DukaFest started out in memory of Dusko Dukic “Duka”, a student of Film and TV directing at the Academy of Arts in Banja Luka. The festival was initiated by his friends from the film studies and it was named after him.
The first edition, “DukaFest 2008”, was a single all-day retrospective of films made by film students from Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina. In 2009, the drama department students at the Academy of Arts, University in Banja Luka founded an citizens’ association KROV (an organization for incentive and development of culture and art) and with cooperation of Academy of Arts, organized an international student film festival “DukaFest 2009”, which became competitive since that year. The festival is awarding students in the best fiction, the best documentary, the best directing, the best editing and the best cinematography categories.
Along with the screenings, our program also includes film workshops for all students and visitors of the festival, mentored by professionals and renown regional filmmakers. Apart from the film program, an important part of the festival is the music program which takes place after daily screenings and hosts up-and-coming or already affirmed bands from the region.
The whole idea of this festival is to promote student films and their authors for whom festivals like these are a stepping-stones in career and an opportunity to meet colleagues and professionals from the film industry. All screenings and workshops during “DukaFest” are free to attend.
The last edition of “DukaFest” was held in 2013. and now, after five years of absence, we are back as the only film festival in Banja Luka and with the intention to be even better than before.
