STARTING SUNDAY, 40 FILMS WILL BE SCREENED

TREBINJE, JULY 25 /SRNA/ - The 13th Festival of Mediterranean and European Film will open at Freedom Square in Trebinje on Sunday, July 27, announced the Festival’s artistic director, Predrag Milojević, adding that this year's recipients of the Golden Sycamore Award are actresses Ljiljana Dragutinović and Ksenija Marinković.

Throughout the six-day Festival, 40 films from 17 countries will be screened.

The Festival, this year held under the motto "The Time of Fresh Film," will open at 20:30, when this year's laureates will receive their awards.

Film screenings will take place at five locations across the city: the summer stage of the Youth Center, the Herzegovina Museum, the cinema hall of the Cultural Center, the National Library of Trebinje, and the terrace of the Leotar Hotel.

The Golden Sycamore Award is presented for an outstanding contribution to Euro-Mediterranean film, and the Festival's artistic director Predrag Milojević announced that starting this year, the Golden Hackberry – the Festival's Grand Prix – will also be awarded, alongside the Great Charter of Leotar.

"In addition to the best in special categories – such as best actor, actress, director, Mediterranean film, and European film – the film that is, without a doubt, considered the best of the Festival by the audience will receive the Golden Hackberry Award," said Milojević.

He noted that, among others, the Serbian-Greek co-production Lazar's Path, the film Nevesinje Rifle – A Shot That Echoes Through the Centuries, as well as a documentary by Trebinje journalist Ratomir Mijanović titled Where Are You Heading, My Grandfathers?, will be screened.

The Head of the City Department of Culture, Slađana Skočajić, said that the City of Trebinje supports the Festival.

"The organizers have made an exceptional effort this year. We have 40 films, including very interesting short and documentary films, and I invite viewers to attend the screenings," said Skočajić.

In addition to book promotions and an exhibition, the Festival’s accompanying program also includes the traditional coffee and mingling with actors, which this year will take place at Hotel Leotar. The opening of the Festival will be enriched by a concert featuring Filip Zmaher and Ivana Ćosić, along with the band Black and White.

The Festival is sponsored by the City of Trebinje and the Audio-Visual Center of Republika Srpska, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.