52nd WELCOME

Dear and esteemed authors, members of the Jury, guests and accredited journalists,

On behalf of the 52 nd Belgrade Festival of Documentary and Short Film – the Head Office of FEST – wishes you a warm welcome to the beloved and our oldest film festival!

After the beginning in Pula, decades of the traditional “ short meter in March ” in the Trade Union Centre, only for the second time an international competition festival as well and with a new, present name – by the decisions of the Festival Council and the bodies of its founder, the Town Assembly of Belgrade – we are meeting you in a new, April term, with new hosts of the main programmes, the Youth Centre and the Belgrade Cultural Centre Hall, a unique five-member jury composed of three foreign and two domestic esteemed names, with a somewhat smaller in number but more significant awards, and what is most important, with a lot of good films and programmes!

Five days and nights, 14 official programme sections, 63 foreign and domestic films in two competition programmes and competing for the Grand Prix of the Festival, exactly 168 films, at more than 300 single screenings. Almost about 200 accredited media representatives, authors, guests, organizers, and friends of the Festival – a lot of numbers, but also, I hope, a lot of “ short ” most beautiful enjoyments in an even shorter period of time, as – “ life is a short form, too ” !

Expressing gratitude, first of all to the founder of the Festival – the Town Assembly of Belgrade and the Secretariat for Culture for all that they did this year as well for the “ short meter ” , we wish to thank to the Festival Council, sponsors of the Festival – the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, respected and esteemed authors and film workers that founded and led this manifestation for decades, media sponsors, embassies, and cultural centres of the countries – participants at this Festival, the Yugoslav film Archive, the faculty of Drama Arts, “ Atelier 212 ” , Cultural Centre “ Students ' Town ” , the towns that “ re-play ” our programme – Novi Sad, Nis and Pan~evo, numerous institutions, organizations and respected individuals that were of great assistance in preparation of this comprehensive programme.

And in these days, we will also remember some masters of the film or the biggest admirers of this Festival who since not long ago (Milenko Strbac, Zdravko Velimirovic) or from long ago ( “ bread and fat ” for Vlada Bunjac) are not with us anymore. In honour of Belgrade , domestic cinematography and the Serbian culture we shall meet and watch the films of the youngest authors from our and the world short production!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

back to PRESS