This year marks the 50th anniversary of FEST, the Belgrade International Film Festival, produced CEBEF and taking place from February 25 to March 6, 2022 in Belgrade. The 50th FEST will screen a large number of films from around the world, including a handful of those whose festival screening will be a unique opportunity see them on the big screen. Among the authors whose films will be shown at the 50th Fest are Pedro Almodovar, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dario Argento, Paul Schrader, Paolo Genovese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Gaspar Noe, Jacques Odiard, Dusan Milic, Ursula Meyer, Nani Moretti, Francois Ozon, Stefan Arsenijević, Audrey Divan, Miloš Pušić, the Dinocenzo brothers, Kenneth Brana and many other old acquaintances and new creators whose films we will remember this season.
Speakers at yesterday’s press conference on the occasion of the jubilee FEST were: Ivan Karl, City Secretary for Culture; Jugoslav Pantelić, artistic director of FEST; Damir Handanović, acting Director of the Center of Belgrade Festivals and Dragoslav Fredi Stanisavljevic, Director of RTS Music Production.
“We have a very respectable and serious program, we will have a significantly larger number of screenings to compensate for the temporary absence of our usual venue, Sava Center.” During FEST, the new entries in the FEST’s 50 book series, prepared by the Library of the City of Belgrade, will be promoted; these are books about Dinko Tucaković written and edited by Milan Nikodijević, about Nebojša Đukelić prepared by Maja Medić and the second edition of the book about Emir Kusturica by Goran Gocić. The Post of Serbia has also published an edition of postage stamps titled FEST’s 50″, said Ivan Karl.
Jugoslav Pantelić, artistic director of FEST, said: “With 421 film screenings in 12 cinemas, the audience will be able to watch 88 feature films in eight program units at this festival.” There are 20 films taking part inthe main competition program in the race for the Belgrade Winner Award this year, from France, Germany, USA, Romania, Russia, Italy, Poland, Greece, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Australia, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia.”
“Seven domestic feature films, one short, four domestic minority co-productions – the total number of domestic films is impressive, it depicts what is happening in domestic cinematography. Stefan Arsenijević and his filmStrahinja Banović will open this year’s FEST”, Pantelić pointed out.
“I am honored to announce that this year the program unit intended for film professionals Fest Forward is once again a part of FEST. The industry program will be held at the Yugoslav Cinematheque in the presence of over 80 professionals from abroad, in cooperation with Film Center Serbia. Ticket prices will remain at last year’s level, from 300 to 500 dinars, “said Damir Handanović, acting Director of the Center of Belgrade Festivals – CEBEF.
Tickets for FEST are on sale from February 4th at the box office where the films are shown, as well as online via the tickets.rs website. The program of the 50th FEST can be downloaded from the website fest.rs.