ZAFRANOVIĆ RECEIVES ŽIVOJIN ŽIKA PAVLOVIĆ AWARD

BELGRADE, MAY 28 /SRNA/ – Film director Lordan Zafranović has been named the recipient of the honorary Živojin Žika Pavlović Award for the promotion of Balkan cinematography worldwide, organisers of the Balkan Film Directing, to be held from June 10 to14 in Belgrade, announced.

According to the Festival Council’s explanation, Zafranović, a student of the renowned Prague film school, has left an indelible mark on cultural heritage, Balkan cinema, and its international promotion.

Zafranović achieved this through works ranging from films now regarded as classics of European cinema, such as “Occupation in 26 Pictures”, “The Fall of Italy”, and “Evening Bells”, to the long-awaited “Golden Ratio”, whose local and world premiere is expected later this year. The Council includes Predrag Miki Manojlović, Nenad Pavlović, Mladen Đorđević, and Miloš Škundrić.

Lordan Zafranović is the 15th recipient of the award, whose previous winners include Manojlović, Dragan Nikolić, Emir Kusturica, Milcho Manchevski, Slobodan Šijan, and Miša Radivojević.

On the occasion, Zafranović recalled meeting Žika Pavlović at the Federal Amateur Film Festival held in December 1962 at the Army House in Sarajevo, where Pavlović won first prize in the feature film category and Zafranović received second prize for his first film, “Sunday”.

“That is where we met and shook hands during the awards ceremony. It was the handshake of two almost identical lives. We lived nearly the same life for an entire century and made films that at times provoked devastating criticism from the prevailing ideology, bans, rejection, and relocation to other film centres. That is why this award, bearing the name of the great Živojin Pavlović, is precious to me, and I still feel his handshake. Thank you,” Zafranović said.

The Balkan Film Directing Festival will be held from June 10 to 14 at the cinemas Open Air Cinema Rajićeva and “Takwood” in Belgrade.

The festival will open under the stars in the city centre, in Rajićeva Street, featuring an open-air screening atmosphere, meetings with distinguished actors and filmmakers, and a carefully selected programme turning Belgrade into the region’s film stage during those days.

A special part of the programme will take place at Open Air Cinema Rajićeva, where audiences will be able to enjoy free outdoor screenings.

Audiences will be able to watch films in three competition sections: the main competition programme “Awakening of the Balkans”, selected by Darko Bajić, featuring the region’s best films; the international selection “Mysteries of Film”, inspired by the work of renowned director Dušan Makavejev; and the third competition section, “Return to Genre,” featuring works chosen by Croatian director Vinko Brešan.

The jury will also present a Special Jury Award for outstanding achievement in one of the following fields: acting, screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, scenography, costume design, or sound design.