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13th Japanese Serbian Film Festival

5 hours ago
2 min read

The 13th edition of the Japanese Serbian Film Festival (JSFF) will take place from 28 November to 1 December 2026 at Jugoslovenska kinoteka in Belgrade, bringing four days of contemporary cinema, encounters with filmmakers, and cultural exchange.



Under this year's theme, IN BETWEEN, JSFF turns its attention to the spaces between cultures, identities, generations, traditions, and new realities. Through the encounter between Japanese and Serbian cinema, the festival explores the perspectives that emerge between different experiences, viewpoints, and cinematic languages.


The 2026 programme brings together a carefully curated selection of contemporary Japanese and Serbian feature films, short films, and animation, including three international premieres of Japanese feature films. Audiences can expect a diverse range of genres, bold themes, and distinctive cinematic approaches from both established and emerging filmmakers.

The screenings will be accompanied by filmmaker discussions, masterclasses, and encounters with film professionals, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with the ideas, creative processes, and perspectives behind the films.


Alongside the film programme, JSFF will present Dani Japana (Days of Japan), a series of cultural events organized by the Embassy of Japan in Belgrade. The programme introduces audiences to different aspects of Japanese culture through storytelling, language, and traditional practices. Highlights include kamishibai, the Japanese art of storytelling through illustrated images; a theatrical performance of The Restaurant of Many Orders, based on the work of Kenji Miyazawa; a traditional tea ceremony; and lectures exploring Japanese culture and its connections to this year's festival theme.


JSFF's competition format is designed to reinforce the dialogue between the two cinematographies, with Serbian and Japanese juries evaluating each other's work across selected categories. The festival also continues the Nikola Stojanović Legacy Award, celebrating distinctive cinematic vision and aesthetics.


The festival is conceived as a meeting point for audiences, filmmakers, and industry professionals alike: a place to discover new cinema, explore Japanese culture, exchange ideas, meet creators, develop projects, and open conversations around collaboration, co-production, and distribution.



Tickets & Reservations


  • Regular Film Screenings: 250 RSD per feature film or screening block (short films and animation). Tickets are available at the Jugoslovenska kinoteka box office on the day of the screening.

  • Opening Ceremony & Opening Film: Free admission, reservation required via jsff.submissions@gmail.com.

  • Dani Japana (Days of Japan): Free admission.

  • JSFF Masterclass: Reservation only.

  • Breakfast with Filmmakers: Reservation only.


Since its founding in 2014, JSFF has developed its identity around a particular proposition: not simply to present Japan and Serbia alongside one another, but to create a space in which they actively meet.


IN BETWEEN is an invitation to explore the space between two cinemas, two cultures, and the many perspectives that emerge when they are allowed to encounter, challenge, recognize, and influence one another.



13th Japanese Serbian Film Festival IN BETWEEN 28 November – 1 December 2026

Jugoslovenska kinoteka, Uzun Mirkova 1, Belgrade

www.jsffest.com Instagram: @jsffofficial




Organized by CULTCRAVE – Association for the Development of Art and Culture, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade.

 
 
 

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