The Board of Directors of Film Center Serbia accepted the proposals of the commissions in the competition categories: Co-financing the production of domestic feature films, Co-financing the production of domestic short films, Co-financing the production of domestic feature films for children and YA and Co-financing the production of domestic feature documentaries. Here are the official competition results, including decisions and explanations.
Co-financing the production of domestic feature films
The Commission for Co-financing the production of domestic feature films consisted of: Darko Bajić (president), Biljana Srbljanović, Srdan Golubović, Svetozar Cvetković and Vladimir Vasiljević. A total of forty-six (46) projects applied for the competition, and five (5) were supported, as follows:
Desire Lines
Director: Dane Komljen
Production company: Dart Film & Video
From the explanation of the Commission: “In the opinion of the commission, the best project in this competition. This is a story about endless walking, about finding yourself. About belonging. Poetry in the form of a film script… Dane Komljen is an author whose style and aesthetics have been recognized and awarded worldwide. In this project, he replaces his previous experimental approach in narration with a more classical narrative, while remaining committed to style and aesthetics, which is, perhaps, his greatest artistic strength. The Commission considers that it is necessary for this style and talent, which Dane Komljen possesses, to be constantly nurtured and supported, because it is a rarity ona global level. On the production side, the project is already supported by FCS, in the competition for screenplay improvement and development of, as well as at HBF in the Netherlands… This exceptional project with its completely innovative and authentic film expression, its contribution to film language development, its place in history and its original approach to the spirit of the times, its emphasis on the most valuable achievements of the domestic art scene in other fields, attention and positive responses to cooperation from foreign producers, deserves FCS production assistance and the Commission is pleased to propose it. ”
Yugo Florida
Director: Vladimir Tagić
Production company: Sense Production
From the explanation of the Commission: “South Florida is a story about the journey of a father and son, in a dilapidated father’s car, on a journey where they finally meet, just when the father is leaving forever.” transience of human life. The director’s explanation only complements the extremely positive opinion of the Commission on this project, and in the conversation with the author, numerous good places and solutions were pointed out. The commission believes that this is the right way to support the strategy for the development of domestic cinematography in two directions, potentially high ratings of the film, but non-acceptance of artistic compromises for the sake of popularity. The theme is eternal and important, recognizable and beyond the borders of our country, it offers a serious space for additional funding from foreign funds that support new voices in the field of arthouse films. ”
Marko Kraljević
Director: Dejan Zecevic
Production company: Biberche Productions
From the explanation of the Commission: “The project is based on an extremely skilful, multi-layered, dramatically convincing, comically shaded script by Maja Todorović and Dejan Zečević. The story follows the most important part of Marko Kraljevic’s life, perhaps the most famous character of Serbian folk poetry and mythology. The narrative is based on historical data and the existing folk poetry and tales about this hero, who is skillfully incorporated into an exciting film story. Potential spectacle is swapped for intimate moments of deeply human re-examination of heroes themselves… The film has great potential significant for the entire domestic cinematography as a new re-examination of myths by cinematic means, national history conveyed through convincing, exciting dramatic language”
Hole in the Fence
Director: Zoran Amar
Production company: Art & Popcorn
From the Commission’s explanation: “The story deals with the mysterious murder of two young guards in front of military barracks in Topčider in 2006, which has not been solved to this day and remains a low point in the history of 21st century Serbia.” Artistically extremely interesting: the script is convincing, broken into a seemingly mosaic structure, with a chorus of characters, which all, very quickly, come together in one consistent, serious and tragic thread of the story… The Pproducer hasa serious reputation for this type of art house films on unpopular topics, and he has assured the Commission that this is a project worth supporting.”
Accomplices
Director: Marko Novaković
Production company: Zillion Film
From the explanation of the Commission: “After a traffic accident in which a pedestrian dies, Sofija is convinced by her future husband Branko, t that it is best for everyone to continue living as if nothing had happened. Their escape from the scene of the accident leaves deep consequences on her conscience… The opinion of the majority of the commission is that this debut film team has the potential to turn into a very exciting psychological thriller which will use genre, supported by a very communicative story set in Užice, for a sharp critique of the hardened network of corruption in our society. The commission proposes to support this project with additional funds, for several important reasons: the director is an author who has proven himself with his television achievements so far and whose poetic approach is something unusual in our cinematography. The screenwriter is also a debutant, otherwise an exceptional young writer, who knows how to tell a nuanced story. “
Read the full text of the Decision in the category Co-financing the production of domestic feature films here.
