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Sandro Veronesi
Sandro Veronesi is an Italian writer, born in Florence in 1959. He studied architecture and obtained a degree from University of Florence, graduating with a thesis on Victor Hugo. He opted for a writing career in his late twenties and today stands among Italy’s most acclaimed writers of literary fiction, as well as a poet, essayist, journalist, and playwright.
His first publicly performed text was the theatrical adaptation of Gogol’s Diary of a Madman into a monologue entitled Popriscin with which his brother debuted as an actor. Books of essays he has published include An Eye for an Eye: Four Cases of Death Penalty (1992), Live (1996), Super-album (2002), One God is Observing You (2016). His Ring City (2001) is considered a children’s book. He also wrote travelogues, theater plays, short stories, screenplays and other literary forms. His novels include Where Does This Jolly Train Ride To (1998), Touched Upon (1990), Come, come B-52 (1995), Force of the Past (2000), winning Viareggio and Campiello prizes, Quiet Chaos: A Novel (2005), which won him The Strega Prize, the most important Italian literary award, Burning Troy (2007), XY (2010), winner of the Superpremio Flaiano Award, Rare Elements (2014) and Hummingbird (2019). Say Nothing (2015) is an inquiry of the narrative actions in the Gospel of Mark, whose theatrical monodramatic version he performed himself. Sandro Veronesi collaborated with almost every literary magazine in Italy, but also with many other newspapers and magazines, including Corriere della Sera and La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Three films have been made from his novels: Force of the Past (2002) directed by Piergiorgio Gay premiered at the Venice Film Festival, Calm Chaos (2008) by Antonello Grimaldi was shown in Berlin, and Drifters (2011) by Matteo Rovere.
Veronesi is one of the founders of the publishing house La nave di Teseo, together with Umberto Eco. He has five children and lives between Rome and Prato in Tuscany.
Bojana Panić
Bojana Panić is a Serbian actress and model, born on May 24, 1985 in Belgrade. As a model, she worked for several major Parisian fashion houses, such as Dior and Chanel. In 2007, she made her film debut with the role of Galiota in Laurent Bouton’s film Jacquou le Croquant. This was followed by roles in the films Largo Winch (2008) by Jérôme Salle and Freedom (2009) by Tony Gatliff.
Muzaffarkhon Erkinov
Muzaffarkhon Erkinov is a film director and a producer from Uzbekistan. He graduated from Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture with a bachelor’s degree with honors, followed by a master’s degree in 2007 with honors, and completed his doctoral studies in 2011 specializing in Cinematic Arts. As a director, he has created eight feature films Unfulfilled dream (2008), Talent (2010), My only one (2013), Retribution (2014), Avlani (2019), Aydinlar (2021), Poincare (2022), Abdulla Oripov (2023). He has also directed television series: Saodat (2016, 2018), The Territory of Goodness (2017) and the historical series Avlani (2021). His work as a director brought him many accolades, both in Uzbekistan and internationally. He was awarded the Russian Television Academy Award in Chisinau, Moldova, for Saodat. Erkinov is a three-time laureate of the Grand Prix and Best Directorial Work for the three consecutive years at the International Film and Television Festival of the Bulgarian Film Academy. Aydinlar was awarded as Best Directorial Work at All-Ukrainian Film and Television Festival in Kiev.
In 2023, Poincare was awarded the Rio Bravo awards prize at the Asia Film Festival in Barcelona. That same year, his film Abdulla Oripov won Best Screenplay award at the Korkut Ota festival in Baku for and the Special Jury Prize at the Tashkent Film Festival. Among national awards he received are the Tasnanno Award of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the MTRK Uzbekistan Prize, and Golden Khumo.
Erkinov has produced more than 30 short films and documentaries, including Hopeful World, Baker, The Heart Cannot Express the Language, Beshkubi, Vlad, Destiny, Life Stops, The Value of Leisure, Guliston Becomes Boston, History of the National Parliament.
