44TH FEST OFFICIALY OPEN!

The 44^th edition of the biggest film festival in Serbia - FEST was officially open on Friday, February 26 at the big hall of Sava Center, which was filled to capacity. Before the opening, distinguished guests and Serbian film stars walked the red carpet at the entrance of the venue.

The singers Aleksandra Kovač and Marko Tolja opened the evening with their duet song Ljubav (Love), and after that the evening’s hosts, actors Tamara Dragičević and Nebojša Milovanović introduced the first guest - the renowned Russian film director Pavel Lungin, president of the Main Competition Jury. Speaking about his criteria for evaluating films, Lungin stressed out that for him there was only one: “whether there is evidence of talent and of life in the film”.

After that, the hosts introduced the president of the Serbian Film Jury, Serbian actor Dragan Bjelogrlić, who said that Serbian filmmakers competing for the award could expect from him “strictness and fairness”.

The famous US director John McTiernan, “the Last Action Hero of Hollywood, the walking legend” was presented with Belgrade Victor for Creative Achievement by Serbian actor Gordan Kičić, who saluted the director with a “Yipikaye Mr. McTiernan!” Kičić said that McTiernan’s heroes were his childhood heroes, and the director said that he had mixed feelings about the award: that he was very happy to receive it, but at the same time terrified of the thought that he was “at an age when you receive this type of award!”

The same award, Belgrade Victor for Creative Achievement was also presented to the well known Spanish actress Victoria Abril by the Artistic Director of FEST Jugoslav Pantelić. She dedicated her award to the director Vicente Aranda who had passed away last year and with whom she had had a longstanding creative collaboration and friendship. She invited the audience to see her films at the Yugoslav Film Archive the next day, while Pantelić added that he would have the honour of presenting another award to Ms. Abril - the Golden Stamp of the Yugoslav Film Archive.

Finally, Belgrade Victor for Outstanding Contribution to Film Art, the award which had been established the previous year, was presented to the “First Action Hero” of the Yugoslav and Serbian Film, an actor with 272 roles in his biography - Velimir Bata Živojinović. His wife Julijana Živojinović accepted the award in the absence of the famous actor, who was recovering at home from a recent illness.

The Opening Ceremony concluded with the special interpretation of the legendary song Ah taj FEST by the hosts of the evening who stepped in the shoes of the renowned actors Milena Dravić, Dragan Nikolić and the singer Đorđe Marjanović who had sung it some 40 year ago.

The evening continued with the Serbian premiere of Humidity (Vlažnost) by Serbian debutant Nikola Ljuca, the film which had had its world premiere at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.