On the occasion of the premiere, film director Paolo Zucca and lead actor Jacopo Cullin arrived in Belgrade. At a press conference that preceded the premiere, they addressed the press, along with Paola Cordone, director of the Italian Cultural Center and host and one of the main actors, Lazar Ristovski.

“I would first like to thank the Italian Cultural Center for supporting us to bring Paolo and Jacopo as guests at the film’s premiere. Distributing films that carry the artistic line is always difficult and we, as Zillion, have ventured to buy this film for distribution. I hope the audience will love and watch this movie, ” Ristovski said at a press conference and expressed special thanks to Marko Ckonjevic and FAME Solutions as distributor for Serbia.

Director Paolo Zuka has also written a screenplay for his film, and the movie is based in his native Sardinia and follows a local fisherman, played by Lazar Ristovski, who has promised a woman he loves to give her the moon. And, the Sardinians are known to always keep their promise.

Special guest Lazar Ristovski was awarded the “Kapija Zvornika” for his contribution to the development of festival and film art in Republika Srpska. The award was presented by Zvornik Mayor Zoran Stevanovic while the symbol of the Festival “Filmska klapa” was presented to Dragan Marinkovic, the director of “Leeches”.

This artistic manifestation as a kind of “cultural bridge” connects the cities of East Sarajevo and Zvornik and best realizes the strategy of decentralization of culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Government of Republika Srpska and this concept implies the uniform development of artistic creativity, but also the development of other cultural activities evenly throughout the area of Srpska, both in its urban and rural parts.

Opening the festival, Ristovski emphasized that he is very important because he shows selected films, which makes him significant, quality and good.
“I’ve been to a lot of festivals – small, big, significant, but I can say that every festival is significant, no matter how small it is by the number of films shown or by the number of audiences present,” Ristovski said.

Marinkovic said that the movie “Leeches” was interesting for many reasons, and that the cast consisting of Mirjana Jankovic, Iva Mihalic, Nikola Djuricko and Lazar Ristovski did something extraordinary and superb. According to him, 13 years of the festival means something in the European context.

This year’s festival “Prvi kadar” is held under the motto “Don’t see evil!”, which is inspired by the folk saying, but also by the thematic frames of filmmaking.

Lazar Ristovski is the founder of the festival, whose main organizer is the production company Zillion film. Ravno Selo Film Festival is a festival of debut, student film and film music, aimed primarily at young people in the area. Through its activities, the festival seeks to bring film, as well as filmmakers, closer to them, thus encouraging them to study and create, but also to enrich their viewing experience, and therefore artistic development.

In addition to the municipal leadership, representatives of institutions, organizations, public companies, provincial authorities and national councils, the session was attended by representatives of municipalities and cities of Serbia, as well as fraternal and partner cities from Montenegro, Croatia and Hungary, reports the willow municipal website.

Attendees were greeted by the Mayor of the Municipality of Vrbas, who congratulated the holiday on the inhabitants of all populated places, and then the Mayor took the floor, using the opportunity to introduce the guests to the results and plans for the future.

The Lazar Ristovski Award was given by Milan Glusac.

– Thank you for this warm acclaim, for the applause you have given me and my colleagues. This is the 40th year I come to this festival. Thank you for all those years, and for being the most wonderful audience in the world – said Lazar Ristovski.

The cast that took the festival stage included Nebojsa Kundacina, Danica Ristovski, Radovan Rasa Vujovic and the young Ivan Vujic who plays the boy-corporal Momcilo Gavric in the film.

As the evening progressed, the audience saw the film “What a country!” (“Koja je ovo država!”), a Serbian-Croatian production starring Lazar Ristovski as well.

It is worth recalling that two years ago, Lazar Ristovski was presented with the “Pavle Vuisic Award”, which is presented for outstanding contribution to Serbian cinema.

On that occasion Lazar noted: – Being a prophet in your village is ever so difficult, and so is getting recognition from one’s colleagues. Thus when you receive those awards, they are truly the most significant. I am delighted to receive this award, and I thank Pavle Vuisic for having been such a great actor. If it wasn’t for him, this award wouldn’t exist, and I wouldn’t have received it. To me, this award represents a Serbian Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.

Lazar Ristovski is the record holder for the number of awards received at the Niš festival. In fact he has won the Grand Prix four times and the Emperor Constantine Award two times, as well as several other awards.

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Here is a review of the most important roles played by Lazar Ristovski.

He has displayed his outstanding thespian skills in „Hajka” (1977), „Svetozar Marković“ (1981), „Igmanski marš“ (1983), „Tako se kalio čelik“ (1988), „Original falsifikata“ (1991), „Tito i ja“ (1992), „Underground“ (1995), „Balkanska pravila“ (1997), „Bure baruta“ (1998), “Belo odelo” (1999), “Bumerang” (2001), „Mali svet“ (2003), „Pad u raj“ (2004), „San zimske noći“ (2004). „Sveti Georgije ubiva aždahu“ (2009.), „Dnevnik mašinovođe” (2016) and „Kralj Petar Prvi“ (2018)

Lazar Ristovski has also worked as a director and producer of the feature “The White Suit“, which had its world premiere in Cannes in 2000 within the CRITIC WEEK program. He directed his second film “White Lions”  in 2011.

He has produced 18 feature films.