On Wednesday, December 18th, a ceremony was held at the Yugoslav Cinematheque to mark the 60th anniversary of Film Center Serbia, an institution of national importance in charge of promoting Serbian cinema. In the Makavejev Hall, Jelena Trivan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Film Center Serbia, and Director Gordan Matić addressed the gathering. Awards for contribution to cinematography and cooperation with the Serbian Film Center were also presented. The program was run and presented by Miroljub Vuckovic from the sector for international cooperation, placement and promotion, a man who spent his entire working life in this institution of culture.
Jelena Trivan reminded the atendees that Serbian cinematography is not only one of the oldest cinematographies in the world, but also has one of the longest standing institutional supports. “The Film Institute supported the then federal cinematography, the development of film about Yugoslav partisans and Black Wave, as well as film translation. It was a kind of a completely modern center for training and training filmmakers. Today, its role has been inherited by Film Center Serbia, which has large financial resources and supports 60 films of different runtimes per year. That is a big deal and it says that we are a big movie nation,” Trivan said. “Our plans are big. Next year, we are introducing state-level co-production with France, on the basis of a special agreement, and we will be shooting even more films than before,” added the FCS Chairwoman.
The director of Film Center Serbia, Gordan Matić mphasized that the film art in our country is very vibrant. “It is constantly looking for new directions and does not rest. Film Center Serbia is trying to maintain a modern production rhythm – monitoring projects from script development to screening in digitized cinemas. We invest a lot of resources and try to modernize the many things left over from the old days. After 60 years, FCS is a stable institution that strives, above all, to help authors make the best films possible. That’s still the most important thing, “concluded Matić.
Earlier in the day, a roundtable on “Improving the Cooperation between Film Institutions” was held, attended by directors of film centers from the region, Italy and France. Gordan Matić also referred to this segment of today’s FCS program. “Since both ours and regional cinematographies are small, we need to cooperate. Both in the exchange of experience and knowledge, as well as in the mutual sharing of good practices in regards to legislation and other things that facilitate negotiating positions with third parties. This cooperation is significant because we all have the same goal, we all care about our films being watched as much as possible outside of the Balkans,” Matić added .
One of the guests at the roundtable was the Director of the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC), Kris Marčič, who emphasized that cooperation with regional countries was very good. “I think we have a very good relationship with all the film centers in the region and beyond. We are in the context of film centers across Europe, “said Marcic. “We have a very good partnership with FCS, which I am confident will continue. We do a lot of co-production and it works successfully. Everyone has a particular contribution to make to this cinematic heritage and now this is coming to light. Serbia has a very successful cinematography,” concludes the director of HAVC.
Film Center Serbia was founded in 1959 and has changed several names to this day. It originated from the Center for the Professional Education of Film Personnel, which was founded by the former Association of Film Producers of Yugoslavia, for the purpose of additional education of then existing film professionals. In 1963, the Center merged with the Center for the Professional Education of the Personnel of Reproductive Cinematography of the SFRY, and extended its activities to the training of film professionals . When the establishment of various film schools and academies in Yugoslavia proved that form of education redundant, the Federation of Film Workers of Yugoslavia took over the Center, changed and expanded its tasks, turning it into the Film Institute.
By decision of the Board of Directors, on September 7, 2004, the Film Institute changed its name to the Film Center Serbian. In December 2011, the founding rights and obligations of the founders of the Film Center Serbia were transferred to the Republic of Serbia. By a decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, adopted at its session on April 30th, 2013, Film Center Serbia was granted the status of a cultural institution of national importance.