Co-financing the production of domestic short feature films
The Commission ofor Co-financing the production of domestic short feature films consisted of: Miloš Radović (president), Melina Koljević, Vladimir Tagić, Dušan Zorić and Milan Knežević (members). A total of twenty-one (21) projects were submitted to the competition, and the members of the Commission harmonized their positions and proposed three (3) projects for support. The Management Board accepted this proposal. Supported projects are:
When Dawn Breaks
Directed by: Stefan Ivančić
Production: Non-Aligned Films – Ognjen Glavonić PR
From the explanation: “Through simple elements, clean and clear stage settings, with an exceptional sense of both visual narration and atmosphere construction and the subtlety of human emotions and the ardor and combativeness of the main character, the director accurately tells the story of the working class – without cheap sentiment, knowing exactly at what moments the scene begins and the other scenes end, the director gives the audience space to think and feel the cinematic reality. The previous works of the author show that he exhibits a unique style and feeling that leaves us in anticipation of his next work. ”
Life After Death
Directed by: Ognjen Petković
Production: Attic
From the Commission’s explanation: “A film from the point of view of several boys who lost their loved ones in the war. They survived, but many of their loved ones did are not the boys need to continue with life as they imagine it should be… The author raises the topic of the meaninglessness of war which leaves unforseeable psychological consequences on children… The film was unanimously recommended by the Commission to FCS for support. It is a project that is well prepared in every respect: starting with the script, the director’s explication, and the scenographic elaboration. A film of great potential. ”
Love
Directed by: Katarina Mutić
Production: Baš Čelik
From the explanation of the Commission: “The ten-year-old main heroine is fighting for the love of those closest to her, or at least for what little love is left. Controversial in its attitude towards God and faith, without mercy towards parental deprivation of attention and emotions, this film is determined to deal with the often conciliatory attitude regarding problems in family relationships. The heroine Jovana, a child by vocation, duels with parents and calls on God, the parent of all living creatures, to help her. The final scene is a small screenwriting pearl.”
Read the full text of the Decision in the category Co-financing the production of domestic short feature films here.
Co-financing the production of domestic feature films for children and YA
The Commission consisted of: Jovana Karaulić (president), Marija Bereta, Natasa Drakulić, Bojana Maljević and Slaven Došlo (members). A total of seven (7) projects applied for the competition, and one (1) with the highest number of votes was selected for support. The Management Board accepted this proposal and supported the project:
1970
Screenplay and direction: Darko Lungulov
Production: Papa films
From the explanation of the Commission: “This is a story of growing up placed in a specific socio-political context, whose protagonist recognizes that life does not have a predetermined plan and that it is not always what he could experience from his boy’s room or the perspective of life in the urban environment.” Along the way, he gets acquainted with the philosophy of hippie culture and the feeling of freedom, the alternative music scene, the political context, love, but also with himself…. The script was supported by Film Center Serbia at the Competition for the development of screenplays in March 2019, and is was one of the highly rated projects in the previous Competition for Children’s and YA film. According to the established criteria, the commission analyzed the creative-production aspects of the project and found significant progress in terms of script development, sharper definition of narratives, character lines and their motivations, as well as the overall creative potential of the film. Also, the project contributes to the youth imagination and generational connections, as well as that it has the potential to increase the importance of domestic cinematography, and is pleased to propose it as the winner of funds in this year’s competition. ”
Read the full text of the Decision in the category Co-financing the production of domestic feature films for children and youth here.
