Emir Kusturica – президент
Emir Kusturica – President
World-renowned film director, winner of awards from major European film festivals, including two Palme d'Or awards from the Cannes Film Festival. Knight of the Legion of Honor, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Emir Kusturica made his debut in 1978 with the short film "Guernica", which won the main prize at the student film festival in Karlovy Vary. In 1981, Kusturica's feature debut took place with the film "Do You Remember Dolly Bell?" about the childhood and adolescence of a Sarajevo teenager - the first Yugoslav film shot in the Bosnian dialect. He received the award for best debut film and the FIPRESCI prize at the Venice IFF. This was followed by "When Father Was Away on Business" (1985, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival), "Time of the Gypsies" (1988), "Arizona Dream" (1993), "Underground" (1995, Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival), "Black Cat, White Cat" (1998), "Life Is a Miracle" (2004) - they became part of the golden fund of European cinema and received many festival awards.
In February 2022, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Emir Kusturica received a special prize from the Spirit of Fire festival, and in November he became the president of the festival.