Bašta Fest is an international short fiction film festival held in Bajina Bašta, Western Serbia. It is an annual event that takes place during the first weekend of July and it lasts for four days. Due to the profession of the founders (actors Jovan Jelisavčić and Maja Šuša), the festival's main point of interest is a collaboration between directors and actors. We believe that focusing on the quality of that joint artistic effort will have a positive impact on the positioning of Bašta Fest among short film festivals. Bašta Fest is of great importance for the decentralization of culture since it has brought diverse film, music and off programs to this beautiful region. One of the priorities of the festival is to promote incredible natural beauty to a large number of visitors.
Nevertheless, our primary goal is to convert this festival into an exciting cultural oasis, which supports local and international young artists, putting emphasis on short fiction films with authenticity. The main selection is a competition short film program. Two films are screened as a part of a non-competition, special program every year - one during the opening and one during the closing ceremony. The last to be screened is a debut feature film from the Balkan region, chosen by the Bašta Fest team as the most successful one of the previous year. The entrance to all screenings at Bašta is free of charge, and they are always being held under the open night skies. There are currently four official festival locations: Borići Park, "Dušan Jerković" square, the cinema "Vlaja" and Lake Perućac.
The main selection is a competitive film program, and it is being chosen by the festival programmer and art director Maja Šuša. A three-member jury of film authors and artists gives cash prizes and statuettes. The awards are given for: The Best Film (Golden Imagination), The Best Actor and Best Actress (Golden Interpretation). Youth Jury also awards a prize for the Best film (Youth Jury prize), and their participation in the program encourages and cultivates the responsible critical approach of high-school students.
