Free zone film festival is created out of belief that a good film experience can last much longer than its screening time and that it can provide access to alternative depiction of reality. This festival showcases films that are eye-opening and often leave their viewers with the feeling of freedom and responsibility that comes with being an active citizen. In these cases the art of film can actually make a difference.
Free Zone is not only an increasingly popular annual film festival, but also a part of a broader initiative that runs throughout the year.
Next festival edition: 07 - 13 November 2013
A special category has been introduced, a category for young, talented authors and their works in the selection of the movies with the budgets of $10,000 and up to $10,000. Attention to young talents includes the presence of top lecturers from film area, organized seminars and constructive dialogues. The programme concept of the festival covers film and academic programme, which take place at more than 20 locations in Novi Sad, including indoor and outdoor cinemas.
Film programme presents film selections of domestic and foreign production, along with competitive selections and numerous retrospectives. Over 150 films, more than a hundred premieres are shown at indoor and outdoor locations. The festival presents awards for domestic, international and low-budget films.
Academic programme - Cinema Now Live Academy - includes more than 30 panels, with participants from more than 10 countries. Within this programme, film artists, theoreticians, critics, and representatives of film industry discuss many significant subjects related to film art and film industry.
Next festival edition: 26 August - 01 September 2013
The 6th CINEMA CITY international film festival will this year be held from August 26 to September 1 in Novi Sad. Over 130 films will be screened during this year’s festival.
The festival will be held at ten city locations, including: Arena Cineplex, Arena 3D Open Air, Amstel Open Air, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Gallery of Matica Srpska, and Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.
This year’s CINEMA CITY will be marked by two open air cinemas, traditionally the most popular festival locations. During seven festival days the new Amstel Open Air location will offer the best films of the festival, including a great number of music films from Planet Rock selection. For the first time in our country there will be an outdoor 3D cinema called Arena 3D Open Air. The backbone of this location will be the combination of films inspired by comic book classics and cult films realized in 3D technology.
The festival will premiere with Hungarian film Final Cut: Ladies and Gentleman, directed by György Pálfi, which was screened at Cannes Film Festival. This exceptional film consists of scenes from 450 international film classics and is a specific response from the director and a criticism of the Hungarian government regarding lack of funding and any other type of support for artists and filmmakers.
All the films screened at this year’s Cinema City festival have been divided into eleven selections.
National Class will present the major part of domestic production. The three-member jury comprised of international film experts will present Ibis awards to the best film, director, screenwriter, actors.
Exit Point selection brings a review of the best international auteur films. It consists of the most interesting films from Berlin, Rotterdam, Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Locarno and other prestigious film festivals. Exit Point selector is Dubravka Lakić, film critic and journalist at Politika.
Fresh Danube Films is a new festival selection supported by the European Cultural Foundation from Holland. This selection will screen films directed by authors from the Danube region – Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia.
Up to 10.000 bucks will once again present films shot with budgets of less than $ 10,000, which could not prevent filmmakers from creating quality films.
Film It Loud is a selection made by Toni Šarić, Director of the festival of music documentaries, DORF from Vinkovci (Croatia). This selection is the result of the eponymous project supported by IPA CROSSBORDER programme Croatia-Serbia, co-financed by the European Union. This selection will provide the audience with the opportunity of seeing contemporary Croatian films.
Every year Cinema City uses Respect to… selection to present retrospectives of some of the most significant authors of our time. This year’s focus will be on Israeli director Eran Riklis, who will also be the guest of the festival, and Želimir Žilnik, one of the most important authors of the Yugoslav black wave cinema.
Planet Rock will bring some of the best music films but also films that nurture a different lifestyle and different values by presenting contemporary art in various forms. This selection will screen the total of 10 films, including: “Pussy Riot – Punk Prayer’’a story of the world-famous punk dissidents in Russia; “Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story’’ and the story of cult band Morphine; ‘’Snoop: Reincarnated’’ on transformation experienced by Snoop Dog, star of this year’s Exit festival; ‘¡Cuatro!’’, a film on the origins of the current trilogy of one of the greatest bands of our time, Green Day; ‘’It Might Get Loud’’ is a film study on the art of guitar playing through portraits of three giants – Jimmy Page, Jack White and the Edge from U2; saga of the greatest reggeae artist of all times: ‘’Marley’’; a perfect video recording of the performances of Chemicals, titled ‘’The Chemical Brothers: Don’t Think’’; ‘’Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction’’ about a legendary and peculiar artist, friend of Marlon Brando and David Lynch; and ‘’Vlada’’ a retrospective of Vlada Divljan.
Cinema City 2013 will present a selection of the most notable accomplishments screened at the International Documentary Film Festival Beldocs in Belgrade, including Beldocs winner “The Act of Killing”, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, and “Elena”, signed by Brasilian director Petra Costa.
CC shorts is a selection of award-winning short films chosen by selector Petar Protić.
The Cinema Youth programme is an educational film platform through which the festival will play host to 35 young film professionals from South East Europe, who will work with some of the most skillful lecturers. This platform will allow for creative ideas to became reality.
In the past six years CINEMA CITY has been visited by over 350 thousand film aficionados, and has screened over six hundred films.