The 5th International Film and Music Festival Kustendorf opened in Mokra Gora on Tuesday with a spectacular fireworks display and a brass band, in the presence of famous French actress Isabelle Huppert, South Korean Director Kim Ki-duk and U.S. independent film director Abel Ferrara.

The festival was officially opened by its founder, director Emir Kusturica, and Minister of Culture, Information and Information Society Predrag Markovic. Kusturica said he was pleased to welcome to Drvengrad the greatest living actress Isabelle Huppert, one of the best authors of independent film Abel Ferrara and Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux.

Fremaux stated he was glad the film and theatre still played an important role in the 21st century and advised young film makers to be brave and open to everything the film art represents. After the opening, Kusturica will present the Future Film Award to the festival's guest of honour, Kim Ki-duk.

A screening of his film Arirang is expected. The film won an award at the 2011 Cannes festival. The South Korean director is also expected to hold a workshop for students and young film makers, participants of the festival's competition programme.

Twenty films directed by young authors from Belgium, Great Britain, Estonia, Italy, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mexico, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Russia, the U.S., Serbia, France and Spain selected by Dunja Kusturica will be running for the Golden, Silver and Bronze Egg.

This year's Retrospective of Greatness is dedicated to Kim Ki-duk and Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The Contemporary Trends programme will include works by the Dardenne brothers, Germany's Andreas Dresden, Iran's Marjane Satrapi, Abel Ferrara, Denmark's Frederikke Aspock and the film Nader and Simin: A Separation by Asghar Farhadi.

A new programme was introduced this year, called New Authors. It includes feature film debuts by authors who are gradually conquering the film world with their characteristic film language.