Serbian films and authors have won several awards at the 39th Film Festival Herceg Novi – Montenegro Film Festival, which has concluded today with the awards ceremony at Kanli Tower.
The debut feature film Our Father by Goran Stanković won the Grand Prix of the festival, with the jury explaining the quality of the direction, the author’s vision and strong acting interpretations. The film also received the “Zoran Živković” Plaque for best film, for its exceptional quality of production and film creation.
Goran Stanković was also awarded the Golden Mimosa for best director, together with Kosara Mitić, for the film 17. In the jury explanation, it was pointed out that both directors showed a recognizable author’s style and a strong mastery of film narrative with their debut productions.
Vučić Perović won the Golden Mimosa for the best male role for his role in the film Our Father. The jury praised his interpretation of an extremely demanding role, especially emphasizing the actor’s precision and believability.
The Golden Mimosa for best screenplay went equally to Miha Hočevar and Srđan Koljević for the film Hidden People and Vladimir Arsenijević for 3 Weeks After. In the jury’s explanation, both productions were singled out for their original approach to the subject and the way they build their film stories.
The film Black Trumpet by Bojan Stijović received the “Živko Nikolić” Award for a special contribution to film expression. The jury especially highlighted the author’s approach, black humor and the way the film shapes a recognizable film language. The same performance received the FEDEORA Jury’s Special Award, which was awarded to the director’s debut.
Serbian authors and their films were also represented in the student selection. The Golden Mimosa for best student film was won by Tarik, directed by Adem Tutić, director and screenwriter and a student at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Belgrade. The jury awarded the film for its strong and subtle story about belonging and the search for one’s own place.
The special prize for directing in the student film selection went to Veljko Petrović, a student at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, for the film Existence is a Coincidence. The film was awarded for its author’s approach and the way it talks about universal social issues through humor while utilizing a minimalist form.
The awards won in Herceg Novi once more confirm the significant presence of Serbian films, authors and actors on the regional festival scene.
Photo/Vuk Ilić
Photo/ Milos Samardžić, dron