A few days before the end of 2025, the tenth festival has been cancelled "Picture in Motion", one of the most important filming events in the region.
In the explanation of the organizers of the festival, the Serbian Association of Cinematographers, it is written that the festival for its jubilee edition this year did not receive the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Provincial Secretariat, nor the City of Novi Sad, where it was held in previous years, and that is why it will not be held.
List of cancelled festivals
Cancellation of festivals, changes in dates, programs and similar complications were one of the characteristics of last year's cultural life in Serbia.
Absence was the most noticeable in the public Bitefa i Party - were postponed and planned in new terms, and expected until the last second. However, the local authorities felt that some other, for example, national manifestations should be financially supported, and that Serbia has no need for these two world-renowned festivals.
There was no mood for the March Documentary and Short Film Festival in Belgrade, which is one of the oldest film festivals in Europe.
The Festival of the feature-length documentary film "Seven Magnificent" was canceled as a sign of protest against repressive measures against culture. The Actors Association canceled its famous Film Meetings in Niš due to social and political circumstances. The choir festival "Slobodan Bursać" in Zrenjanin refused to be part of the Capital of Culture program run by SNS.
Due, allegedly, to the impossibility of organization, the Belgrade Rock Festival, the Subotica Craft Beer Festival, the short film festival Bašta Fest were not held, and the Metal-underground Lazarus Fest was canceled under pressure from the Lazarevac authorities.
Several festivals changed the program to avoid performers who would call the audience to protest against the government from the stage.
Photo: PromoGoblins, they are the ones who are the most
started
The first was Days of Beer in Zrenjanin, which thanked Goblins for their participation because they don't want "performers that have political connotations at the moment." Then, just in case, Zemun Fest gave up on concerts and reduced the entire program to showing films, Zajecar's guitarriad replaced unsuitable performers with those who are favorable to the government, which is why she had no audience, the Belgrade Beer Fest also turned out to be a complete fiasco.
What next
With such experience, it is impossible to know what will happen to existing festivals in 2026.
One of the possible answers is that the government will replace them with some of its own festivals, according to its taste, as it replaced the Niš Film Meetings. Meetings at the Fortress which, because of the literally empty auditorium, was called the Festival of Empty Chairs.
The first edition of the National Film and Television Festival in Zlatibor was also empty, where films were shown mainly according to the criteria of this government, but without the film workers who boycotted it in unison.
Who will not be there?
It is known for sure that it will not happen in 2026 Exit Festival in Novi Sad or anywhere in Serbia because it was denied state co-financing.
Photo: ArchiveWas Exit punished because of Pumpaj?
It is not certain whether it will be possible to hold Sterija Pozorje, the largest theater festival in the country, because the state will not support those who support students, such as Pozorje. The same applies to Nashville, the most important jazz festival in Serbia.
Who will survive?
There is no reason not to hold Guča, the traditional assembly of trumpeters, LoveFest in Vrnjačka banja, and the like, which are there primarily for tourism.
Bitef and Fest expect to be held, at least that's how it is hinted by Jelena Medaković, Secretary of Culture of the City in mid-November. The March festival also wishes to be held with a program in two years.
What will surely be held
The year 2026 will begin with a new festival: from January 30 to February 6, the first Belgrade Film Festival.
It was initiated by a group of film enthusiasts led by the distribution company MegaCom film, with the intention of showing mainstream titles to the citizens of Belgrade.
They emphasize that this festival has nothing to do with the Fest, nor was it created because the Fest was canceled, so the distributors were left without a festival where they can show their films. They emphasize that this is a private festival, and that they are making it without any help from the city government.
The Belgrade Games Festival will also be held from March 13 to April 8. The program has already been announced: more than 30 choreographic performances from 14 countries, which confirms its rank as one of the most important artistic dance festivals in the world.
Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac has already announced early ticket sales and the date of this music festival from June 25 to 27.
And, that would be all for now.
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