Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA

GRANT REPORTING FORM

To be accompanied by a financial report
(If you need more space, attach a separate sheet. Please attach also copies of any
relevant press coverage.)

Recipient Information:
Name of organization/individual: Dom omladine Beograda
Address: Makedonska 22 / 4

Grant No:SRB10019GR0144
Project name: 5th Festival of Independent American cinema “INDIEBELGRADE 2019”

Date the grant was awarded:

Date of awarded grant: 14.08.2019.
Dates listed on the grant: 20.08.2019.-20.12.2019.
Dates of project:12.-15.12.2019.

Amount of the installment and when received:

Installment No. 1 Amount in US$: 5600 date received: 06.09.2019.

If part of the money has not been spent yet, describe how it will be spent, with a cost
breakdown by items:
All budget and program costs breakdown are presented in a separate sheet “5 FNAF 2019
FINAL” enclosed with this report.

Project Impact (please describe in detail the impact on you/your organization,

and/or the participants of the program activities, including evidence of change of
attitude or knowledge):
The Fifth Indie Belgrade Independent American Film Festival continues to follow its
unique thread of freedom, independence, unpretentiousness - in the choice of themes,
characters, narration and directing procedures, and this time brings us a fresh breath of
new and independent American film. Audience had opportunity to see quality US
independent movies produced on small budgets and in circumstances close to the ones in
which local, Serbian filmmakers operate. Thus, apart from the possibility to get to know
little known production of quality movies screened and awarded at various film festivals
around the world (e.g. Sundance, Phoenix, Tribeca, SXSW, Sietl, Sao Paolo,
Thessaloniki, Torino, Minhen, Edinburg, etc.) the local audience and filmmakers could
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
see the production and creative practices they can use when making their own work.
Powered by the master class lecture given by director Robert (Bob) Byington.

Presentation of finished art works of US independent filmmakers combined with the

master class providing in-depth info about good practices of independent filmmaking
have a great potential of making an impact on locals’ entrepreneurship ideas, initiatives
and approaches implemented in the unlikely area of the film art. High overall attendance
at the film screenings of the general audience (estimate of 500-800 audience) together
with good turnout at the master class (around 50 professionals) shows the huge interest
among Belgrade both movie lovers and moviemakers for the creative and production
practices of American independent filmmakers.

This year's guest of the festival was Robert (Bob) Byington, perhaps the best guest of all
the current editions of the festival. Bob has a prestigious award from the Locarno
Festival, but he still shoots exclusively outside Hollywood and builds his entire career
only in this way. He had a very notable film at the previous edition of the "Infinity Baby"
festival, and this year he is at the festival with his new film "Frances Ferguson". 7
independent American films were premiered at the festival, a Q&A was held with the
guest of the festival, after his film, as well as his master class, which was a kind of
director's "card opening" and public passage through what is good work on film
preparation. in one of its key stages of realization. In addition to the analysis of one
shadow from his film "Frances Ferguson", on the example of its final appearance, which
is the entire recorded material for this scene, the participants of the master class could get
a good insight into how the shooting went, what were the director's interventions on the
set , what were the acting interventions and what was the final result, finding out
indirectly along the way and how the editing worked, when the specific scene was in
question. In addition to this, Bob worked with four actors on one scene from his new
film, which is in the phase of writing the script, the day before. Thus, the audience at the
master class could see his approach and work with the actors at the rehearsals. In addition
to Bob, the audience was able to attend a Q&A with director Karl Mirabelle-Davis, after
the screening of his film "Swallow", which was on Saturday, December 14, at 6 p.m. This
Q&A was held with the director via Skype.

