BELGRADE: Canadian-Serbian director Sanja Živković’s sophomore feature Cat’s Cry / Mačji krik had its national premiere in the main programme of the Auteur Film Festival (FAF) in Belgrade, running 21 – 28 November 2026. The script was written by Goran Paskaljević, whose sons, Vladimir and Petar, produced the film.
In a small Serbian town, Milena dreams of fame and independence amidst the allure of a Serbian music channel. Her aspirations and plans for the future are challenged when she gives birth to a baby with a rare genetic condition called “Cat’s Cry”. While her partner Igor and his family refuse to take responsibility for the baby, her father Stamen, a retired factory worker, urges Milena to leave Igor and return home, offering to raise the child together. Overwhelmed and fearful of her future, Milena disappears. Now Stamen and his new wife Vera must fight a flawed Serbian social system for custody of their granddaughter, while Milena struggles to find her own way forward.
The film was produced by Serbia’s Nova film and coproduced by Croatia’s Artizana Film and Serbia’s Cinnamon Films, which was also in charge of the executive production. The film’s producers are: Vladimir Paskaljević, Petar Paskaljević, Ivica Vidanović, Munire Armstrong of Canada’s YN Films, and Irena Škorić, whereas Nevena Savić and Jelica Rosandić are executive producers.
The project was supported by Film Center Serbia with 273,035 EUR / 32 m RSD, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre with 50,000 EUR and Telefilm Canada with 175,451 EUR / 250,000 CAD.
Cat’s Cry had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2024. It won the Horizon Award (Special Mention) in Vancouver and Special Jury Award in the International Competition of the Sofia International Film Festival.
Production Information:
Producer:
Nova Film (Serbia)
Coproducers:
Artizana Film (Croatia)
Cinnamon Films (Serbia)
YN Film (Canada)
Credits:
Director: Sanja Živković
Scriptwriters: Goran Paskaljević, Đorđe Sibinović
DoP: Milica Drakulić
Cast: Jasmin Geljo, Andrijana Đorđević, Sanja Mikitišin, Marija Škaričić, Denis Murić, Sergej Trifunović, Srđan Miletić, Sanja Krajnov, Zlatan Vidović, Vesna Paštrović Šašić, Olivera Viktorović, Ljubiša Miličić, Nenad J Popović, Tamara Aleksić, Predrag Paunović, Marija Vajner, Ana Stefanović Bilić, Jelena Jokić, Jugoslav Krajnov
