The 25th international film festival - FEST '97 has been interrupted yesterday with several different explanations of that act. It is completely evident that the motive for that interruption was the brutal police violence on the streets of Belgrade the previous night.

At a meeting held on 2nd February at noon the Managing Board of the Association of Film Distributors decided to withdraw all the films from the FEST until further notice. At the same time this Board recommended that the Council of the FEST should make a decision to stop the FEST.

The Council of the FEST has also had a meeting yesterday and made the following statement:

"The FEST was and still is a bright cultural and film event of Belgrade, of the those who respect the Art of Film, but also an event of the film-makers from our country and all over the world for the last 25 years. We have no right to interrupt this event neither in the name of the viewers nor in the name of the founders. Still, we can not put up with the brutal police repression that has escalated between 2nd and 3rd February. Therefore, from this day, the FEST will be discontinued until this repression is stopped."