The 75th Cannes Film Festival started yesterday and will last until May 28th 2022, and Film Center Serbia again has a delegation present at this film event of exceptional importance.

“Film Center Serbia is part of the Cannes Market, which is the most important cinematography fair during the year,” said Gordan Matić, director of Film Center Serbia, in a statement for our website. “The market in Cannes is a hub and starting point (sometimes the final) point of funds, professional, state and film projects, agreements or contracts. A place that cannot be avoided if you want to be on the big stage, sometimes as a participant, and sometimes just to understand and follow the development and trends of the industry at all levels. Our small delegation is working on a number of different challenges that should improve our cinematography.”

The FCS catalog for Cannes is available at our booth, photo: FCS

During the Cannes Market, negotiations on the participation of Serbian films in the “In Focus” program will be finalized, as well as services at two very prestigious film festivals with which it has been negotiating for two years. All this, says Matić, will increase the visibility of our film industry in parts of the world where we have not been so present and visible so far.

Gordan Matić in Cannes, photo: FCS

The director of the Film Center of Serbia added: “Our delegation will participate in the annual meeting of European Film Funds (EFAD) and the European Film Academy (EFA), as well as our partner regional funds such as See Cinema Network and React. Important meetings await us with the directors of regional funds on the harmonization of the rules for the synchronization of the calendar for minority co-productions. More than 30 meetings with interested producers and experts from all over the world have been arranged in advance. Meetings at the highest level of cinematographic cooperation have been set up, with representatives from South Korea, Turkey, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. ”

Cannes 2022, ohoto: Vera Bakajić

One film made with the support of the Film Center of Serbia will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, in the selection “Fifteen Days of Authors” (“Quinzaine des réalisateurs”). It is The Dam (original title: “السّد”, French title: “Le Barrage”) directed by Lebanese director Ali Sherry, a film co-produced by Serbian film company Trilema Films. “It is a great pleasure to point out that Serbia will once again have one film in the official program of Cannes,” Matić points out. “This time it is a minority co-production with France, Senegal, Germany and Canada. The Dam will have its world premiere on May 24th at 5 pm local time. ”

The most spectacular film festival in the world is returning in full glory this year, with a large audience and famous guests who will walk the famous Croisette from May 17 to 28. New films by David Cronenberg, the Darden brothers, James Gray, Park Chan-wook, Claire Denise, Christian Mundjiu, Kirill Srebrenikov, Jerzy Skolimowski  are all in the running for the Golden Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

When we asked him what the Cannes Festival looks like now that the situation with the covid pandemic has more or less normalized, Matić answered: “The whole world has changed since the last ‘normal’ edition of the most prestigious film event on the planet. However, the effort to make a glamorous comeback can be noticed at every step of the French Riviera. There is a strong desire to make up for the gloomy reality in Europe with new illusions and priorities. And the priorities have changed. We must boldly look to the future and find a way to become an important part of it – including dreams on canvas. “