The 32nd Festival of Author’s Film (FAF) in Serbia is set to present a diverse array of 80 films from November 20 to 27, 2026, showcasing global and regional cinema. The festival will open with “Fjord” by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, a film that recently won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and will close with “Oče naš” by Serbian director Goran Stanković. This year’s festival will be held across several venues in Belgrade, including the mts Dvorana, Cultural Center of Belgrade, and the Yugoslav Film Archive.

A highlight of the festival is the introduction of the “Jugosfera” program, which focuses on regional cinema by featuring eight feature films and three short films from the area. This initiative underscores the festival’s commitment to promoting regional voices and fostering cultural exchange within the Balkans. The festival will also introduce the “Bekim Fehmiu” award for best acting performance, with the winner chosen by actor Uliks Fehmiu.

The main program will feature works from renowned contemporary directors such as Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose film “Minotaur” won the Grand Prix at Cannes, as well as films by Hirokazu Koreeda and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The festival’s artistic director, Srđan Vučinić, noted that many of the films explore themes of family, intimacy, and emotional life, which are often marginalized in modern society.

The competitive section will include 12 films from nearly all continents, focusing primarily on debut works. Noteworthy entries include “Gradiva” by French director Marine Atlan and “Svaki put” by Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner. Additionally, the festival will feature a selection titled “Hrabri Balkan,” showcasing five feature-length and ten short films, with five of these created by Serbian filmmakers.

The festival is organized by the non-profit association “Pogled u svet” in collaboration with the private production and distribution company MegaCom Film. Despite not receiving financial support from Serbia’s Ministry of Culture or the City Secretariat for Culture, the festival is sponsored by Creative Europe MEDIA, a public program of the European Union, and supported by partners such as Erste Bank and the embassies of Slovenia and Spain.

This year’s FAF aims to highlight the vitality of Serbian cinema, with a notable increase in domestic films across all selections. According to festival selector Stefan Ivančić, this reflects both the resilience of the local film industry and the challenging circumstances that have prevented some films from being shown at other Belgrade festivals.

The festival’s programming also includes sections like “Bande à part,” “Sirovo,” and “Special Projects,” as well as the Adriatic Region Festival Network. The “Sirovo” section will feature genre films with a strong auteur signature, including the world premiere of “Sapun” by Momir Milošević and the domestic premiere of “Mraz” by Pavle Vučković.

In addition to screenings in Belgrade, parts of the festival program will be shown in Niš, Čačak, and Šabac, broadening the festival’s reach across Serbia. The FAF continues to serve as a significant platform for independent and artistic films, celebrating its role in the cultural landscape of Serbia and beyond.