Bašta Fest, an international short fiction film festival held in Bajina Bašta, presented itself at the Adriatic Film Festival in Pescara, Italy. As part of promoting the festival, as well as Serbian short films and young filmmakers, Bašta Fest has been working for years on developing a network and cooperation with festivals across Europe. This was the first time the festival presented its program in Italy.

Bašta Fest was represented by its Artistic Director Maja Šuša within the Co-production Forum, where the Serbian film “The Smell of Fresh Paint”, directed by young filmmaker Nađa Petrović, was screened. The film won the Best Balkan Film Award, which Maja Šuša accepted following the screening. The Smell of Fresh Paint will also be featured in the competition program of Bašta Fest, which will be held for the 12th time from July 3 to July 6, 2025, in Bajina Bašta.

“Our mission is to promote young regional filmmakers, as well as the short film format, and it’s wonderful that the film we selected—Nađa’s—was the one to receive an award. Every opportunity to connect with other festivals is a big deal for us because it allows us to share experiences, promote our own festival, and open doors for new partnerships and funding. We hope to have the chance to host the Adriatic Film Festival team in Bajina Bašta soon,” said Maja Šuša.