O FESTIVALU en 2
MAN ON THE JOURNEY
This world, in the year 2023, is on a journey, perhaps like no world before us – from technology, robotics, and medicine to the sphere of warfare, politics, and economy. But where is today's man headed?, It's as if all our authors this year are asking themselves that question. And can all the knowledge and wisdom of past civilizations still somehow help him on this journey?
The motif of travel and transition marks the Competitive Program, whether it's a journey into one's own past or into the traumatic history of one's own country; whether the hero embarks on an adventure of self-discovery and enlightenment or undergoes the process of changing their own gender and identity. Every journey is full of uncertainty, where a person comes to know themselves and the demons of their own nature much more fully.
On the other hand, one of the giants of the Main Program, Nuri Bilge Džejlan, in the words of his protagonist, gives us a Chekhovian penetrating diagnosis of the era in which we live: it's about the languor of hope. Is it precisely the languor of hope, alongside and despite all the technological prostheses of modern man, the specific difference compared to earlier eras that pulls him towards self-annihilation?
But let's leave these questions, as well as many others that will spontaneously arise, to our viewers, to their spirit and creativity. I would say that this 29th festival is unfolding under the sign of the daring to ask the right questions for which one society, a petrified community, or an entire civilization do not have enough strength or responsibility. That's why among the true heroes of our program this year are Boro Drašković, Andrej Tarkovski, Živko Nikolić…
Thank you for trusting the Auteur Film Festival; believing in good fiction still makes more sense than believing in bad news.
Srđan Vučinić, Artistic Director of the Festival
HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL 1
The Belgrade Author Film Festival (FAF) was founded in 1994 with the aim of presenting the best contemporary artistic film achievements to the local audience. The works showcased at the festival are different from the majority of films in regular cinema repertoires – they do not strive solely for entertainment but rather seek a deeper, more realistic, and complex portrayal of today’s world and humanity. The number of festival attendees has been growing each year, indicating the significance and necessity of such an event.
This iconic festival of artistic cinema offers a diverse program composed of winners from world film festivals, new works by directors that the festival audience loves and knows well, as well as intriguing films that showcase new trends in authorial cinema.
Every year, the Author Film Festival hosts a large number of renowned film creators who not only participate in the programs but also conduct workshops with students.
The organization of the festival is carried out by the association of citizens "Pogled u svet".
“Pogled u svet” is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2006. It is dedicated to organizing the Author Film Festival (FAF). This festival was initially established by Jugoslavija film, a public institution funded by the state budget, in 1994. The festival ran successfully until Jugoslavija film initiated the privatization process. The Author Film Festival underwent this transition and did not take place in 2005. In 2006, the Citizens’ Association “Pogled u svet” was founded to continue the tradition of hosting the Author Film Festival.
The members of the Board of the NGO “Pogled u svet” are professionals with experience in the film industry. The president of the board is Igor Stankovic, the executive director of the film distribution company MegaCom Film, which is also the producer of the Author Film Festival. Since 2006, the collaborative efforts of these two organizations have resulted in 14 editions of the FAF, with an increasing number of attendees each year.
ALEKSANDAR SAŠA PETROVIĆ
Aleksandar Saša Petrović (1929-1994) was a prominent figure in the new Yugoslav cinema, serving as a director, screenwriter, essayist, and film theorist. In a film industry previously bound by the conventions of ideology, literature, and theater, he introduced a modern cinematic expression and a new sensibility characterized by open metaphorical language, powerful poetic expression, inspired cinematic qualities, and reflexivity. Petrović achieved global success with films such as “Tri” (1965 – Main Prize at Karlovy Vary, Oscar nomination), “Skupljači perja” (1967 – Grand Prix of the Jury and FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, Oscar nomination), “Biće skoro propast sveta” (1968), and “Majstor i Margarita” (1972). His testamentary work, the TV series “Seobe 2” (adapted from the novel “Druga knjiga Seoba” by Miloš Crnjanski, the greatest Serbian-language writer of the 20th century), remained unfinished.
Since 1995, the main award of the Belgrade Author Film Festival has been named after Aleksandar Saša Petrović. The director of the winning film receives a plaque and a monetary prize, with the monetary amount awarded by the “Aleksandar Saša Petrović” Foundation.