Co-financing the production of domestic feature-length documentaries
The commission consisted of: Miodrag Medigović (president), Marta Popivoda, Branislav Milošević, Stefan Ivančić and Stefan Malešević (members). The Commission adopted the Proposal, which was accepted by the FCS Board of Directors. A total of twenty-nine (29) projects applied for the competition, and seven (7) were supported, as follows:
In the capsule – Vlatko Gilić
Director: Danilo Lazović
Production: Film Road Production
From the explanation of the Commission: “The project for the film deals with the character and work of an almost forgotten master of film, director Vlatko Gilić. Gilić’s films are preserved in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art MoMA in New York, in a special nuclear capsule that preserves the greatest artistic values and cultural heritage of mankind from possible nuclear destruction… The Commission believes that the script and the visual material come together into a project that promises much more than a biographical documentary: a film that deals with the question of what and how remains in history (art), and even more broadly, the need for a man to overcome his own transience and leave a trace of his existence. ”
I Didn’t Tell You
Director: Vojin Ivkov
Production: Greenfield production Novi Sad
From the explanation of the Commission: “Eldar and Dimitrije need just a few years to be peers and a few hundred kilometers to be neighbors. They grew up in the same country, Serbia, and died on opposite sides of someone else’s war, on the fronts in Syria. The author of the film, Vojin Ivkov, using one of the methods of psychodrama, gives the parents of these two boys the opportunity to talk to them once again and tell them what they missed during their lives, hoping that it will save someone else’s children. ”
Empty, Insignificant
Director: Svetislav Dragomirović
Production: Gray wood film
From the explanation of the Commission: “The author’s premise is that we have to face even the most terrible phenomena, we have to understand them, so that we can protect ourselves from them.” The confessions of the protagonists are intertwined with new visual material that the author plans to record in a way reminiscent of amateur recordings. Detailed documentation with a very clear and creative authorial approach, as well as interesting attached visual material convinced the Commission that this project should be supported. ”
Portrait of an Artist in Search
Director: Maša Nešković
Production: Marienbad film
From the explanation of the Commission: “Biographical documentary about one of the most interesting authors of Yugoslav cinematography – Goran Marković. In a very detailed and elaborated documentation, the authors Maša Nešković and Maja Medić suggest a portrait that will not deal exclusively with the significance, size and affirmation of the character of Goran Markovic, but a much more complex film… This is a very ambitious project that could be featured at one of the world’s largest festivals, which in the last decade have placed emphasis on program selections dealing with the history of film. ”
Destroyed Jasenovac – The Saga of Revisionism
Director: Vladimir Paskaljević
Production: October film
From the explanation of the Commission: “The author of the project, Vladimir Paskaljević, proposes a film on a very important and contemporary topic – historical revisionism in the context of War World Two and the terrible suffering of innocent victims in the Jasenovac concentration camp.” Looking into the project documentation, it is clear that the author has been dealing with this topic for a long time and that serious and thorough research has been completed. The point of view and the proposed three-part structure, which is not focused exclusively on presenting historical facts, is strong because it deals with the consequences of revisionism, relativization and refusal to face the truth. ”
Winter of One Spring
Director: Milan Nikodijević
Production: Rod and twine Production
From the explanation of the Commission: “Predrag Pega Popović is one of the most respected names among Serbia DOPs. It is little known that he is the author of one of the most published photographs from the Prague Spring. At that time, Pega made practically the only shot of the dead body of Jan Palah, the student who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet intervention, and this photograph is the central point of the film “Winter of One Spring”… The theme and attached visual material convinced the Commission that this project can grow into an important film, both for domestic and international cultural space, which gives it the potential for co-productions and placement at film festivals. ”
Year, Country, 4 People
Director: Boris Kovač
Production: Boris Kovač PR Studio for the production of feature and other films
From the explanation of the Commission: “The film shows four people, through four seasons, living inthe Pannonian country, far from the technocratic-consumer way of life of modern man” The film will contain specifically composed music that will build a unique poetic whole in accordance with the picture. The attached visual material in the form of a teaser confirms the documentary potential of this scenario. The film has sociological, ethnological and cultural value and as such is a kind of testimony to life in the Pannonian lowlands.
Read the full text of the Decision in the category Co-financing the production of domestic feature-length documentaries here.