14th International Sports Film Festival opens
In the Cultural Center on Zlatibor on Thursday, August 21, in the presence of a large number of visitors, the 14th International Sports Film Festival was officially opened under the slogan “When sport is life, and life becomes a story”. The festival will last until August 24, 2025 and will gather sports and film fans, bringing a rich and varied program this year as well.
The festival began with the opening ceremony and the awarding of recognition for life’s work and exceptional contribution to sports and film, and the President of the Municipality of Čajetina, Milan Stamatović, addressed and welcomed the attendees.
Among this year’s awardees for outstanding contribution to sports, film and life’s work are:
- Žarko Paspalj (basketball player) was presented with the award by the president of the municipality of Čajetina, Milan Stamatović;
- Hrvoje Horvat (handball player) was presented with the award by Arsen Đurić, president of the Čajetina municipal assembly and president of the Festival’s organizing committee;
- Vuk Rašović (judoka) was presented with the award by Vladimir Živanović, director of the Zlatibor Tourist Organization;
- Fazlija Šaćirović (boxer), the award was received by Žikica Jovanović, the author of the film “Miracles are Possible”, while the award was presented to him by Nikola Novaković, director of the Zlatibor Tourist Complex;
- Sašo Ilijoski (sports journalist) was presented with the award by Bojana Božanić, director of JP “Gold gondola”;
- Dragoslav Kule Perišić (motorsport legend) was presented with the award by Mihailo Todorović, the founder of the Festival.
- Momcilo “Moc” Vukotić was posthumously awarded an award, which was received by his son Nikola Vukotić on behalf of the legendary footballer. The award was presented by Olivera Nikitović, director of the International Sports Film Festival.
- The festival program was completed with a film about the “Aleksandar Nikolić” basketball camp, which won the Lifetime Achievement Award “Gold Gondola”, in front of whom the award was received by the director of the camp Duško Pavićević and the founder of the camp Bata Đorđević, the award was presented by Danica Šišović, director of the Zlatibor Cultural Center. An exhibition dedicated to this camp was held in the gallery of the Cultural Center.
- The special award “Charter Hero of Sports and Life Nataša Kovačević” was presented to Paralympian Aleksandar Radišić. The award was presented by Velizar Đerić – president of the supervisory board of the Sports Federation of Serbia and a member of the festival council.
The opening ceremony was followed by the screening of the film “Guardians of Tradition”, the presentation of the players of the Basketball Club “Zlatibor” for the upcoming season, as well as the live broadcast of the basketball game Serbia – Slovenia in front of the Cultural Center. The evening was rounded off with the film “The First Champion’s Balcony”.
The International Sports Film Festival, which is traditionally held in Zlatibor, once again confirms the importance of sports as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for film art, and this event represents a unique opportunity to promote sports values, history and heroes through the lens of the camera.
You can see the Festival program for the following days at the following link.