Good Guys, audience had a chance to enjoy exceptional E Play, Svi na pod and, as a finish and a way to greet the morning in the best possible way, DJ Rahmanee, who maintained the heat until the end.
It is important to notice that there were many film lovers who chose to give priority to this form of art and so, Burton’s magical “Alice” managed to attract a crowd of Burton’s admirers to Dunavski park open-air cinema, who could enjoy this original film vision of a true literary classic.
