After the postponement of its 12th edition, Bašta Fest—an international short fiction film festival held in Bajina Bašta under the slogan “Start from your own yard!”—will take place from October 24 to 26 this year.

The organizers released a statement: “Following the postponement, this year’s edition will feature a program adapted to the current situation and the circumstances our country is facing. The conditions under which the festival is being organized are far from easy and reflect the challenges seen across all areas of society in our country today, especially in the field of culture. The results of the Ministry of Culture’s funding call for this year have yet to be announced, and theaters are shutting down.  Artists are being censored. Out of a sense of responsibility to our partners and other factors that impact the future, sustainability, and continuity of the festival, we have made the decision to move forward with the event. Staying true to the core goals of our festival, we aim to bring a high-quality film program to the Bašta Fest audience and give young filmmakers the opportunity to have their films seen. This scaled-down edition of the festival will focus on two main components: film and education. Over three days, we will screen films in the local cinema and open up space for dialogue and exchange, all within the warm and familiar hospitality of Bajina Bašta.”

The film and educational programs originally planned for the July edition remain unchanged. The competition program will feature 27 short fiction films from 17 countries, including 5 from Serbia. Over the three days, audiences will have the opportunity to see films from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, France, Brazil, Turkey, Lithuania, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Iran, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Malaysia, and the UK.

The festival will be opened by actress Nevena Nerandžić, and the debut feature ’78 Days’ by director Emilija Gašić will close it.

This year’s jury consists of actress Tamara Dragičević, Croatian director Andrija Mardešić, and Montenegrin producer Jelena Mišeljić. The Best Camera award will be decided by a single-member professional jury: cinematographer Marko Cile Mladenović. The Youth Jury, high school students from Bajina Bašta, will decide on their Best Film award. This year’s members are: Ivana Lukić, Pavle Živanović, Katarina Purković, Jovana Đurić, and Anđela Živanović, mentored by director Mina Đukić.

The Bašta Pitch workshop will host 10 young authors who will present 5 short fiction film projects.

All programs are free and will take place at the “Vlaja” Cinema in Bajina Bašta.