Film Center of Serbia will not publish public tenders because 53 projects for which they have already given 13 million euros, it is not finished.
And here's why:
"Joint efforts of FCS and the Ministry of Culture they are currently focused on completing those projects, protecting already disbursed public grants and ensuring their responsible use. The goal is to establish a sustainable framework that will help preserve long-term stability," reads FCS's response to "an open letter sent to the media by several professional associations of film workers."
The decision is not publicly available.
This decision, although important for cinematography, is not publicly available, but is part of the FCS's response to "an open letter sent to the media by several professional associations of film workers". It is not on the FCS website, nor in the Current competitions section, nor in the Competition Calendar, nor in the Decisions and self-records.
Several associations to which FCS writes letters are actually - eight, which are all registered film associations. They did not send the open letter to the media but to the International Film Community as an "Urgent Appeal". The letter was sent on February 15th, immediately published in The Hollywood Reporter, and FCS responded on February 26th.
FCS is breaking the law.
FCS did not state on the basis of which law, regulation or decision it will pause with announcing the competition.
Article 18 of the Law on Cinematography (published on the website of the FCS) states that "twice a year, the Center announces and conducts a public tender in order to collect proposals for financing or co-financing domestic film production projects".
With the aforementioned decision on the break, the Film Center of Serbia is violating the law.
In Article 19 of the aforementioned Law, it is written that funds for encouraging domestic cinematography are provided from the budget.
There is no plan and program for this year on the FCS website.
How long is the break?
Then: the letter did not indicate how long he would be on break. Until all the movies they say they got money for are finished and not finished?
Filmmakers comment on this answer as an excuse from FCS why not a single competition has been announced for 14 months. They think it is money intended for cinematography directed to the Expo, which cannot be said publicly, so the FCS attacks the filmmakers, accusing them of not working even though they have been given government money.
Photo: Promo/Đorđe ArambašićMeeting of film associations in early February at FDU
The list of films that, as they say in the letter, received money from taxpayers in Serbia, is not known, nor are the sums given to them.
The filmmakers claim that the number of unfinished films cited by FCS is incorrect, that there are at most thirty of them, but that they have not exceeded the deadline in the contract either.
The deadline is five years. Three years is obtained under the contract with FCS, and since 2008 it has been allowed to be extended twice for one year, based on the recommendation of European practice, according to which a country of our size needs five years to realize a film. A sixth year is also possible, which the started films got because of the corona pandemic.
If 13 million euros are divided among 53 projects, each gets very little money - not enough to do anything.
Announcing the cancellation of the Film Center?
Encouraging domestic cinematography is the main task of the Film Center and the reason for its existence. If, judging by the decision on the pause in competitions, the FCS itself has given up its purpose, does this mean that the Ministry of Culture will see that it no longer needs the FCS?
The filmmakers suspect that the decision to pause the competition is actually a preparation for the abolition of the Film Center of Serbia.
Namely, even earlier, in the time before Nikola Selaković, there were ideas and proposals in the Ministry of Culture for FCS to transfer part of its responsibilities to the Ministry. Specifically, the impetus of cinematography. This means that the budget for the film would remain in To the Ministry, which would distribute it according to its discretion and taste.
That did not happen, but, who knows - maybe the new management of the Film Center of Serbia will suit exactly this division of work with the Ministry of Culture.