Vladan Radović
Vladan Radović is a cinematographer based in Rome, Italy. He was born in Sarajevo, where he graduated from classic secondary school. In 1996 he moved to Rome, to continue his education at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, prestigious Italian national film school, where he attended three-year-long cinematography course led by Giuseppe Rotunno. In 1999, he started working as a second and first camera assistant, as well as a camera operator with various Italian and international filmmakers, working on feature films and commercials. During the same period he filmed numerous short films, documentaries, commercials and music videos. He debuted as a director of photography on feature film with Salmir (2004), Francesco Munzi’s directorial debut that premiered in Venice. Vladan Radović went on to work as a cinematographer on many films awarded in prestigious international film festivals. For his work on Red Like the Sky (2006), directed by Cristiano Bortone, Vladan Radović received the award for Best Cinematographer at Palm Beach IFF. The Rest of the Night (2008), his second collaboration with Munzi, premiered within Cannes Directors’ Fortnight program. Radović went on to win the Best Cinematographer award at Newport Beach IFF, with Apartment in Athens (2011). That same year The Last Man on Earth, a graphic novel adaptation by Gian Alfonso Pacinotti, competed for the Golden Lion in Venice. With the film director Paolo Virzi, he collaborated on Every Blessed Day (2012), Like Crazy (2016), and Magical Nights (2018), films that went on to win many awards, including six David di Donatello awards. Radović returned to Venice with his third collaboration with Francesco Munzi, award winning crime drama Black Souls (2014). For his work on this film, he also won the David di Donatello Award for Best Cinematography. His collaboration with Marco Bellochio on The Traitor (2019) was awarded with Golden Ciak Award for Best Cinematography, among other awards. Vladan is member of Italian Association of Cinematographers (AIC) and European Federation of Cinematographers (IMAGO).
Michel Amathieu
Michel Amathieu, director of photography, was born in 1955 in Crevecœur-en-Auge, France. He studied mathematics, obtaining a master’s degree in this field and practiced photography as a hobby. He taught mathematics in high school for two years before joining the evening classes at Louis Lumière film school and devoting himself to the art of cinematography. He worked on a number of short and feature films, before Dobermann (1996), directed by Jan Kounen, attracted the attention of public to his work. This was followed by a noted thriller Cousin (1997) directed by Alain Corneau, and I love L.A. (1998) by Mika Kaurismäki, in a slightly different vein. Michel Amathieu was then called to replace Thierry Arbogast at the end of Black Cat, White Cat (1998) shooting because of the delays: Thierry had engagements elsewhere. Since then, Michel followed Emir Kusturica on the No Smoking Orchestra tour, and took part in Super 8 Stories (2001). He returned to Serbia to work on Life is a Miracle (2003). For an anthology film Paris, I Love You (2006) he filmed a segment directed by Oliver Shmitz. Michel then worked as a director of photography on films such as Volker Schlöndorff’s Diplomacy (2014) and Agnieska Holland’s Rosemary’s baby (2014). His more recent endeavors include televised period pieces such as Versailles (2015–2018) and Bardot (2023), but also a feature film The Breitner Commando (2019).
About the Festival
17th Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival will take place between January 23rd and 27th 2024. It is organized by Rasta International under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and the town of Mećavnik. Kustendorf is founded by film director Emir Kusturica and usually takes place in his village at the Mt. Mokra Gora. Each year, Kustendorf focuses on bringing together emerging filmmakers and the greats of world auteur film
Mećavnik can be reached from three different directions: from Belgrade, from Višegrad, or from Zlatibor. From Belgrade, the most frequent route is taking A2 highway, direction to Požega and Užice, then leave the motorway using Pakovraće exit, and follow the road M5 through Požega, and Užice. From Užice, follow E761 through Kremna. At the tenth kilometer after Kremna, there is a sign on the right-hand side to turn for Mećavnik where Drvengrad is located.
From the west of the Balkans, take the M5 highway across the national border. The turn for Drvengrad will then be on the left-hand side of the road. From the south of the Balkans, travel through Zlatibor, following E761 and E763.
From the Belgrade bus station, there are several daily departures for Višegrad. In this case, the passenger should tell the driver in advance to stop at Mokra Gora railway station as this is not one of the regular stops.