Logo Serbian Film Commission / Photo Credit: VFX Serbia - Serbia Film Commission
SERBIA CINEMA… (In the Entertainment
industry. History of Serbia Cinema)
Bruce
Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.
Serbia Cinema
Serbia Film Commission
Emerge Films Solutions
History
For almost 120 years, Serbian film has been following the
world’s trends, and numerous awards confirm the top quality of Serbian
cinematography.
Only six months after the first moving images were
presented in Paris in 1896, the representatives of the Lumière brothers have
presented the first film to Serbian audience in the kafana (traditional tavern)
“Kod zlatnog krsta“ (At the golden cross) in Belgrade. Even the royal couple,
Aleksandar and Natalija Obrenović, attended the first cinema show.
Serbian cinematography has never been too far from the worlds,
which is proven by the fact that 12 movies, some of which can still be seen in
the Yugoslav Film Archive in Belgrade, were filmed in Serbia before World War
II.
Serbian cinematography has had numerous fruitful stages
and one of the most popular and most important is the tradition of “partisan
films” with some of the best achievements of Serbian and Yugoslav
cinematography. Not even the biggest film stars like Orson Welles, Richard
Burton and Yul Brynner resisted the temptation to play in partisan films.
The most expensive
Yugoslav film was a partisan film “The Battle of Neretva” with the budget of 4,
5 million dollars and more than 10,000 soldiers participating as extras. The
popularity of this genre surpassed all frontiers, even the language
limitations, since these movies have become highly popular even in India and
China. In China, a Serbian actor Velimir Bata Živojinović is still recognized
as “Valter” from the famous “Valter defends Sarajevo” partisan film.
Serbia has recently become a desirable location for
filming Hollywood blockbusters. Untouched nature of extraordinary beauties,
historical locations as if they were made for film sets and hospitable hosts
always ready to help, attract the attention of numerous producers. The
celebrated actor Ralph Fiennes came to Serbia and filmed “Coriolanus“, his
directorial debut. Gerard Butler also filmed here and walked the streets of
Belgrade to the delight of all the local girls.
In 2011 Serbia has celebrated the 100th anniversary of the
first film made in Serbia. The movie was named “Karađorđe“. It is about the
life and work of the eponymous leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the
Ottoman rule, and was found in the Austrian film archive after six decades of
searching. The oldest documentary is “Krunisanje kralja Petra I
Karadjordjevića” (The Crowning of the King Petar I Karadjordjević) shot in
1904, and can nowadays be seen in the Yugoslav Film Archive or Film Archives in
Belgrade.
Serbian theatre and cinema
Serbia has a well-established theatrical tradition with
many theatres. The Serbian National Theatre was established in 1861 with its
building dating from 1868. The company started performing opera from the end of
the 19th century and the permanent opera was established in 1947. It
established a ballet company.
Bitef, Belgrade International Theatre Festival, is one of
the oldest theatre festivals in the world. New Theatre Tendencies is the
constant subtitle of the Festival. Founded in 1967, Bitef has continually
followed and supported the latest theater trends. It has become one of five
most important and biggest European festivals. It has become one of the most
significant culture institutions of Serbia.
The cinema was established reasonably early in Serbia with
12 films being produced before the start of World War II. The most notable of
the prewar films was Mihailo Popovic's The Battle of Kosovo in 1939.
Cinema prospered after World War II. The most notable
postwar director was Dušan Makavejev who was internationally recognized for
Love Affair: Or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator in 1969 focusing
on Yugoslav politics. Makavejev's Montenegro was made in Sweden in 1981. Zoran
Radmilović was one of the most notable actors of the postwar period.
Serbian cinema continued to make progress in the 1990s and
today despite the turmoil of the 1990s. Emir Kusturica won two Golden Palms for
Best Feature Film at the Cannes Film Festival, for When Father Was Away on
Business in 1985 and then again for Underground in 1995. In 1998, Kusturica won
a Silver Lion for directing Black Cat, White Cat.
As at 2001, there were 167 cinemas in Serbia (excluding
Kosovo) and over 4 million Serbs went to the cinema in that year. In 2005, San
zimske noći (A Midwinter Night's Dream) directed by Goran Paskaljević caused
controversy over its criticism of Serbia's role in the Yugoslav wars in the
1990s.
Several Serbian-American filmmakers have established a
loose, intellectual multi-media making tradition, working within prominent
academic institutions and also creating works marked by high stylistic
experimentation. Three figures here would include Slavko Vorkapic, creator of
famed montage sequences for Hollywood films and Dean of the USC Film School;
Vlada Petric, television and film director, archivist, and founding curator of
the Harvard Film Archive; and Vladan Nikolic, creator of the Zenith film and
transmedia project as well as Professor at the New School for Social Media in
New York City.
Emerge Films Solutions
Serbia Film & Photography Production Services
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production
company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in
Serbia? We have fully vetted, locally based fixers, service producers,
directors, DP’s, videographers, cameramen, photographers, sound operators,
production drivers, and a range of other film crew. Contact us for referrals,
questions, cost estimates and references.
