The 5th International Sports Film Festival Officially Opens
The 5th International Sports Film Festival officially opened with the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to distinguished figures in sports and film.
This year’s recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Awards are Svetlana Kitić, Janica Kostelić, Dražen Dalipagić, Dane Korica, Bojan Križaj, Slavko Kuzmanović, Milena Dravić, and Dragan Nikolić.
At the opening of the event, attendees were welcomed by Milan Stamatović, President of the Municipality of Čajetina.
“In our development strategies, we invest significant efforts and substantial resources into sports infrastructure. We believe that events like this will further contribute to positioning Zlatibor as a venue for major international events, organizations, and tourism-related manifestations,” said Stamatović. He concluded his address by expressing gratitude to sports professionals who have contributed to promoting sports among younger generations.
Arsen Đurić, President of the Festival Council, emphasized in his speech that Zlatibor’s tourism and film sectors are becoming a well-coordinated partnership that attracts both the film industry and the tourism community.
“The Municipality of Čajetina and Zlatibor have, for decades, demonstrated their ability to recognize true values, achieving prestigious results. In tourism, as is well known, continuous investment in content and offer is essential for success and increased visitation,” Đurić stated.
Nikolay Parakhovnik, Festival Selector and founder of the “Atlant” Sports Film Festival, also addressed the audience. He expressed his pleasure at returning to Zlatibor and proposed that the Zlatibor Sports Film Festival represent Serbia in the international association of sports film festivals, which currently brings together 14 countries. Such a step would significantly enhance Zlatibor’s international visibility and recognition.
The Festival was officially opened by Aleksandar Šoštar, President of the Sports Federation of Serbia. He welcomed attendees and highlighted the Federation’s ongoing efforts to improve conditions for sports development.
“We recognized the value of this festival from the very beginning and became its partners. This is its fifth anniversary, and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones together, while also wishing our athletes great success at the Olympic Games,” Šoštar noted.
Following the opening ceremony, Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to the honorees.
Bojan Križaj, the renowned skier of former Yugoslavia and Slovenia, remarked that athletes share a deep sense of nostalgia and strong emotions when competitors from the region perform.
“To be part of such a great family is truly an honor, and this recognition shows that we still belong to it,” Križaj stated.
Dražen Dalipagić noted that this was the first award he had received in the past twenty years.
On this occasion, a special recognition was also awarded to Jovo Petijević, a distinguished sculptor whose works are exhibited at the “Srbija” Congress Center.
The opening ceremony was also attended by members of the Serbian Paralympic team, Miloš Zarić and Nebojša Đurić, who will represent Serbia at the Paralympic Games in Brazil.