About FEST 2016.

While last year’s FEST was marked by many novelties, this year these novelties may be considered a standard of the biggest film festival in the region. This year too, the best films will be rewarded in three competition programs: the films were picked by Art Director Jugoslav Pantelic, as well as the programming director of “Frontiers”, Thrills & Kills and Microwave Mladen Djordjevic. Nikola Ljuca’s debut “Humidity” will have the honor to open the Festival.

FEST brings a total of 110 premieres.

This year’s competition programs are:

MAIN  PROGRAM
SERBIAN FILM (competition)
MAIN - COMPETITION PROGRAM
FEST 44
FOCUS EUROPE

FRONTIERS (competition)
THRILLS & KILLS
PLAZMA FESTIĆ
DOKUMENTFEST
MICROWAVE
FEST CLASSICS
SPECIAL SCREENINGS

The main competition program will feature 15 films from 13 countries: France, Iran, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Israel, Mexico, Vietnam, Italy, Croatia, Guatemala, Bulgaria and the US. The international five-strong jury will decide about the awards in the categories of Best Film, Best Script, Best Director Work, Best Male Lead Role, Best Female Lead Role and Best Debut, as well as the Award of the Jury. The best film will be presented with the Belgrade Victor Award.

The national competition program will have the awards presented for the same categories, also to be awarded by a five-strong jury. A total of 19 films well be shown, including premieres -  Humidity, A good wife, Patria, Rift, Apophania, Open wound, Signature work... As of this year, the national program also includes films with Serbia as a minority co-producer. These films will compete for special awards for minority co-productions in three categories - Best Film, Best Director Work and Best Acting Work.

The third competition program is “Frontiers” with 11 subversive films from Germany, France, Croatia, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, India, Ethiopia and Poland.

In addition to the official awards of the jury, the Nebojsa Djukelic Award, the FIPRESCI Award of the Jury and, for the first time this year, the FEDEORA Award o the Jury - the award of the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean. The recipients of the Belgrade Victor Award for Life Achievement and Exceptional Contribution to the Art of Film will be announced subsequently, as well as the recipient of the Honorary Belgrade Victor Award for previous accomplishments.

The 44^th FEST will present many films from “small” film industries - Vietnam, Guatemala, the UAE, Ethiopia, Albania, as well as those in English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Chinese and Japanese language; a record number of female directors (18). Thomas Winterberg will have two films, just like his Japanese colleague Sion Sono, as well as Croatia Actress Ksenija Marinkovic (we will see her in five films!). There will also be 20 directing debuts. The main program will features contenders for the Oscars, such as Brooklyn, Carol, Spotlight, The danish girl, Trumbo i Sicario. The viewers will also have the opportunity to see the films of famous directors, such as Hercog’s Queen of the desert, 99 Homes  by Ramin Bahrani, Hail, Caesar by Ethan and Joel Cohen,  Youth by Paolo Sorrentino, Irrational man  by Woody Allen, Jorgos Lantimos’ Lobster,  Kollektivitet and Far from the madding crowd by Vinterberg, Nie Yin Niang  by Hou Hsiao Hsien, Quand on a  17 ans by Andre Techine...

The FEST Classics programme will mark the 20^th anniversary of the death of Nebojsa Djukelic; it will also feature several films as homage to David Bowie.

The crews of the following films have confirmed their presence: Dheepan, The Angel: The Prescription For Liffe, III, Crumbs, 99 Homes, Nachthelle, Šiška Deluxe, H., Blue Hour, Las Elegidas, Julija i alfa Romeo, Baskin, Der Bunker, Les Anarchistes, Narodni heroj Ljiljan Vidić, Zvizdan…

FEST will also host the legendary director John McTiernan, Pedro Almodovar’s muse Victoria Abriel, as well as the famous actor Anthony LaPaglia. The President of the jury for the national selection is Dragan Bjelogrlic and Pavel Lungin will preside the jury for the international programme.

Tickets will be on sale in Sava Center as of February 6. The good news is that you can purchase tickets for films in Sava Center online, via Event Team, as well as on their points of sale. The buyers of online packages will receive a personalized FEST card to enter the screenings. This year, the films in FEST will also be screened in Cineplexx Ušće. A discount of 10% is available for packages purchased in the first seven days.

-Sava centar: gala opening 26.2. at 19h - 500din
films at 9h 200din, 11h and 13.30h 250din, 16.30h 300din, 19h and 22h 350 din, 24h 250din.
-Dom omladine Beograda: 12.30h, 15h, 22.30h 250din, 17.30h and 20h 300din
-DKCB: 12h, 14.30h, 22h 250din, 17h and 19.30h 300din
-Fontana: 15h, 17h, 250din, 19h, 21h 300din
-Cineplexx Ušće:  16.30, 17.30h, 19h, 19.30h, 20h, 21.30h, 22.30h 350din
-Muzej Jugoslovenske kinoteke (Kosovska): 18h and 20h 250din
-Jugoslovenska kinoteka (Uzun Mirkova): 17h and 21h 250din, 19h 300din

A discount of 10% is available for packages purchased in the first seven days.

Like every year, you will find news about the Festival on our website www.fest.rs and Facebook page, via the Android application and iOS mobile devices, which will soon be available in Play Store and App store.

Journalist wishing to accredit themselves for the 44^th FEST may do so via the link on our website www.fest.rs, in the “Press” section. The deadline for sending accreditation request is February 18. We will contact those whose application was positively resolved.