A Serbian Film dropped from FrightFest

Organisers refuse to screen 'heavily cut' version of controversial horror.

by Amber Wilkinson

A Serbian Film
A Serbian Film

Controversial Serbian horror movie A Serbian Film (Srpski Film) has been dropped at the last minute from the Film4 Frightfest line-up.

The film - which has screened at other festivals including South By Southwest - concerns a former porn star forced out of retirement and who finds himself mired in depravity. Its taboo combination of graphic sex, brutal violence and young children has already apparently stirred up trouble at the BBFC.

In a statement, FrightFest co-director Alan Jones said: “Film4 FrightFest has decided not to show A Serbian Film in a heavily cut version because, as a festival with a global integrity, we think a film of this nature should be shown in its entirety as per the director’s intention. Several film festivals across the world have already done so.

"Unlike the I Spit On Your Grave remake, where we are showing the BBFC certified print, as requested by Westminster Council, the issues and time-line complexities surrounding A Serbian Film make it impossible for us to screen it.”

A release date for the film, which is due to be distributed in the UK by Revolver, has yet to be announced.

Read our coverage of FrightFest here

Share this with others on...
News

Framing a feature Michele Fiascaris on expanding his short Rain Catcher into a rain-slicked noir thriller

A heroine of the people Avid Liongoren on the Filipino animation industry and Zsazsa Zaturnnah

The girl who didn't want to be happy Julien Birban Levy on the spirit of Seoul and getting inside the head of Niko

Spirit of the art Takeru Shinozuka and Yoshihide Moriyama on animation and Foxing: Kitsuné-Tsuki

Colouring outside the lines Harrison Atkins on guerilla filmmaking, expanding options in cinema, and Sour Minnows

The yearning Corrin Evans, Lily Cowles, Jeff Wahlberg and Michael Vlamis on Corpus

More news and features

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


San Sebastian Leigh, Naishtat and Larraín among those joining line-up


Fantasia Nighborn is Cheval Noir Best Film; full list of award winners announced


Frightfest Full line-up announced


Sarajevo Festival to honour Asghar Farhadi and present tribute programme


Locarno Juries announced