FILM AUTHORS
Besides the films made, one of the greatest assets of the Yugoslav film industry are the film authors, including directors, cameramen and actors in the first place. In the first post-war period, Vjekoslav Afric, Nikola Popovic, Rados Novakovic and Vladimir Pogacic stood out among directors, Mihajlo Ivanjikov and Mihajlo Al. Popovic among cameramen and Milivoje Zivanovic, Ljubisa Jovanovic and others among actors who were recruited from the theatre. A different kind of films began to be made in the sixties by directors such as Aleksandar Petrovic, Zivojin Pavlovic, Purisa Bordevic, Dusan Makavejev, Kokan Rakonjac and Zelimir Zilnik, cameramen Aleksandar Petkovic, Milorad Jaksic and Branko Ivatovic and actors (who were later to become Yugoslav film stars) Milena Dravic, Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic, Ljubisa Samardzic, Stole Arandelovic, Pavle Vujisic and many others. Three gifted directors reached their professional maturity in Montenegro: Velja Stojanovic, Milo Bukanovic and Zdravko Velimirovic. The late seventies were marked by directors from the so-called "Czech school", Goran Markovic, Srdan Karanovic and Goran Paskaljevic and cameraman Predrag Popovic. Zivko Nikolic and Predrag Golubovic worked for Serbian and Montenegrin film industries parallely. They also led a new generation of graduates from the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts, including: Slobodan Sijan, Milos Radivojevic, Zdravko Sotra, Miroslav Lekic, Srdjan Dragojevic and Dragan Kresoja (all directors), cameramen Radoslav Vladic and Milos Spasojevic and a whole pleiad of talented young actors who had already established themselves, as was the case with Lazar Ristovski, Branislav Lecic, Svetozar Cvetkovic and Zoran Cvijanovic and the younger ones, such as. Mirjana Jokovic, Srdan Todorovic, Nikola Kojo, Dragan Bjelogrlic, Branka Katic, Sergej Trifunovic and others.
Although mostly directors acted as screen writers in the Yugoslav film industry, a contribution was made to this also by many writers and journalists, such as. Oskar Davico, Branko Copic, Borislav Mihajlovic-Mihiz, Borislav Pekic, Miroslav Antic, Branimir Rcepanovic, Ferenc Deak and others. Among the film playwriters, the greatest contribution was made by Ratkc Burovic, Gordan Mihic, Arsen Diklic, Dusan Kovacevic, Nebojsa Pajkic, Ljubisa Kozomora, Zika Lazic, Sinisa Pavic and others. Great credit is deserved also by: film editors, such as Olga Skrigin, Katarina Stojanovic, Jelena i Vojislav Bjenjas, Branka Ceperac, Vuksan Lukovac, Mirjana Mitrovic, Lana Vukobratovic, Jelica Bokic, Petar Markovic and others; scenographers, such as Miomir Denic, Vlastimir Gavrik, Veljko Despotovic, Dragoljub Ivkov, Milenko Jeremic, Vladislav Lasic, Miljan Kljakovic Kreka and others, costume designers, such as Mirjana Ostojic, Zagorka Stojanovic, Mira Cohadzic, Boris Caksiran, Biljana i Ljiljana Dragovic, Emilija Kovacevic and others; film music composers, such as Vojislav Voki Kostic, Zoran Hristic, Mladen and Predrag Vranesevic, Lazar Ristovski, Zoran Simjanovic, Dusko Kaurovic, Ksenija Zecevic and others, and producers, such as Ratko Drazevic, Aleksije Obradovic, Milan Zmukic, Dusan Perkovic, Nikola Popovic, Petar Sobajic, Aleksandar Stojanovic, Borde Milojevic, Milan Cvetkovic and others.
As for the documentary film production, a big group was formed around the so-called "Belgrade school", which deserves credit for the success of Yugoslav documentaries not only in the country, but abroad too. The accomplishments of directors Krsto Skanata, Stjepan Zaninovic, Milenko Strbac, Niksa Jovicevic and Aleksandar Ilic marked a whole epoch. Later on, they were also joined by other directors, such as Branko Milosevic, Momir Matovic and even younger ones, such as Zelimir Gvardiol, Milan Knezevic and others.
The most successful cartoon-makers in Belgrade in the late seventies were Nikola Majdak, Zoran Jovanovic, Vera Vlajic, Dusan Sevo, Rastko Ciric, Veljko Bikic, Dragutin Gane Milanovic, Rajko Radovic and others.
TRAINING
Initially, the film industry was taking over staff from some related industries and show business, and for a long time, the training boiled down to practising and assisting. Between the two world wars, at
tempts were being made at setting up film schools, but that never turned into a system of training for film-making.
What was particularly lacking were technical/artistic workers, so that it was proceeded with sending students to Moscow and Prague for training. Thanks to the efforts made by the Film Industry Committee of the FPRY Government, the High School for Film Actors and Directors was established in 1947 in Belgrade and technical film schools in Belgrade and Zagreb, which had the status of secondary vocational schools for work in the film industry.
In the 1950/51 academic year, the High School for Film Actors and Directors and the Theatre Academy merged and became the Academy of Theatre Arts. The first generation of actors and directors trained in it was to become the first generation of its professors subsequently. In 1960, this academy's name was changed to the Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television, in which the students of direction were able to opt for one of these four media only after completing the second year. The first generation of organisers and playwrights enrolled in 1961 and the students of film editing and camera somewhat later on. The first students of sound recording and processing enrolled in the 1997198 academic year. In 1974, this Academy became the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (theatre, film, radio and television). This establishment is one of the oldest members of CILECT, an international association of higher film and television schools. The Academy and the subsequent Faculty of Theatre Arts had many teachers and students, who made a great contribution to the Yugoslav film industry: Vjekoslav Afric, Rados Novakovic, Aleksandar Petrovic, Ljubomir Radicevic, Dejan Kosanovic, Marko Babac, Vladeta Lukic and others. The courses last four years and graduates can opt for master's and doctoral courses.
The decentralisation of the Yugoslav film industry was reflected on training, so that the Drama Department was established within the Novi Sad Art Academy for drama (in the Serbian and Albanian languages) and (multimedia) direction students.
The opening of private film/television schools began in Belgrade in 1995, so that the first generations of students are attending the BK Academy, a film school attached to Dunav film.
