SBIFF 2015: Darko Lungulov's "Monument to Michael Jackson" set to premiere this weekend!

Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015, 7:20PM

In a dying town in Serbia, an old communist-era monument is removed from the Square. Marko, daydreamer, is on the verge of divorce from the love of his life, Ljubinka. She is disappointed in him and the life in Serbian small-town. Out of despair, he comes up with the idea to replace the communist-era statue with a monument to Michael Jackson in order to save his dying town and seduce his wife again. Marko convinces his close friends to help him. But the town’s mayor has his own plans and uses right-wing group “Clean Serbia” to crash Marko’s dream.

Desperate, Marko falsifies Michael Jackson’s letter and convinces the mayor and everybody else that Jackson will come to the monument’s unveiling. The town is now revitalized and its citizens full of hope while Marko regains the love of his wife. But on the big day, the death of real Michael Jackson’s is announced without him knowing it. The group “Clean Serbia” creates the chaos. The insane turn of events unexpectedly leads to the fulfillment of Marko’s plan, but in an absurd and darkly ironic fashion.

"Monument to Michael Jackson" had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czech Republic in 2014. It was Grand Prix winner for Best Film at the Montenegro Film Festival and has been screened at the following film festivals all over the world:

Pula Film Festival, Croatia
Film Festival Helsinki, Finland

Raindance Film Festival, UK
Filmfest Hamburg, Germany

LET'S CEE Film Festival, Vienna, Austria
 - SPECIAL MENTION AWARD
Antalya Int. Film Festival, Turkey

Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, The Hague, Netherlands
Minsk International Film Festival, Belarus
Arras Film Festival, France

Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia

Goa International Film Festival, India

Bangalore International Film Festival, India

Chennai IFF, India

Pune International Film Festival, India

Trieste Film Festival, Italy
Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden


About Darko Lungulov
His previous film, HERE & THERE, (67% rating on RT) won Tribeca's Best N.Y. Narrative Award in '09. It starred David Thornton, whose wife Cindy Lauper composed an original song, and also had a cameo in the movie.

You can watch the trailer below.