The impact on Dom omladine as the program organizer was also significant. This is one
of three yearly programs fully produced by the film curating department of Dom
omladine (others are either coproduction or just logistical support). Our production staff,
from the film curator to the producers to the technical staff to the legal and account
departments had a chance to work on a production of a medium scale film festival, that
included negotiating film program, providing logistical and organizational work to make
the program technically happen, dealing with local and international film distributors and
sales departments, which all added a lot to the experience and expertise of our staff.
Lessons learned during this process are highly valuable for future work and better
positioning of Dom omladine among professionals in the local and international culture
industry.
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA

Please describe how the goals of the program were met:

We wanted to introduce US independent films to the broader Belgrade audience and also
to deepen the interest of the general public for the artistic and creative artifacts (films in
this case) and professionals of the US culture. Also, we wanted to present authentic
creative stories about the lifestyle and culture of less known Americans that can easily
connect and resonate to the local audience.
This goal was met with the effective promo campaign (online – festival’s website,
Facebook page, Instagram and twitter campaigns, and traditional media – newspapers
ads, radio and TV announcements) and good film selection that attracted estimate of
1,000 general audiences. Reactions to the films were affirmative and the general interest
for the next edition is high, which all proves that the festival made an impact.
As well we wanted to empower local film professionals to make films with the means on
their disposal, no matter how limited those means are. Master class by acclaimed
independent US filmmaker Robert (Bob) Byington inspired them that low budget movies
don’t have to be artistically cheap. Robert (Bob) Byington’s lecture, attended by more
than 50 local film professionals, focused on practices to maximize low budgets and
limited funds and to stay true to one’s original artistic idea of the movie.
Finally we wanted to inspire attending audience to take more proactive stance and behave
in a more entrepreneur way in their everyday businesses. Apart from being artistically
important, US indie movies are showcase of independent spirit and entrepreneur mind of
Americans, much more ready to take risks and be proactive in their life choices than local
Belgrade and Serbian population. That is why this program was inspiring from this point
of view also, showing local audiences and professionals that there is no financially dire
situation that cannot be overcome with the willingness to take the initiative in one’s own
hands.

Please describe the kind of events organized, the issues discussed, the number of
participants, the new contacts made:
The program consisted of screenings of 7 contemporary US independent films. Films
screened were:
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE Directed by Riley Stearns
CRSHD Directed by Emily Conn
INITIALS SG Directed by Rania Atieh, Daniel Garcia
SWALLOW Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis
FRANCES FERGUSON Directed by Robert (Bob) Byington
ADAM Directed by Reese Ernst
AFTER SO MANY DAYS Directed by Jim Hanft & Samanta Jonak

Never before has the selection made at the Independent American Film Festival been
closer to the younger generation of the audience, but by addressing the media that are to
these younger generations like extended limbs, brain or some other upgrades, he also
addresses his other audience, bringing them some of the most interesting film stories by
authors from the North American continent, as the only specialized festival in Serbia and
Southeast Europe. This year's, the fifth in a row, Festival of Independent American Film,
brought 7 titles from this year's production of American Indie Film to the Belgrade
audience. Except for two films (The Art of Self-Defense, and Francis Ferguson), all other
films were debut films. Overall, what was the predominant tone of this year's festival is
one black humor note that ran through all the films, and perhaps the most impressive was
in the award-winning film "Francis Ferguson" by Bob Byington. It is also a kind of his
trademark in the entire opus so far.

All films were selected on the basis of their previous festival excellence (screenings and
awards at relevant international festivals of independent movies), their true financial and
ideological independence from Hollywood (no connections to production studios and/or
financial institutions and schemes usual for financing Hollywood movies), their artistic
excellence and relevance and importance of their stories for the local audience.
The films dealt with various topics and genres, ranging from new age melodramas, to
socially engaged docu-dramas to action thrillers to black comedys, and documentary.
The innovative artistic approach in all of the movies was obvious not only through
untraditional dealing with the rules of the specific film genres, but also in combining
elements of different genres and movie styles into one coherent film structure.
Unconventional main characters, dynamic story plots and authentic acting contributed to
the specific charm of the independent movies, that presented Belgrade audience unique
experience different from US Hollywood produced films.
General audience reacted well to the film selection, with total of 1,000 visitors during the
period of the festival, an 50 participants for master class.

Those are jury decisions for the Fifth IndieBelgrade Film Festival:

The Main Award for the BEST FILM of the Festival went to: FRANCES FERGUSON
(2019), by Robert (Bob) Byington.

Explication: FRANCES FERGUSON Directed by Robert (Bob) Byington

is a very exciting film that reminds of the best tradition of European film, but above all
of the tradition of the French new wave and the films of Godard, Chabrol and Rivet. A
film that is reduced and simple, but ambiguous and deep, and yet black humor and fun.
The director instructed this film to set some new roadmaps and guidelines, because this
film is a kind of metafilm, which balances on the border between a feature film and a
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
personal essay of the main character, and in working with actors it is between
documentary approach and fiction, so it gives him extra freshness and impressiveness.

Jury was made by three strong professional personalities well known in Serbia:
Jelena Markovic, director, Darko Lungulov, director and Vuk Rsumovic, screenwriter
and director, also president of the jury.

Please give an illustrative example of the program's success:

Communication between the people interested in American independent film and the
authors of informal part of the program show in a best way the impact of the whole
concept of the festival.
For the first time so far, we had an online K&A at the festival, via Skype, with the
director of the film Swallow, which went great with the audience, who stayed long after
the screening of the film in the hall. The conversation with Bob Byington's audience was
also very successful, after the screening of his film. It also aroused additional interest
among the audience in the hall, but the conversation from the hall with Bob was
transferred to the rest of the evening, both in the hall of DOB and at the dinner with the
director and socializing that succeeded after that. The most successful event of this year's
entire festival is certainly the workshop that Robert Byington held for two days. On the
first day, the workshop was intended exclusively for actors, and 4 young actors got
acquainted with Bob's technique and work on the set in improvised conditions through
the preparation and work on the script. The next day, the workshop was open to the
public, where there were about 50 participants. Bob analyzed his work through one scene
and its treatment, as well as the process of material selection, which also described to the
workshop participants the process of creative editing, which is impossible to meet
otherwise than in the study of the same. After that, Bob worked with 4 actors, but people
from the audience they wanted to try out as actors also got their chance. Thus, a girl who
works as a waitress in DOB joined the stage, as well as another girl who expressed her
acting affinities, and the desire to try herself in that. It was fascinating looking at the
director's work and the way he directs, the indications he gives, to these two girls, who
before this had no points of contact with acting. With his help and instructions, they
managed to give a kind of authenticity and truthfulness to this workshop.
Many new contacts have been made and even new opportunities for joint collaboration on
future projects emerged.
This continuous ideas exchange that took place during the entire period of the program
shows the importance for the local audience and film professionals of similar contacts
with the artists and colleagues from the US. The general lack of opportunities to share
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
experiences and discuss about issues of mutual interest for the local members of the film
industry, as well as the hunger of Belgrade audience for different kind of movies, made
this program one of the most successful of all Dom omladine’s film programs.

Any problems encountered and how they were solved:

The Fifth American Independent Film Festival is the complete production of Dom
omladine’s team, so all problems encountered were connected with organizational and
logistical issues. The complex coordination with film distributors and international sales
agents, constant communication with festival guest and jury, organization of shipment,
translation and subtitling of the film copies, planning and coordination of promotional
activities – all those logistical everyday challenges were met by Dom omladine’s
production team (producers, film curator, PR department, financial department, technical
department) with great effort to make an event organized as smoothly and as perfect as
possible. All minor technical challenges were solved during the process of preparations of
the festival. The program itself went without any problem or distress.

Future of the program and Lessons learned

Dom omladine sees great potential in this film festival. The interest of the general
audience is raising (attendance numbers are up from the first and second festival’s
edition) and the word started to spread among film professionals about the program as
well. Being art-house cinema venue with the long tradition of presenting little known film
authors, film genres and film nations, Dom omladine puts a lot of efforts and emphasis on
kind of films screened at this program – artistically innovative, strong in terms of
storytelling, brave in terms of morals of the stories and new in approach to the
moviemaking. As we see that the Belgrade audience responds good to the concept (both
in terms of attendance and engagement during the program) we plan to continue with the
festival in the coming years, making it one of the most pivotal film programs of our
cultural center. We plan to keep the number of screenings and days for the time being,
always to present the last edition’s winner with the master class, to expand our
promotional activities and to build on the numbers of the attendance in order to expand
our audience base in the future years.

Together with this artistic and cultural impact, the entrepreneurial part of the program
have great potential to inspire local filmmakers and to empower them to confront with
bigger knowledge the not-so-good financial situation Serbian film industry is in and still
make some good movies. This program just confirmed that there is a great interest among
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
Serbian filmmakers for this kind of empowerment and we will continue in the next
edition to develop this segment of the event even more.
Workshops for professionals (actors, directors, editors, cameramen, producers ...) as well
as for a wider audience, can have a much greater significance and more important place
at this festival in the future. The great potential for independent production in Serbia is
opening up, and thus the influence and experience of American independent production
can be of inestimable importance to us.

Additional comments

American independent, artistic or, as some call it, " off Hollywood" film, never ceases to
surprise us with its freshness, variety of themes, characters, landscapes, places of origin,
and its indestructible vitality.

The Fifth Indie Belgrade Independent American Film Festival continues to follow its
unique thread of freedom, independence, unpretentiousness - in the choice of themes,
characters, narration and directing procedures, and this time brings us a fresh breath of
new and independent American film, always different from what is currently current in
all world box offices, in all world multiplexes, and comes from the world's largest "dream
factory": Hollywood.

Over the years, we have hosted directors Gary King , winner of Raindens, who managed
to make a musical for only $ 60,000, Wayne Roberts , who made the good old drama
relevant again, and the famous double Oscar winner Alexander Payne, who also won the
"Icon of Independent Film" award. “. Completely diverse master classes by all these
authors dealt, among other things, with an all-pervading topic, which is of fundamental
importance for all filmmakers on all meridians, especially for those who want to debut
with their first feature film: how to make artistically relevant films in very limited and
sometimes uncertain budgetary conditions.

Never before has the selection of films at the Independent American Film Festival been
closer to the younger generation of audiences. Addressing young people, through media
that are for them like extended limbs, brain or some other upgrades, the festival also
addresses its other audience, bringing them some of the most interesting film stories by
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
authors from the North American continent. As the only specialized festival for American
independent film in Serbia and Southeast Europe, our mission remains to premiere what
is very rare in domestic cinemas and other festivals.

This year's guest of Bob Bajington ( Bob Byington ) has a prestigious award from the
festival in Locarno, but still records exclusively outside of Hollywood and entire career
being built just this way. We guarantee that in addition to his new film, the award-
winning film "Francis Ferguson" , this year there will be other shots, faces and stories
that you will not forget and the excitement that will make you come back to this festival.
7 independent American films will be shown for the first time in Serbia at the festival,
and in addition to the audience's conversation with a special guest of the festival, a master
class will be held, which will be a kind of director's "opening of tickets" and public
passage through what makes a good film preparation. of its key stages of realization.

We invite you to the fifth " Indie Belgrade ", the jubilee edition of the review of the
world's most exciting cinematography, from December 12 to 15 in the Great Hall of the
Belgrade Youth Center.

Tickets are on sale, at a price of 300 RSD, at the Ticket Vision box office in DOB.

The festival was supported by the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, the US
Embassy in Belgrade and the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of
Serbia.

The artistic directors of the IndieBelgrade festival are Hristina Hadžiharalabus and
Radoslav Pavković.

THE PROGRAM:

Thursday, Dec 12 2019 at 20.00

Opening of the Independent American Film Festival in the presence of the festival's guest
- award-winning American director Bob Byington .

“ THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE”

USA 2019 / black comedy / 104 min. / Director: Riley Stearns

Festivals: SXSW , Seattle, Boston, Edinburgh, Fantasia , Munich, Ghent

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Putz

Serbian Prime Minister

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
After being beaten on the street, the confused accountant Casey reports to the local karate
school, run by the charismatic and mysterious Sensei. He is thus initiated into an ominous
brotherhood of violence and masculinity.

The extraordinary Jesse Eisenberg ( "Social Network") in a Kafkaesque, deadly comedy.

Friday, Dec 13 2019 at 18.00

“ORDERS” / CRSHD

USA 2019 / teen comedy / 81 min. / Directed by Emily Conn

Festivals: Tribeca , Munich, Women in Texas

Serbian Prime Minister

On the last day of the school year, freshman Izzy tries to lose her virginity, all with the
help of her friends, who are plotting to break into the exclusive party of "Naloženih".
Women's "American pie" of the modern age that celebrates the digital culture of young
people, their language and attitudes - through a new film aesthetic.

Friday, Dec 13 2019 at 20.00

“SG AS GENZBUR” / INITIALS SG

USA - Argentina 2019 / comedy, drama / 98 min. / Directed by: Rania Atieh, Daniel
Garcia

Festivals: Tribeca, Thessaloniki

Awards: Nora Efron Award - Tribeca 2019

Cast: Diego Peretti, Julianne Nicholson, Daniel Fanego

Serbian Prime Minister

Former Argentine double Serge Gainsbourg, and now an extra and occasional porn actor,
is trying to cope with his broken nose, a mistress he didn't want and the crime he
accidentally fell into, on the night when Argentina loses the World Cup final.

Saturday, 14.12. 2019 at 1 p.m.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
Exclusive master class of the guest of the festival, American director Bob Byington
"From screenplay to screen" and a workshop with actors. Open to all interested, free
entry.

Saturday, 14.12. 2019 at 18.00

"INGESTION" / SWALLOW

USA - France 2019 / psychological drama, horror / 94 min. Directed by Carlo Mirabella-
Davis

Festivals: Tribeca, Sitges, Sao Paulo, Fantasia, Camerimage, Thessaloniki

Awards: Best Actress - Tribeca, Best Screenplay - Fantasia Film Festival, Prix Special -
Deauville, Best Feature Film, Best Actress - Vustok

Cast: Halle Bennett, Austin Stovel, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rache

Serbian Prime Minister

When she becomes pregnant, the richly married Hunter develops the urge to swallow
sharp objects. Trying to hide it from her husband's all-controlling family, she has to face
the dark secret of her obsession. An exciting debut work by Mirabelle-Davis with
"Hitchcock" elements.

Saturday, 14.12. 2019 at 20.00

Award ceremony and announcement of the winner of the festival

“FRENSIS FERGUSON” / FRANCES FERGUSON

USA-Greece 2019 / satire / 75 min. / Directed by: Bob Bajington

Festivals: SXSW , Seattle, Munich, Turin, Maryland

Awards: Best Feature Film - Sidewalk Film Festival

Cast: Kali Wiles, Nick Oferman, Keith Pulson, Martin Starr

Serbian Prime Minister

To the professor on the replacement Francis, married life is so boring, that she decided to
ruin it with a relationship with a seventeen-year-old student. Francis follows his new
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
status as a sex offender with a backlash and black irony. Neo-Godard satire in the style of
our Texas festival guest.

The film is followed by a conversation between director Bob Beington and the audience.

Sunday, 15.12. 2019 at 18.00

“ADAM” / ADAM

USA 2019 / teen comedy, LGBT / 95 min. / Directed by : Reese Ernst

Festivals: Sundance, Sao Paulo, Thessaloniki

Awards: Grand Jury Prize, recognition for directing - LA Outfest

Cast : Nicolas Alexander, Babi Salvor Menuez, Margaret Cuelli ( Once Upon a Time in
Hollywood)

Serbian Prime Minister

Teenager Adam is spending a vacation in New York with his older sister, who is actively
involved in the LGBT scene. At the Pride Parade, Adam meets the beautiful Gillian who
thinks he is in the process of changing his gender. Adam in love now has to play his new
role… Teenager Adam spends his vacation in New York with his older sister, who is
actively involved in the LGBT scene. At the Pride Parade, Adam meets the beautiful
Gillian, who thinks that he is in the process of changing his gender. Adam in love now
has to play his new role… A tender story about growing up and exploring sexual identity
spiced with humor.

Sunday, 15.12. 2019 at 20.00

“AFTER ALL THOSE DAYS” / AFTER SO MANY DAYS

USA 2019 / music documentary / 87 min. / Directed by: Jim Hanft & Samanta Jonak

Festivals: Calgary, Travers City, Dallas

Awards: Audience Award, Best Documentary - Hell's Half Mile Film Festival , Best
Documentary - Red Rose Film Festival
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Embassy Belgrade, SERBIA
European Prime Minister

The musical-married duo Jim and Sam, still not as famous as they would like, decide to
hold a concert every day in one calendar year. With a guitar on their shoulders and
suitcases, they set off on a journey through 14 countries, into an adventure that will
change their lives.