Ronald Holloway, President of the Jury of 52nd Belgrade Festival of Documentary and Short Film

Ronald Holloway, one of the most eminent European film critics, and for sure the best connoisseur of the eastern European cinematography, is this year, at our great pleasure, the president of the Jury of 52nd Belgrade Festival of Documentary and Short Film. We already met with Mr. Holloway on Monday, when the screenings began for the members of the Jury, after the first section of the films from the International Competition programme. Mr. Holloway was very pleased with the quality of the films from the first group that was seen.

- The short films are usually very interesting and the International Competition Programmes, that we have the opportunity to see at different festivals are significantly better than in the earlier years. These programmes exist at numerous “A” category festivals, as well, such as Cannes , for example, which emphasizes their topicality. Some younger film directors, especially those from the well-known schools, make excellent short films. Documentary and short feature films are my special interest. That is why a festival like this one is he right place to discover new talents. Animation is not my specialty, and yet, a lot of animation films are exceptionally sophisticated and imaginative. As far as the experimental films are concerned, I must admit that I have got a problem with them, as I always have to talk to the director to be able to penetrate deeper into what he wanted to say.

Another reason why I have accepted to be in the Jury for the films in Belgrade is the programme of your domestic films. ”

Ronald Holloway is considered one of the best connoisseur of the cinematography and authors in the Balkans region and that is where the interest for young authors of short and documentary films. So far he has published the books about the Bulgarian and Slavic cinematography, as well as about Goran Paskaljevic, and presently he is working on a book and a website about the Belgrade directors, about whom he has written an enormous number of texts.

- I know a lot of directors in Serbia . Some of them are my close friends, like Goran Paskaljevic, Srdjan Karanovic, Goran Markovic, Slobodan Sijan, or Srdjan Koljevic, with whom I have recently met at the Festival in Manheim. I can mention at least another five or six other directors whose work I know very well and who are my friends. I call them “the directors of the new Belgrade resistance” because of the way in which their films are made. Many of them are also producers of their own films and make them without any assistance from the Government, in an independent environment. The “Resistance” in their case means “independence”. A lot of director in Serbia , while making films, follow their instincts and shoot them :from their stomach”, which is great. That is always recognized on the screen. And that is why I am here.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

back to PRESS