Cinema of Serbia

The Cinema of Serbia refers to the film industry and films made in Serbia or by Serbian filmmakers. Serbia, both as an independent state and as part of Yugoslavia, has created many films that are known and loved around the world. Many important movies from the Balkans come from Serbia, and these films have been very popular and successful. Serbian filmmakers have made a big impact on cinema, sharing stories and talents with people everywhere.

History of cinema

Kingdom of Serbia (1896–1917)

André Carr, a representative of the Lumière brothers, was the first to project a motion picture in the Balkans and Central Europe in Belgrade on 6 June 1896. Serbian cinema began in 1911 with the release of the oldest movie in the Balkans, The Life and Deeds of the Immortal Vožd Karađorđe. Traveling cinemas moved through Serbia, showing films in rented halls or tents. The first permanent cinema opened in Belgrade in 1909, with more cinemas opening across the country. Modern-day Vojvodina province was part of Austria-Hungary, and cinema developed there around the same time, with the first cinema opening in Sombor in 1906.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941)

Cinema became established in Serbia, with 12 films produced before World War II. Notable filmmakers included Ernest Bošnjak, Aleksandar Lifka, Vladimir Totović, and Stanislav Krakov. In 1931, a new state law promoted domestic film production. Serbian poet Stanislav Vinaver and Boško Tokin were pioneers of film criticism and theory in the country. Notable films from this period include Sve radi osmeha, Rudareva sreća, Kralj Čarlstona, Grešnica bez greha, and Kroz buru i oganj. The most notable prewar film is Mihailo Popović's The Battle of Kosovo from 1939.

Republic of Yugoslavia (1945—1992)

After World War II, the new state formed the Federal Committee for Cinematography, and the Faculty of Dramatic Arts was founded. Most films produced were action, adventure, partisan, historical drama, documentary, and news films. Partisan films, set in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia with the partisan army as protagonists, became popular. These films often had large production scales and emotionally intense scenes. Notable directors and actors emerged during this time, with films like Captain Lechi, March on the Drina, and Battle of Neretva gaining international attention.

Cinema in the 1960s

The 1960s saw the rise of comedy films in Yugoslavia. Actors like Milena Dravić and Ljubiša Samardžić became popular, starring in many successful films. Comedy films such as A Trip Around the World and Ljubav i moda were well-received. Other genres like dramas and musicals also flourished, with actors like Olivera Marković and Đorđe Marjanović gaining fame.

Black Wave

The Black Wave was a period of non-traditional filmmaking in the early 1960s. Directors tackled darker themes and societal issues, earning international recognition. Films like When I Am Dead and Gone and It Rains in My Village won awards at major film festivals. Dušan Makavejev, known for Love Affair: Or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator, was a leading figure of this movement.

Cinema in the 1970s

The 1970s introduced new genres like horror with films such as The She-Butterfly. Comedy films remained popular, with series like Žika's Dynasty enjoying massive popularity. Romantic comedies featuring actors like Ljubiša Samardžić were also in demand. Notable films include Special Education, The Dog Who Loved Trains, and Fragrance of Wild Flowers.

Cinema in the 1980s

The 1980s saw the production of several notable comedies, including Who's Singin' Over There?, Balkan Express, The Marathon Family, and Balkan Spy. The Belgrade school of documentary film production was also prominent, winning numerous awards.

Cinema in the 1990s and early 2000s

During the 1990s, Bosnian Serb Emir Kusturica dominated the film world. His movie Underground won a Palme d'Or. Serbian-born director Stefan Arsenijević won the Golden Berlin Bear for his short movie (A) Torzija in 2003.

Republic of Serbia (2006—present)

After privatization, many cinemas in Belgrade closed. In 2014, a group occupied the abandoned Zvezda cinema, later renamed Novi Bioskop Zvezda. US blockbusters and major studio films dominate Serbian cinemas. Films by Srdan Golubović, such as Circles and Klopka, have won international awards. The Other Side of Everything by Mila Turajlić won a major award in 2017. Only two Serbian animated feature films were produced in this period: Noir and Edit i Ja.

Festivals and awards

FEST began in 1971 and has grown into one of the largest film festivals in Serbia and the surrounding area. The main prize at this festival is called the "Beogradski Pobednik", given to the best film.

The Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival, started in 1954, is still a key event for short, experimental, and documentary films.

The Küstendorf Film and Music Festival happens every January in the village of Drvengrad, which was created for making the movie Life Is a Miracle.

Other well-known festivals are BELDOCS - International Documentary Film Festival Belgrade, the Auteur Film Festival, the European Feature Documentary Film Festival Magnificent Seven, the International Film Directors' Festival LIFFE in Leskovac, and the Palić European Film Festival.

Notable people

Actors

Some of the most well-known Serbian actors include:

• Mija Aleksić
• Slobodan Aligrudić
• Rade Šerbedžija
• Neda Arnerić
• Mira Banjac
• Predrag Bjelac
• Dragan Bjelogrlić
• Žarko Laušević
• Petar Božović
• Predrag Miletić
• Vojislav Brajović
• Zoran Cvijanović
• Bogdan Diklić
• Anica Dobra
• Milena Dravić
• Sergej Trifunović
• Predrag Ejdus
• Taško Načić
• Bekim Fehmiu
• Mirjana Karanović
• Branka Katić
• Nikola Kojo
• Branislav Lečić
• Miki Manojlović
• Dragan Mićanović
• Dragan Nikolić
• Miodrag Petrović Čkalja
• Predrag Laković
• Dragan Maksimović
• Zoran Radmilović
• Lazar Ristovski
• Olivera Marković
• Rade Marković
• Jelisaveta Seka Sablić
• Mirjana Joković
• Ljubiša Samardžić
• Danilo Stojković
• Mira Stupica
• Nataša Šolak
• Slavko Štimac
• Sonja Savić
• Ljuba Tadić
• Bora Todorović
• Vesna Trivalić
• Srđan Todorović
• Pavle Vujisić
• Bata Živojinović
• Dragan Jovanović
• Slobodan Beštić
• Stevo Žigon
• Petar Kralj
• Danilo Lazović
• Milorad Mandić
• Svetozar Cvetković
• Tanja Bošković
• Jasna Đuričić
• Boris Komnenić
• Nenad Jezdić
• Ljubomir Bandović
• Milan Gutović
• Aleksandar Berček
• Nebojša Glogovac
• Nataša Ninković
• Dubravka Mijatović
• Miodrag Krivokapić
• Nikola Đuričko
• Nikola Pejaković
• Gorica Popović
• Gordan Kičić
• Vojin Ćetković
• Nebojša Dugalić
• Stefan Kapičić
• Miloš Timotijević
• Nikola Rakočević
• Vuk Kostić
• Miloš Biković

Directors

Serbian cinema kept growing in the 1990s and today, even during difficult times. Emir Kusturica won two top prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, one for When Father Was Away on Business in 1985 and another for Underground in 1995. In 1998, he won a big award for directing Black Cat, White Cat.

• Timothy John Byford
• Srđan Dragojević
• Emir Kusturica
• Peter Bogdanovich
• Dušan Makavejev
• Goran Marković
• Gojko Mitić
• Goran Paskaljević
• Živojin Pavlović
• Aleksandar Petrović
• Lazar Ristovski
• Slobodan Šijan
• Želimir Žilnik
• Boro Drašković
• Žika Mitrović
• Ljubiša Samardžić
• Nikola Ležaić
• Srdan Golubović
• Mila Turajlić
• Stefan Arsenijević

Diaspora

Many filmmakers with Serbian roots living in other countries have created interesting and creative works. Slavko Vorkapic made famous movie sequences and led the USC Film School, while Vlada Petrić helped start the Harvard Film Archive.

Serbian-born winners of big awards include Karl Malden, Steve Tesich and Peter Bogdanovich. Darko Tresnjak won a Tony Award, and Marina Zenovich won two Emmy Awards.

Well-known actors with Serbian heritage include Iván Petrovich, Brad Dexter, Lolita Davidovich, Branko Tomovic, Rada Rassimov, Nadja Regin, Rade Šerbedžija, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Alexander and Stana Katic.

Notable films

Main article: List of Serbian films

Serbia, both as its own country and as part of Yugoslavia, has created many well-known movies and directors. Many important films from the Balkan region come from Serbia and have been very popular with audiences.