FESTIVAL IS CLOSED, NEW ALREADY STARTS
25.08.2011
I remember very well of Film Festival, when I was five, ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty years… I know how experience it now, when I am forty. Regardless of age, over and over again, at the time of the Festival, I am full of excitement and nervousness. And now – as the president of the Festival Council – I work with a lot of emotions that I have as citizen of Nis for this Festival. The only difference is that when I was a child “chased” actors for autograph, and now they are going to “chase” me, because of some other things... Film Festival are cultural phenomenon of Nis, such as, for example, Nisvill, although to lesser extent, because there is such a long tradition as a gathering of this prestigious film actors. This is a “dramatic” encounter of citizens of Nis with art. And meeting with artists, that Serbia outside Belgrade, does not have chance to meet on the street.

The Festival is a very big event for me as citizen of Nis. These are the days when all the potentials of Nis growth. Then we see how the city we are, how smart and skilled workers in the culture we have, how cultural people eager of film we have in this space. Problem is that after few days we forget everything and sink again into “everyday life” that it is not a festival and holiday.

At the time of the Film festival in Nis is “opening” whole new world. Everything is full of artists – actors, directors, screenwriters, producers and other film and public persons. Nis is this few days for sure cultural capital of Serbia. Do not forget – the Film Festival and the only major festival in former Yugoslavia – with tradition, unique and with checked concept and large audience. Similar is the Festival in Pula, who also survived.  Film Festival founders are the City of Nis and Association of Screen Actors of Serbia, so that on his concept, the character and any relevant issues to be decided jointly. This is perhaps one of the reasons why the Film Festival it is not fully international. Yet, at the Festival except official awards to our actors we award and to the best foreign actor.  In the official program we show and movies that are coproduction of Serbia and neighboring countries, and in the accompanying program we have films from countries in the region. We will see how thing will develop in the future. 

Nis audience really is exceptional. They failed to drive out any bad times, and the raid, that rains always in late August. Of course, opening ceremony and closing ceremony will be able to follow and the audience – spectators in addition to small screen, as RTS is transmitted directly or postponed meeting of the parts cast in Nis, which is also tradition.

The success is that we arranged Festival with infrastructure. Two years ago we bought a new screen, which is in the technical sense of the “peak” and replace the previous one, which was already worn. For a good projection on a serious festival, new and high – quality canvas is a given. We move the boundaries in the quality of the projection, and now can not happen to interrupt the movie or sound is bad. For now, do not get any better. Better might have been only so – called surround system but the question is how would it “acted” on the Summer Stage, which is acoustic by itself. Also, we have completely renovated and put air conditions in the space for cinema projection. Previously, he looked like a basement, it had a lot of unnecessary things, and now it is modern and is complemented by space.  We still rent projectors, but we hope that next year we will get new and that we will have our equipment for film screenings. This is, hopefully, the last year of renting this equipment.

By the end of this year`s 46th Film Festival we will make progress with the accompanying expansion of the festival in Memorial Park “Bubanj”,  by projection of movies on the Summer Stage, which is currently being reconstructed. The first screening on the “Bubanj” is scheduled for Friday August 26th at 08:30 pm. Of details will Directorate of Film Festival inform public at the press conference.