# Niš film festival political split > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ni-film-festival-political-split > Updated: 2026-08-22T15:58:38.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2. The historic Filmski susreti festival in Niš, Serbia, has split following the cancellation of its 60th edition due to a failure to reach an agreement between the city and the Association of Film Actors of Serbia (UFGS). This disagreement has resulted in the emergence of two competing events. The UFGS announced the independent “Niški filmski festival,” scheduled for late August to early September, which aims to showcase domestic productions and present a lifetime achievement award. Concurrently, the City of Niš is organizing its own International Film Festival. The division is deeply rooted in local political fragmentation. The city-led festival is being held in the Crveni krst municipality, controlled by the ruling party, while the UFGS event is set in the Medijana municipality, an area controlled by the opposition. Industry professionals have expressed concern that this antagonism, where artistic programming is influenced by political control and budget reliance, threatens the broader survival of the arts. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-22: Niš film festivals split amid political divisions A political and organizational split in Niš, Serbia, has resulted in two competing film festivals replacing the historic Filmski susreti, highlighting deep divisions between local authorities and actors' unions 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ni-film-festivals-split-amid-political-divisions ### 2026-07-28: Niš film actors launch independent festival after cancellation of 60th Filmski susreti The 60th Filmski susreti in Niš was cancelled after a dispute between the actors’ association and city officials; the association will instead run a standalone Niš film festival from Aug 29‑Sept 3 under the “Vi 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ni-film-festival-cancelled-actors-launch-independent-event --- Cite as: Niš film festival political split. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ni-film-festival-political-split