Mariam Abou Ouf is an Egyptian film director and writer. She was born in Cairo, Egypt. After graduating with a degree in political science and philosophy, she went to pursue her postgraduate studies in filmmaking.
Her directing career started in 2004. She is one of the few women directors in the Middle East who works on feature films, TV series, and TV commercials. Her work is best known to push the boundaries and taboos that women face in the Egyptian society.
Brigitta Portier has been active in the film industry for over 35 years. It all started back in 1986 when she was in charge of the TV call at the Cannes Film Festival. Her main role there was handling all the requests of international publicist’s requiring interview spaces during the Festival. This led to international publicist Richard Lormand asking her to become his assistant.
After two years working with Richard, Brigitta decided to start her own company Alibi Communications and since has been the international publicist for over 200 films at all the major film festivals around the world; Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Venice, Toronto, San Sebastian, Namur, Ghent, Rome, Tallinn…
Besides doing international press for films, Brigitta also does the press for the festivals such as FIPA Biarritz (2017–2018), Cairo International Film Festival (2018–2021) and Antalya (since 2021)
Her gift for languages (fluent: Dutch, French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, and now learning Arabic and Indonesian) along with her passion for cinema has played a significant part in her success. Her openness and knowledge have enabled her to create good, friendly, honest relationships with directors, actors, producers, sales agents, local and international journalists.
A journalist from Variety even says : Brigitta is the best press representative out there, a woman who’s both passionate and knowledgeable, with all the connections needed in our crazy industry. She knows it’s a business, but she also knows film is the fruit of artistic and creative energies.
She is always open to new challenges and loves promoting African and Arabic films or films about the Arabic world.
Dušan Milić is a film director and screenwriter born in Belgrade, Serbia. He graduated from the Department of Film and TV Directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in his hometown. First two feature films he directed, Strawberries in the Supermarket (2003), produced by Emir Kusturica, and Gucha: Distant Trumpet (2006), produced by Karl Baumgartner, were screened in the Panorama Program of Berlin International Film Festival. His third feature film Travelator (2014) premiered at Montreal Film Festival in the Competition program and won the Innovation award. His screenwriting credits include The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (2008) directed by Stephan Komandarev. He has also written and directed two television series: Folk (2012-2014) and Suspicious Persons (2016-2017). Darkling (2021), his latest feature, premiered at the Trieste FIlm Festival and won an audience award.
Ivan Šijak, born in 1969 in Belgrade, is a Serbian director, cinematographer, photographer and visual artist. He graduated from the Camera Department at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in his hometown. He returned to his alma mater to teach in 2004 and became a professor in 2019. During the nineties he began intensive exploration of different visual forms and developed his own visual style of expression through amalgamation of techniques and technological processes. He was a part of the editorial staff and director of photography at the New Moment magazine devoted to visual culture between 1994 and 1997. From 1994 until 2004 he was a co-owner and author for production company Mechanical Duck Creative Production. Recipient of multiple awards for his music videos, commercials, posters and other forms of photography and videography. In 2000 he started working in film productions as a visual effect supervisor. His credits in this field include Blue Gypsy (2005) and Promise Me This (2007) by Emir Kusturica, Tears for Sale (2008) by Uroš Stojanović, and 12 (2007), The Exodus: Burnt by the Sun 2 (2010), Burnt by the Sun 3: Citadel (2011) and Sunstroke (2014) by Nikita Mikhalkov. He is a co-founder of the Serbian Association of Cinematographers S.A.S.
The Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival was founded in 2008 with the idea to bring together the icons of contemporary author’s cinema and young, future filmmakers. The festival takes place every year in January in Drvengrad in Mokra Gora, organized by “Rasta International” and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. The founder of this unique film and music festival is celebrated film director Emir Kusturica.
Kustendorf is a unique festival, without red carpet, billboards and advertisements, fully devoted to film, music, friendships and exchange of creative ideas and energy.
Drvengrad, the town made of wood, is the center of all festival happenings. It is a place where films are screened, concerts performed, where people meet, make friends, fall in love, work, learn, rest, sleep, eat, think and enjoy. Like any other town, Drvengrad has a central square with the church of St. Sava, a library, an art gallery, a market, a kindergarten, a “prison”, a swimming pool, a sauna, a hair salon, a pastry shop, a grocery shop, a sports area, cinemas, restaurants and many other facilities that make the visit to the Festival an unforgettable experience.
Film programme
The film programme at Kustendorf Festival is screened in several theatres. The Competition Programme and the Contemporary Trends Programme is screened at the biggest, Damned Yard theatre. Other films are shown in the Noam Chomsky amphitheater. After the projections of films, workshops are held by renowned film authors.
Music program
Every night at midnight, after the screenings and workshops, various music stars perform on stage.
Accommodation
No two rooms are alike in Drvengrad, since each room contains uniquely painted and handcrafted furniture, a different view and a different path leading to it. The rooms are located in authentic log cabins and all provide a bathroom, TV, phone and Internet access. During the Festival, accommodation in Drvengrad is booked for guests and participants of Kustendorf. Guests are also accommodated in hotel Iver in a newly opened ski resort, and Vizitorski centar, in close proximity of the village.
Restaurants
Restaurant Visconti – local and international cuisine provided for the Festival participants and guests
Cafe The Damned Yard – a perfect place to meet people in a great atmosphere
National restaurant Lotika – a national cuisine restaurant
Pastry shop Kod Ćorkana – sweets and hot drinks
Kapor Bar – a place to enjoy jazz music
Reception
Kind and diligent staff at the reception of the Mećavnik hotel will provide you with all necessary information about the festival, accommodation and events, and give answers to all your questions.
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.
Like in previous years, young filmmakers and students whose films will be presented at the International Film and Music Festival Kustendorf, will be picked up from Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport by our welcome service and transferred to Kustendorf – Drvengrad.
The 15th Küstendorf
International Film and Music Festival
6-10 May 2022
Rasta International
Milorada Mitrovića 15
11 000 Belgrade
tel / fax: +381 11 24 31 505
Programme Coordinator – Guest Service
Nana Kusturica
rastaint@gmail.com
Press Office
Danijela Rakić
presskustendorf@gmail.com