THE YEAR THE NEWCOMERS HAVE DEVOURED
“Although it was neither the cause nor the reason for narrowing the focus to first and second films, it is impossible to see that it is precisely those films and their authors that marked the year behind us.
The last summer begun with the participation of Monument to Michael Jackson and Barbarians at the festival in Karlovy Vary, where Ivan Ikić (Barbarians) received Special Jury Mention. In September, Vuk Ršumović’s No One’s Child won three awards in the Critics' Week selection at the Venice Film Festival, while Danilo Bećković’s Little Buddho was seen by over 300,000 cinemagoers. In November, Ivan Jović’s The Healing premiered at the Cottbus Film Festival, and Tamara Drakulić’s film essay Ocean had its premiere screening at the prestigious Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival.
The beginning of 2015 was marked by the premieres at the International Film Festival in Belgrade – FEST of Goran Radovanović’s Enclave, which will open the Moscow Film Festival and Saša Radojević’s Marked, while Predrag Stojić’s action film Off premiered just before this year’s festival. Siniša Galić’s Open Cage premiered at Küstendorf International Film and Music Festival.
The end of last year’s and the beginning of this year’s film season is best celebrated with the national premiere of Pavle Vučković’s Panama, which was screened as part of the official selection of this year’s Cannes Film Festival”,
12 FILMS THAT LEFT A MARK ON NATIONAL CINEMA
Panama is the first Serbian feature film in thirty years to be included in the main programme, meaning the official selection of the most influential and prestigious international film festival in Cannes. Following this film’s success and world premiere at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, the Serbian audience will get the chance to see it premiere at the opening of the 8th Cinema City festival on Monday, June 29. The film will compete for the Ibis award in the National Class selection.
In his debut feature, Pavle Vučković brings us a love story about an emerging issue in the young generation. The main protagonist, Jovan (Slaven Došlo) enters into an open relationship with Maja (Jovana Stojiljković), which grows into an obsessive relationship in which they’re trying to hide their emotions and thus avoid being hurt. The film also star Miloš Pjevač, Tamara Dragičević, Jelisaveta Orašanin, Nebojša Milovanović, Aleksandar Đurica, Branka Pujić, Andrija Daničić, etc.
Darko Lungulov’s Monument to Michael Jackson is a story from the main square of a dying town, in which, in order to save the town and prevent the love of his life from leaving him, eternal dreamer Marko decides to raise a monument to Michael Jackson, who has just announced his comeback tour. The film, which was screened at numerous international festivals, also star Boris Milivojević, Nataša Tapušković, Dragan Bjelogrlić, Toni Mihajlovski, Branislav Trifunović, Ljubomir Bandović, Mirjana Karanović, Srđan Miletić, Marko Janketić, Emilija Terzić, and Ana Divac.
Ivan Ikić’s Barbarians, is a teenage drama about growing up in a world without perspective, a portrayal of a generation is coming of age in a society that has lost its values. Ivan Ikić received a Special Jury Mention at the festival in Karlovy Vary.
Vuk Ršumović’s No One’s Child gripped the attention of national and international festivals, the media, and the public. It won as many as three awards in the Critic’s Week selection at Venice, and premiered at this year’s FEST. This film is based on a true story about a wild boy who was found among the wolves in Bosnian mountains in the spring of 1988.
Danilo Bećković’s Little Buddho is also our representative for the Fresh Danube Films selection. Given that this film has been seen by more than 300,000 cinemagoers, it is safe to say that it succeeded in bringing the audience back to cinema. The film was screened at Serbian film festivals in Australia, Toronto, Vancouver, Johannesburg, Chicago, and Balkan New Film Festival in Oslo, where it won the Audience Award. This black comedy managed to gather a great cast, led with Petar Stugar, Sergej Trifunović, Tihomir Stanić, Petar Božović, Slobodan Ćustić, Andrija Milošević, and many others.
Goran Radovanović’s Enclave, is a story about survival, which affects all, and friendship. Enclave follows a boy from a Serbian enclave in Kosovo, who in order to bury his grandfather must cross the enemy line in deeply divided war-torn Kosovo. The film, in which also star Nebojša Glogovac, Anica Dobra, and Denis Murić, premiered at this year’s FEST, and will open the Moscow Film Festival.
Ivan Jović’s debut film The Healing follows the hesychasm of an orthodox monk in a miraculous atmosphere of an isolated hermitage. His peace is interrupted by a sudden visit from two people. This is a film about reconciliation, forgiveness, and the eternal question that remains after every war: how to forgive your enemy? The Healing won two awards at the prestigious Russian festival Golden Knight – for best feature film and best supporting role, which went to Nemanja Jeremić. The film also received the award for best Balkan film in the CineBalkan selection at the CINEDAYS film festival of European film; award for Best Film and Screenplay at BaNeFF, and Jury prize at this year’s FEST. 
Tamara Drakulić’s intuitive film essay Ocean, is a story about a journey of this film’s director and female protagonist, who departs on a cargo ship with her friend to Hawaii to scatter the ashes of their friend Toni in the Pacific Ocean. This contemplative film diary was screened at numerous European and domestic film festivals (JIDFF, Torino FF, Silver Linning Brussels, FEST, BFDKF).
Saša Radojević’s Marked, premiered at this year’s FEST. It is a story about an attempt to change one’s ways of life, assume identity, and the results that come with it.
After years of effort, Predrag Stojić’s action film Off premiered just before this year’s festival. This story is an unsettling account of one man’s search for his brother, which draws him into a tangled web of Belgrade police.
Siniša Galić’s Open Cage tells a story about Ana, a young photographer who travels from Berlin to Serbia to make a report on refugees, and Maja who is, in her desperate desire to leave Serbia, blinded to Ana’s true intentions.
Marinus Groothof’s The Sky Above Us will screen out of competition. This film was only partly produced by domestic production companies, which in no way diminished the relevance this film has on this country and its audience. This is a story about Belgrade which every night transforms from a vibrant city into a military target. The film star Nada Šargin, Nikola Rakočević and Ljuba Bandović.
