Peter Bogdanovic in Belgrade on FEST International Film Festival 2012

Regarding Oscar Nominations Gala Night of this very night in US, American film director of Serbian origin Peter Bogdanovich, Hollywood film director, together with another prime guest of festival Jiri Menzl opened 40th FEST- the International Film Festival in Belgrade, Serbia. In addition, today he was awarded with the highest recognition of the Yugoslav Film Archive in Belgrade "Golden Seal". This acclaimed director was born in New York 1939 in family in exile, and at the 16th he enrolled in acting studies at the famous Stella Adler. In sixties, he became famous in New York circles as the editor of the film of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

One of the major figures of the American cinema in the 1970s, Peter Bogdanovich  made out with big films in Hollywood, drew inspiration from the glory of studio-era Hollywood in 50s and 60s, started his career in film first as an actor with Stella Adler, and previously as a writer and film curator. A passionate cinephile, Bogdanovich turned to Museum of Modern Art film department, where he organized a series of influential major retrospectives of Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles, also interviewing great James Stewart and other big names.  Bogdanovich’s early critics for Esquire magazine revealed great talents and future critic and historian whose deep knowledge of the studio-era nostalgia for the past would inform his work as a director. As he said to us on press conference, the Film Critics of French magazine “Cahiers du cinema "inspired him a great deal to become what  he is today. Especially leading French film directors of the "new wave" such as Francois Truffaut​​, also directors such as Jean Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Eric Rohmer. “I have decided to delve deeper into the history of film, even if I become a director,” said Bogdanovich to journalists, apologizing for not being able to explain everything on Serbian.  His opportunity came by chance when he met Roger Corman, a great name of production of low-budget films, which will provide the first opportunity to F.F. Coppola and M. Scorsese as well. The next low-budget film came with (Derek Thomas), and in due time gains great respect and friendship with Orson Welles and John Ford, which he captured in the documentary "Directed by John Ford" (Directed by John Ford, 1971). Critics called it "New Wales" and "child prodigy" after the sensational success of black-and-white drama "The last picture show" (The Last Picture Show, 1971) which was nominated for "Oscar".The following "As the father plays itself" (What "s Up Doc, 1972) and" Paper Moon "(Paper Moon, 1973), which celebrates the criticism, but achieved great success at the box office. Younger generations know him first as a psychiatrist in the cult TV series "The Sopranos" (Sopranos) and as editor of film classics on cable television in New York. World Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) awarded Bogdanovic 2007th Award for Lifetime Achievement; classifying it side by side with greats like Bergman and Oliveira, while critics as one of the most important representatives of the "new Hollywood" with Lucas, Spielberg, and Coppola.  The great director also explained why he refused to direct now Coppola’s “The Godfather,” something that we listened with great care. “I did not wanted to direct film about mafia, and they have offered me to direct the film without explaining much,” explained Bogdanovich.

The World of Big FEST 2012 Festival this year goes under the slogan "The World of Big" starting with film "The Tree of Life" by Terence Malik, last year's "Golden Palm" at Cannes. The festival runs until 4 March 72 and will present the top premiere of the films of big and small productions. Films are screened in the main program cycles, Hollywood, World Film Panorama, Europe out of Europe (official program), Europe in Europe, selected documentaries, and will feature two interesting cinematography and special programs throughout Canada and the Britannica. A qualitative pattern of annual world production will offer the award-winning films and works of famous authors. Among them are the "Iron Lady" with Meryl Streep, "Beaver," Jodie Foster, "Le Havre" by Aki Kaurismaki, "Boy with a bicycle," Dardenne brothers, "Melancholy" by Lars von Trier, "The skin where I live" by Pedro Almodovar, "This Must Be the Place, "Paolo Sorrentino," War Horse "Steven Spielberg" Restles "Gus Van Sant," Carnage, "Roman Polanski's" Ides of March "George Clooney etc…