The 35th Belgrade International Film Festival FEST 2007 was (as every year), prepared and organized with great care and attention. Regarding the fact that this festival is one of the most important cultural events in Serbia, it is indeed, recognizable the maximum improvement of overall quality of the program and the highest possible level in organization, in every segment. The guest of honor of FEST 2007, was Bob Rafelson an exceptional director with nominated four Academy Awards and manager of the band from 60s The Monkeees, a huge personality in film industry, in regards to the fact that he launched world stars such Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lang. Mr. Rafelson came to Belgrade’s opening straight from Aspen Ski Center on time to open the festival.

This year program exhibited about 50 films, acquired independently with total number of 130 000 people that visited the festival. As usual, festival’s policy is to present worldwide important films as well as awarded films, as in a role model of recently past Berlin Film Festival. This year festival audience saw: “Apocalypto” by Mel Gibson, “Black Book” by Paul Verhoeven, “Goya’s Ghosts” by Milosh Forman, “The Queen” by Stephen Frears, “Little Miss Sunshine” by Johnatan Dayton&Valerie Faris, “Marie Antonette” by Sofia Coppola, “Breaking and Entering” by Anthony Minghella, “The Road to Guantanamo” by Michael Winterbottom, “A Prairie Home Companion” by Robert Altman, “The Boss of it All” by Lars von Trier, “Babel” by Alejandro Gonyales Inarrity, “Volver” by Pedro Almodovar, “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima” by Clint Eastwood etc…Further development of this festival was a business program segment called B2B, with the decision that program called Europe out of Europe is first time this year a competitive. B2B program attracted numerous interested partners from Europe, several national cinematography and domestic film production. Launched B2B professional brunt of the festival introduced competition program of the B2B project.

Special homage of the festival this year was given to a German film. Among big premiers this time, festival held seven domestic film premiers, as well as Croatian Film “Melon route” by Branko Schmidt, (film with Grand Prix on Montpellier Festival, Golden Arenas on Pula Film Festival and Octavian Award on Dubrovnik Film Festival) and “Armin” by Ognjen Svilacic in the program reserved for ex Yugoslavian films. I would also like to mention domestic film industry and film “The Trap” by Srdan Golubovic, young and promising Serbian film director: film that has officially opened 35th International Film Festival, FEST 2007. Film “The Trap” had a premier on Berlin Film Festival in February 2007 and was announced as a first Serbian thriller (a version of “crime and punishment”). “The Trap” is now on the list of the best films in Hollywood Reporter Magazine.
The Film Critic Jury and festival members of national section Yu FIPRESCI Award on FEST 2007 reviewed all films and awarded German film “The Lives of Others” (Das Leben den Anderen) by Florian Henkel fon Donersmark, for very convincing and dramatic way of supervision during the regime time that can get “superorwelian” outcomes, film already awarded on other festivals. Jury of the “Europe out of Europe” festival competition, decided to award film “To get to Heaven first you need to die” by Djamshed Usmonov for its original characters and seductive performances, and a story which takes on a journey that’s never predictable, but always convincing. Eventually, there was a special mention of a young Bosnian actor Armin Omerovic (a dazzling little star) for his beautifully understated and touching performance in two films screened at the 35th International Film Festival FEST 2007 “Armin” by Ognjen Svilicic and “The Melon route” by Branko Schmidt.

From Belgrade by Radmila Djurica