The play “The Little Mermaid” by the Children’s Theater of Republika Srpska will open the 25th International Festival of Professional Puppet Theaters for Children “Lut Fest,” scheduled to take place from September 22nd to 27th in East Sarajevo. The festival is organized by the “Forum Theater” from this city, an association recognized for its cultural significance in Republika Srpska.
“This year’s festival marks a significant jubilee and represents a major achievement in puppetry. Renowned puppet theaters from Republika Srpska, the Federation of BiH, Serbia, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, South Korea, and Hungary will participate in the festival,” said Festival Director Vitomir Mitrić.
Mitrić emphasized that the jubilee “Lut Fest” will delight children from all municipalities of East Sarajevo and other communities in Republika Srpska, aiming to continue the project of decentralizing culture and art in Srpska.
Over the six days of the festival, audiences will have the opportunity to see performances such as “Utopia” by the Puppet Theater Mostar, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by the “Pinocchio” Puppet Theater from Belgrade, “Sasha’s Stories” from a theater in Saint Petersburg, and “The Hare and the Dog” by the “Pinocchio” Puppet Theater from Belgrade.
Among others, performances like “The Woodcutter and the Celestial Fairy” by a Korean theater, “When You Have a House Dragon” by the State Puppet Theater from Sliven, Bulgaria, “Little Dragon Ogi” by the National Theater “Toša Jovanović” from Zrenjanin, and “Alice in the Land of Trees” by the Kruševac Theater will be showcased.
He emphasized that these performances explore new forms of puppetry while not neglecting traditional forms, striving for modern, contemporary, and experimental expression with imaginative content and educational messages.
The festival’s theme, “The Language of Puppetry,” fully aligns with the aesthetics of visual puppet expression and creative inspiration, achieving the magic of puppetry.
“Workshops, masterclasses, book promotions on puppetry, and other festival programs contribute to the significance of the festival within the global framework of puppetry art,” Mitrić added.
The festival’s expert jury will consist of Professor Bonjo Lungov from Bulgaria, Valentina Fursova from Estonia, and Mladen Janković from Republika Srpska.
The festival’s producer, Aleksandra Mitrić Štifanić, told Srna that “Lut Fest” is particularly significant for the development of culture and the promotion of the city of East Sarajevo, which has supported this event for 25 years, creating the necessary conditions for the festival to progress and gain a well-deserved place and special status in the city’s cultural policy.
“The support of the municipalities of East Ilidža and East New Sarajevo, the general sponsor, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, and the bronze sponsor of the festival, the company ‘Bambi,’ as well as media support from Radio-Television of Republika Srpska, the News Agency of Republika Srpska SRNA, and numerous media partners, is particularly important for the jubilee festival,” emphasized Štifanić.
The performances will take place on the stages of the Cultural Center and the National Theater in East Sarajevo.
Source: RTRS
