Vancouver Serbian Film Festival 2013

Each year, the Vancouver Serbian FilmFest brings the best in current Serbian cinema over the course of four nights, with guest actors and filmmakers in attendance.

In its sixth year, the festival will be held at Collingwood Cinemas, 3215 Kingsway in East Vancouver.

This year’s highlights include:

Opening film Death of the Man in the Balkans
Winner of Best Film at the Panorama of European Cinema Festival, Death of the Man in the Balkans begins with a lonely composer committing suicide in his apartment. Neighbour Aca is the first to arrive on the scene, and decides to wait for the police. The neighbours pass the time as best they can, and eventually a wide variety of characters involved in the case make their way into the apartment.

Showing Tuesday March 12, 8pm, followed by Q&A with actress Natasa Ninkovic. Preceded by the Opening Ceremony, included with the purchase of a festival ticket.

Ginger: More Than a Game

Winner of Best Film at the Abuja International Film Festival & Best Foreign Feature Film at the Palermo International Sport Film Festival, Ginger is the story of Radivoj Korac, at his time the best basketball player in the world, member of FIBA Hall of Fame in Madrid, Olympic Silver medalist in 1968, and two time Silver medalist in the World Championships. Even his tragic, James Dean-like end in a car crash became a powerful metaphor. His life made him a star. His death made him a legend.Showing Wednesday, March 13, 7pm.

Redemption Street
Winner of Best Film at the Sofest in Sopot, Redemption Street features a young deputy prosecutor handling the investigation of war crimes. Determined to bring one case to a positive resolution, he finds a surviving soldier, which changes their lives in unpredictable ways and directly affects their families.

Showing Thursday March 14, 8:15pm.

Closing film Walter
A documentary with two parallel stories: One is a portrait of legendary Yugoslav war hero Vladimir Peric Valter, mostly known as a leader of an underground resistance that was killed on the day of Sarajevo’s liberation, April 6, 1945. The second portrait is of Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, legendary Serbian actor who made 330 films in a 55 year-long career. His most popular role was Valter inValter defends Sarajevo in 1972, probably seen by more people than any other movie in history, thanks to its popularity in China.

Showing March 15 at 7:30pm, followed by Q&A with Director Andrej Acin and Festival Closing Ceremony, included with the purchase of a festival ticket.

Tuesday, March 12 to Friday, March 15, 2013
Tickets to the festival are $16.50 or $55 for passes, available online or at the door.
For more information, visit www.vsfilmfest.com