Want to know more about shooting in Serbia? See below for
an introduction to Serbia locations, permits, when to shoot, costs, talent,
crews, equipment, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits,
film friendly hotels, transport, communications and safety advice.
Serbia Film Locations
Serbia features a wide range of architectural styles
including Habsburg, Eastern Bloc, Roman, Medieval and contemporary. Locations
of interest to filmmakers and photographers include the bustling capital of
Belgrade, picturesque town of Novi Sad, Manasija Monastery fortress, Golubac
Fortress ruins, Djavolja Varos rock formations, Djerdap National Park, Tara
National Park, Kopaonik ski resort, vineyards, wheat and corn fields.
Serbia has hosted films such as 2016’s The Forest.
Serbia Film Location Permits
Depending on the size and scope of your shoot location
permits may be required from one or multiple government departments. For
instance, specific permits are required for drone filming, controlling public
space, using pyrotechnics, or filming in national parks. Please contact us for
location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Serbia has hot, humid summers (June to September) in the
north and hot, dry summers in the south. Summer is the best time to film for
weather. Winters (December to March) are very cold with snow in the mountains.
For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Serbian festivals and events of interest to filmmakers and
photographers include the Guca Trumpet Festival August, and Leskovac Grill
Festival in September.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs.
See here for public holiday dates in Serbia.
Costs & Tax Incentives
Costs. In general Serbia is a cost competitive place to
shoot. Serbia trades in the Dinar which offers a favorable exchange rate for
visiting western productions. Belgrade is the main production centre and all
must travel from there adding to those costs. Our Serbian service producer /
fixer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of
production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Serbia offers eligible productions a 25%
cash rebate for feature films, TV series, animation films and visual effects,
TV commercials and documentaries.
The program requires minimum local spend of:
• EUR 300.000 for feature films (at least 70 minutes) and
TV series (at least 3 episodes, 40 min per episode)
• EUR 150.000 for animation (at least 70 minutes) and post
production
• EUR 100.000 for TV commercials
• EUR 50.000 for documentaries (at least 70 minutes)
Film production firms are also eligible for VAT rebates
for locally purchased commodities and services. VAT in Serbia is 20% with
accommodation and catering incurring a 10% VAT.
Film Crew & Talent
Crew. Serbia has a good pool of local directors, directors
of photography and stills photographers. Local crews are hardworking, speak
English and have extensive experience in servicing international productions.
Crews are non-union and day rates are among the most competitive in Eastern
Europe. Serbia’s close proximity to major European production centers allows
easy access to those crews should you ever need to look further.
Contact us if you are looking for a Belgrade based
director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera
assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and
makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot
in Serbia.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Serbia
offers mainly Serbian looking talent with minorities from the former Yugoslavia
also available. Its close proximity to other major European production centers
allows easy access those pools of talent should you ever need to look further.
Serbia Film Equipment
Equipment. All the camera, grip and lighting standard
equipment is available locally in Serbia. Additional and specialized gear can
be easily brought in from nearby European production centers. For aerial
filming check out Heli Production.
For productions looking to bring in film equipment Serbia
is an ATA carnet country.
Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction are up to international
standards. Work can be seen in Serbia’s hosting of Eurovision 2008 as well as
numerous international commercials and feature films including Brothers Bloom.
Studios. Serbia has some very good studio facilities
ranging from small studios to a large, modern facility featuring 9 sound
studios, fully serviced production offices, and a 12 hectare backlot.
Post Production. Serbia offers a range of state of the art
post facilities including VFX studios, sound design, animation, and complete
post production solutions. Post production companies have experience servicing
western clients of the highest caliber.
Visas & Work Permits
Serbia is not a Schengen Area member country. Crews
travelling on western passports can enter Serbia visa-free for stays of up to
90 days. Work permits are not required to film in Serbia.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Roads in cities and main
roads are well maintained. Rural roads are slower going. Belgrade is located
less than a 2 hour flight from major European and Middle Eastern hubs. Many
international airlines service flights to Belgrade.
Accommodation. Contact us for recommended film friendly
hotels in Belgrade. For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Hotels of note include:
Hotel Townhouse 27
Final Notes
Safety. It is a very safe place to film. See here for up
to date travel advice.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills
campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content,
feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Serbia.
Hire Serbia Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production
service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Serbia, please
contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in
Serbia, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera
operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer,
stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and
bids quickly.
Sources,
References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked
In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The
Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative
Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film
Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of
Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Emerge Film
Solutions, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, The History of Serbian Culture, "Film
and cinematography (1896-1993)". The history of Serbian Culture. Rastko, Dusan
T. Bjelic: "Global Aesthetics and the Serbian Cinema of the 1990s", Serbia.com
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Logo Serbian
Film Commission / Photo Credit: VFX Serbia - Serbia Film Commission
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