Marko Mijatović is a Serbian film director, producer, and screenwriter best known for his work in social realist cinema. Born in Belgrade in 1983, Mijatović was exposed to film and art from an early age, and as a result developed a lifelong passion for the medium.
Mijatović studied film directing and production at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade and graduated in 2008. He has since gone on to direct several shorts, including ‘The Bigger Picture’ (2008), 'My Father's House' (2010), and 'The Wounded Deer' (2014). Mijatović has also directed three feature films: 'The Parade' (2011), 'I Will Never Forget You' (2013), and 'The Load' (2018).
The Parade was Mijatović’s debut feature, and it was released to critical acclaim. It follows the story of a gay pride parade in Belgrade in 2001, and was awarded the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film also won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Istanbul International Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Mijatović’s second feature, I Will Never Forget You, was released in 2013. The film follows the story of a young woman who returns to her family home in Serbia after twenty years away, and is forced to confront the secrets of her past. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Sarajevo Film Festival, and was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Warsaw International Film Festival.
Mijatović’s third feature, The Load, was released in 2018. The film follows the story of a truck driver in Serbia who is transporting a mysterious load across the country during the NATO bombing campaign in 1999. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the same festival.
Mijatović’s films have been praised for their social realism and focus on issues of identity and belonging. His work has been compared to that of Italian neorealist filmmakers such as Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini. Mijatović continues to write and direct films that explore the struggles of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances
