Belgrade Irish Festival 2024

Irish director and screenwriter Jim Sheridan was awarded the Golden Seal of the Yugoslav Film Archive (Jugoslovenska Kinoteka) for his outstanding contribution to the film art at the opening of the 12th Belgrade Irish Festival (BIF). The award was presented to him by Ksenija Zelenović, the editor of the film program at this institution, on behalf of the Film Archive. Addressing the audience, Sheridan expressed his delight at being back in Serbia and hoped that Serbia would remain open to the world. Following the award ceremony, the audience attended a screening of the film "My Left Foot," which brought Sheridan and Irish cinema to worldwide acclaim. The film is a true story about the Irish poet and painter Christy Brown, who had cerebral palsy and could only use his left foot. According to Sheridan, this film symbolizes perseverance and significantly influenced the perception of people with developmental disabilities in Ireland. "That is...

As part of the 12th Belgrade Irish Festival (March 8th – 18th), we'll have the opportunity to see two exhibitions featuring striking photography: one from Ireland showcasing the life of Irish nomads, known as Minkers, and the other by an Irishman who has lived in the Balkans for over a decade, presenting this part of Europe through his own eyes. "Minkers" is the title of the exhibition by photographer Joseph-Philippe Bevillard, introducing us to the life of the ethnic minority in Ireland Minkers, commonly referred to in this country as Irish Travellers. For years, Joseph-Philippe has been documenting the lives of the Minkers, and much of his work focuses on this community. The photographs, being showcased for the first time in Belgrade, reveal the uniqueness, joy, and beauty of their lives, exclusively captured through his lens. Bevillard lost his hearing at the age of three and since then, he focused on...

Rob Doyle, an award-winning younger-generation Irish writer, and Theo Dorgan, one of the most renowned poets in the country, will be guests at this year's Belgrade Irish Festival. Both authors will read excerpts from their works and engage with the Belgrade audience. Rob Doyle will spend a month in Belgrade as a guest of the literary residency organized by BIF for the first time this year, in collaboration with "Krokodil," with support from Literature Ireland from Dublin. A native of Dublin, Doyle is the author of four internationally successful books. His debut novel, "Here Are the Young Men," was adapted into a film of the same name. He has also published novels "Threshold" and "This is the Ritual," a collection of short stories. During a month in Belgrade, he will continue working on his new novel. Doyle will interact with readers at "Krokodil" during the festival days, with the date and time to...

The Week of Irish Film, as part of the program of the 12th Belgrade Irish Festival - BIF (March 8 - 18), is dedicated to special guest Jim Sheridan, a screenwriter and director who has brought international recognition to modern Irish cinema and who, on this occasion, will be visiting Serbia once again. Throughout eight days of the Festival, dedicated to film (March 8 - 15), we will see 15 movies by Irish authors, all selected with the aim to introduce us to the lives and achievements of iconic Irish figures, from actors and musicians to footballers and LGBTQ+ activists. Guests of Belgrade and BIF, alongside Sheridan, include directors Alan Ginsenan, former director of the Irish Film Institute, Kevin Hughes, Katherine Harte, and Edwina Forkin, founder of Zanzibar Productions. We will watch their films at the Kinoteka, in the building on Kosovska 11, where, after the screenings, the authors will engage in...

The Belgrade Irish Festival will be held for the twelfth time this year, from March 8 to 18, as St. Patrick's Week in Belgrade. Over ten days, the Belgrade audience will have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of Irish films, award-winning theater performances, a photo exhibition, engage in discussions with directors, writers, and journalists from Ireland, and learn more about this country and its culture through socializing with the Irish living in Serbia. This year, the Belgrade Irish Festival will be opened by Jim Sheridan, a renowned Irish screenwriter, producer, and director whose films have received 16 Oscar nominations, best known to the local audience for movies like 'In the Name of the Father' and 'My Left Foot' (both starring Daniel Day-Lewis). On Friday, March 8, 2024, Jim Sheridan will open the 12th Belgrade Irish Festival at the Yugoslav Film Archive building. An exclusive guest of the Belgrade Irish Festival is the...

The Belgrade Irish Festival, in partnership with Literature Ireland and Krokodil Writers Centre, seeks applications from creative writers for a residential bursary in Belgrade, Serbia. This is an opportunity for a writer to travel to Serbia and live and work in the exciting cultural capital of Serbia, Belgrade. The residency will take place between 26 February and 25 March 2024 (four weeks’ duration). The bursary will be awarded to a practising writer from the island of Ireland. The successful candidate will be asked to work on their current writing project, and to immerse themselves in Belgrade’s rich literary and cultural life in the run up to the annual Belgrade Irish Festival. Towards the end of the residency, the successful candidate will participate fully in the festival, including at least one public event focusing on their work. This residency is suitable for an early to mid-career writer with an established publication record. Eligible genres are...