INTERACTION CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF BRINGING TOGETHER DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS OF DIFFERENT GENERATIONS IN POŽEGA
The international production, educational, and programme platform Interaction, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will once again bring together young and established documentary filmmakers from around the world – from high school students to seasoned professionals.
From 19 to 25 August, Požega will host around one hundred documentary filmmakers from Serbia and abroad, who will participate in six Interaction programmes. This year’s edition will highlight the 20th anniversary of the Student Film Camp, the most recognizable segment of Interaction. In addition to the jubilee Camp, the programme includes the Short Documentary Film Festival, Doc Workshop, Teen Doc Workshop, XR Interaction, and the Meet2Talk programme.
As in previous years, this year’s Interaction begins with the arrival of fifteen Camp participants, who will, from 9 to 25 August, produce three short documentary films in Užice, Požega, and Čačak, on the theme of Community. The participants will work under the mentorship of director Isaac Knights-Washbourn (New Zealand/Scotland), and the final films will be screened on 25 August at the closing ceremony of the Interaction Festival in Požega.
This programme will host 24 participants who will attend lectures by renowned documentarians – Rada Šešić, programmer for numerous festivals, lecturer, and director from the Netherlands, and Skye Fitzgerald, an American director twice nominated for an Academy Award. A special segment of the programme, Doc in Progress, is dedicated to the further development of documentary projects. This year, six selected participants will work with tutors to improve their films through intensive consultations.
This international festival of short creative documentary film is dedicated to documentaries that stand out through originality and an innovative approach. This year, the audience will have the opportunity to watch a carefully curated selection of short documentaries in three programme categories: the Competition programme and two non-competition categories – In Focus and Interscreen. This year’s selectors are Serbian directors Luka Papić and Dejan Petrović, the artistic director of Interaction. The award for the best film, provided by Interaction partner Sirogojno Company, along with other prizes, will be presented on 25 August at the Festival’s closing ceremony.
Interaction Teen Doc is a programme that enables teenagers from Serbia and the region to expand their knowledge in the field of creative documentary film and media literacy through the production of mini documentaries. The programme also fosters creativity and collaboration among peers from the region through teamwork. This year, the workshop will host 16 participants.
Meet2Talk is a programme designed for networking, exchanging experiences, and open dialogue among Interaction participants, with a focus on contemporary topics in the field of creative documentary film. The programme brings together established documentary filmmakers from various parts of the world. Through a series of public talks, both participants and the wider audience will have the opportunity to hear diverse perspectives, innovative approaches, and personal experiences from contemporary documentary practice.
XR Interaction is a programme launched in 2024 with the aim of exploring the possibilities that extended (XR) and virtual reality (VR) offer to documentary filmmaking. Through workshops, lectures, and collaboration with partners from the region and Europe, the programme gathers young creators and professionals interested in new technologies and innovative narrative forms. During the Interaction Festival, the XR – Interaction Without Limits project will be implemented, connecting young people from the Western Balkans and promoting intercultural dialogue through VR. The programme will also feature an XR exhibition curated by Georgy Molodtsov and a lecture by Predrag Terzić on the potential of VR to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Interaction 2025 is organized by the Independent Film Centre Filmart, with the support of the Film Center Serbia, Ministry of Tourism and Youth, Municipality of Požega, British Council (through the CC4WBs program), Media Desk – Creative Europe Serbia, Austrian Cultural Forum, Embassy of Portugal in Belgrade, and the companies Cinnamon Films, Textil Užice, MCS Sistem, Titan Cementara, the Business Club of Western Serbia, and other partners.