Famous volleyball player Vladimir Vanja Grbić opened Kestenburg, the International Festival of Student Theater, in Belgrade, which is organized for the fifth time by the Banja Luka Student Theater, with the media and technical support of the Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Serbia.

The festival will last until 19 June and include participation of actors and drama students from six continents.

Opening the festival in the Academic Theater of the Branko Krsmanović Academic Cultural and Artistic Society of the University of Belgrade, Grbić said that it was the duty of elders to help the youth who were still looking for their way and prepare them for what tomorrow would bring.

‘What becomes of the youth depends on us and how we direct them. Such a chain that must not be broken is something called a mission. Unfortunately, today people are very much focused on themselves and personal interests that do not allow them to understand the essence of their existence, that is, why we are actually here. Giving and the ability to give is a gift of a small number of people’, said Grbić.

The director of Kestenburg, Aleksandar Pejaković, said that this year’s festival would last four months, adding that the competitive part would include 12 plays and that the accompanying program would cover 38 events, of which 25 to be held in Banja Luka, ten in Belgrade and one each in Užice, Vienna and San Francisco.

He noted his gladness that the jury consisted of three young actresses – Tamara Dragičević as president, and Ana Lečić and Nadežda Kostić serving as members, a continuation of the tradition of always having young people in the jury.

Dragičević explained that she had accepted involvement in the work of Kestenburg, because it was a festival with a mission to connect young people, and that at the European and global level, which was extremely nice.

She added that she hoped her task would not be as difficult as it had been known to happen, because sometimes it was ungrateful to single someone out, especially when there were several good plays and it was not easy to choose the best, in particular since it went without saying that the jury was objective.

In addition to the Golden Chestnut as the most valuable award, the Festival will also present the Silver Chestnut and Bronze Chestnut, as well as special awards of event management.

Source: Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Serbia

Photo: Dan u Beogradu