Argentine actor Chino Darin declares the 47th International Film Festival FEST open in Belgrade, Serbia, on Feb. 22, 2019. Under the slogan "Without Protection," Serbia's biggest international film feast -- FEST kicked off on Friday to bring a selection of latest domestic and foreign production to film lovers in Serbia and the region. (Xinhua/Nemanja Cabric)

BELGRADE, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Under the slogan "Without Protection", Serbia's biggest international film feast -- FEST kicked off on Friday to bring a selection of latest domestic and foreign production to film lovers in Serbia and the region.

Chino Darin, one of the actors of the movie "The Angel", declared festival open in front of several thousand visitors at the Sava Centre in Belgrade, where recently deceased director Dusan Makavejev, founder of Yugoslav Black Wave in film, was posthumously awarded with a "Belgrade Victor Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Film".

The film "The Angel" about young Carlos whose angelic face holds a dark side, in which Darin plays Ramon, a school friend of the protagonist, was screened within last year's Cannes Festival, and is among the must-see films at this year's FEST.

According to the art director of FEST Jugoslav Pantelic, 14 movies from Britain, France, Lebanon, Argentina, Iran, Australia, the United States, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Slovenia and Russia will compete for the award "Belgrade Victor".

The program started with the screening of the biographic comedy of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos "The Favorite" set in 18th century's England, winner of this year's BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for the best British movie, along with 10 Oscar nominations.

Over the next ten days, until March 3, the festival will screen 125 movies for the first time in Serbia, in 13 cinema halls in Belgrade while screenings will also be held in Serbian city of Novi Sad and the Montenegrin city of Budva.

On the repertoire are the winners of important international festivals, Hollywood blockbusters as well as auteur and documentary films.

The festival will close with the screening of Paolo Sorrentino's movie "Loro", a film about the life of former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi.