Zoran Stefanović


Zoran Stefanović is a Serbian author, publisher and cultural activist, best known as the founder of several cultural networks, including Project Rastko. His works were published and produced in Europe and US.
He made his debut in theater and film in 1987 and he graduated in dramaturgy and screenwriting in 1994 at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. He lives in Belgrade.
He is the president of the Association of Playwrights of Serbia.

Writings

Some of his works belong to science fiction and fantasy - in the theater, graphic novels and comics, prose and in film/television.
His other works are documentary, such as the TV-series "The Janus' Face of History," or films "Lives of Kosta Hakman" and "Music of Silence".
His theater plays, prose and graphic novels have been translated into Macedonian, Romanian, Slovene, English, French, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian.

Cultural work

Stefanović was the principal founder of several international cultural networks: Project Rastko, Distributed Proofreaders Europe, the Project Gutenberg Europe and similar communities in the fields of digitization, lexicography and pop-culture.
He is also active in cultural and scientific projects since 1993, especially in the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Russia and Poland, including preservation of minority cultures as well as initiative for Balkan Cultural Network, with Greek cultural activist and music producer Nikos Valkanos.
Since the mid-1990s he promotes the philosophy of open sources and free knowledge, as "the very foundation of every civilized human society." He actively supports several regional Wikipedias, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe since 2004.

Awards and honors

As a writer, playwright and screenwriter, he has been nationally and internationally awarded and short-listed some twenty times, including The "Josip Kulundžić" award for theatrical play, Gold medal for the screenplay at the 42nd Festival of Yugoslav documentary and short films, two wins in Yugoslav literary SF/F competitions "Znak Sagite", Grand Prix for the best Serbian graphic novel and Award for the best graphic novel script, The Edition of the Year of The Belgrade Book Fair. He was nominated for the Prix Europa award in Berlin and the Prix Italia award in Rome.
For his cultural and publishing work he has been also nationally and internationally recognized, including three times the Annual award of the Informatics Society of Serbia, ten YU Web Top 50 awards and Webfest 2007 Award for the best culture site of the Western Balkans. He has been nominated for United Nations World Summit Award and Central European Review Content Crown award.

Selected bibliography

;Theatrical and radio playsAn Island Story , 1987, based on characters from Corto Maltese comics series by Hugo Pratt, directed by Zoran ĐorđevićTristia, 1990.Weekend with Marija Broz , 1990.Slavic Orpheus , 1992.Fable of the Cosmic Egg , 1992.The Meeting Point , 1992.Snow is not White , 2009.A waltz for Olga , 2018.
;Books of playsSlavic Orpheus and other plays , Znak Sagite, Belgrade, 1995.
;NovelsChainers of the World, a novel of our people , Everest media, Belgrade, 1993, 2012.
;Comics and graphic novelsThe Third Argument with writer Milorad Pavić and artist Zoran Tucić
  • * albums, Serbian and English, Bata-Orbis, Belgrade-Limasol, 1995;
  • * serialized in English, Heavy Metal Magazine, New York, 1998/1999/2000.Under the Seal of the Wolf with artist Antoan Simić
  • * Stripmania, magazine, Belgrade, 1996.Duke Lipen with artist Siniša Banović
  • * Parabellum, magazine, Sarajevo, 2012.
;History and aesthetics of comics The Comics We Loved, Selection of 20th Century Comics and Creators from the Region of Former Yugoslavia, a critical lexicon, co-author with Živojin Tamburić, Zdravko Zupan and Paul Gravett, "Omnibus", Belgrade, 2011. Little Nemo in Slumberland Vol. 1-5, introductory essays for Winsor McCay's complete series in Serbian translation, "Makondo", Belgrade, 2013-2015. Vol 1., Vol 2.

Selected filmography

;WriterGive my regards to all who ask for me , documentary, 1987 Ars longa, vita brevis, 1991Slavic Orpheus , theatrical adaptation, 1992Janus' Face of History 1–3, documentary mini-series, 1993Narrow Paths , short, 1995Lives of Kosta Hakman , documentary, 2005Music of Silence , documentary, 2011120 years of Serbian Literary Cooperation , documentary 2012 Lectures on comics, documentary, 2014 Sava Lozanić bells , documentary, 2018
;ProducerMy dead town , documentary, 2000Lives of Kosta Hakman , documentary, 2005
;Casting Departement