Jelena Medakovic

Book Fair

06.march 2026 Sonja Ciric

Publishers were not elected to the Board of the Book Fair

The Assembly of the City of Belgrade decided that the new Board of the Book Fair will not include publishers, as was the case until now. Jelena Medaković, secretary for culture of the city, says that the number of members has only been reduced for better functioning. The Association of Publishers and Booksellers of Serbia is seeking a new Board election

Culture of Belgrade

28.February 2026. Sonja Ciric

Jelena Medaković: Budget cuts will not affect culture

The rebalancing of the budget of the city of Belgrade for this year reduced the budget for culture by 18 percent. The city secretary for culture says that the institutions will not feel it

The Bitef case

13.February 2026. Sonja Ciric

Who manages Bitef if it is not the Board, as prescribed by law

Given that the City Assembly rejected the Bitef Board's proposal that Andraš Urban prepare the program for this year's festival, does this mean that the Board is not actually at the head of Bitef, as stated in the decision of the same City Assembly

Party

07.February 2026. Sonja Ciric

Fest selector Dragan Jeličič: The program for the Fest in October is ready

Dragan Jeličić, the Fest selector, says that the program of this festival, which will be held in October, has been completed, while the four films during the two-day Fest intro in February will be the announcement of the 53rd and not the 55th Fest, as it should have been, if there had not been an "impermissible break" of two and a half years.

Party

22.January 2026 B. B.

Former members of the Fest Board: We were dismissed without explanation

The former members of the Fest Board learned about the change from the press release of the Secretary of Culture, and they doubt that without a professional strategy and analysis of past mistakes, further development of the manifestation will be possible.

Changes in culture

20.January 2026 Sonja Ciric

Fest, Bitef, Bemus...: 56 new officials were appointed to leading positions in culture

At the session of the Belgrade City Assembly, 56 officials were appointed to management positions in cultural institutions and events. So now Lazar Ristovski is on the Festa Board, and the president is Jelena Medaković, Secretary for Culture of Belgrade

Personnel

18.January 2026 S. Ć.

Bitef got a new Board and President Spasoj Ž. Milovanović

Playwright Spasoje Ž. Milovanović is the new president of the Bitef Board. He likes to drive fast, so the National Theater in Nis, where he was the director until recently, has to pay a fine

Interview

06.January 2026 Sonja Ciric

Jelena Medaković: 2025 is a warning for everyone who will decide on Bitef and Fest

The festival remake in February, the introduction of festival artistic directors, fairer distribution of the budget, are some of the announcements for 2026 by the secretary of culture of Belgrade, Jelena Medaković

Festivals

14.November 2025 S. Ć.

Jelena Medaković: Fest in February, and Bitef has no legal basis to hold it

Secretary of Culture Jelena Medaković believes that the next Fest should be held in February, and that the Bitef festival has no legal basis to be held this year. At the same time, Miloš Lolić is preparing the guerilla Bitef for December

Culture of the City of Belgrade

27.October 2025 S. Ć.

Jelena Medaković: I will work to ensure that Bitef and Fest remain big festivals

The new secretary of culture of the City of Belgrade, Jelena Medaković, announces the changes in the atmosphere in culture this "inconvenient year", and believes that Bitef and Fest should be helped to remain great festivals