‘Oasis’ by Ivan Ikić awarded the top prize at FEST

The main jury, consisting of actor Igor Đorđević, director Dane Komljen, director and screenwriter Zacharias Mavroeidis, actress Dubravka Kovjanić, and director Ines Tanović, awarded the prize for the best film in the Main Competition Program to Ivan Ikic’s Oasis, “for a unique and emotional experience that finds the power of film in far-reaching and naked empathy ”.

The director Ivan Ikić said: “We did not think about this moment, that it could happen. We were on this same stage the other night, together with our actors from the Care Home in Sremčica. I want to greet them once again. They are not with us tonight, but they will be very happy because of this. ”

The award of the main jury for the best director went to the German director Oskar Roehler  for his film Enfant Terrible. The jury’s explanation states that this achievement is “an extraordinary and inventive director’s presentation that leads us through the work of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, erasing the boundaries between life and film.”

The Award for the best screenplay was handed to Italians Damiano Dinocenzo and Fabio Dinocenzo for the film Dark Fairy Tale, which they co-directed and co-wrote. The jury awarded their work for “the cohesive synthesis of narration in the ensemble, his striking depiction of the Italian suburbs and a touching commentary on the real nature of dramaturgy.”

The screenwriting duo addressed the audience via video with the words: “This award is like a big hug from a friend. We wrote this script when we were 19, and it is like going to a sweet, tender and poetic past for us. We are not with you because of the pandemic, but we are editing our third film, which we intend to present in your beautiful country. We felt the connection with your magical city: Belgrade is a part of our soul. We have never visited it, but we have recognized many similarities with our history, and we hope to see each other live next year. ”

The main jury awarded the prize for the best female role to the Croatian actress Lana Barić “for a brave, thorough creation of a woman in search of freedom”, in the film Teresa37 by Danilo Šerbedžija.

Lana Barić thanked FEST for the award and commented on this year’s festival: “I know that times are very difficult and that it was not easy to organize a live festival. Congratulations and thank you for watching the movies live, in the cinema ”. Lana Barić then commented on FEST’s recognition: “We received a lot of awards for this film, but I did not win for the actress, so I am overjoyed.”

Nikola Đuriko was awarded the “Belgrade Winner” for the best male role in the Main Competition Program, for the role of Igor Đelić Đela in the film The Living Man by Oleg Novković. The jury evaluated his performance as “a unique acting expression that leads us through the catharsis of the main character, using the entire acting habitus: from subtle means to internal tectonic changes – death and its victory.”

Nikola Đuričko thanked FEST “for existing and surviving”, as well as the jury, and the crew of the film. “Most of all, thank you to my dear colleagues, who act with me in the film. Without their performances, this award would not have been possible either , concluded the popular actor.

The award for the best debut in this selection went to director Ercan Kesal for the film Potential Candidate, “for an accurate, vivid and sharp portrayal of the main character, his milieu and contemporary political corruption”.

In a video message, Ercan Kesal spoke about his connection with our country: “Winning the award for the first film at such a prestigious festival gives us the responsibility and desire to make even better films. Serbia and Belgrade have a very special place in my personal life. The first serious book that my father bought me was “Bridge On the Drina” by Ivo Andrić. Many years later, when I visited Kustendorf in 2010, Emir Kusturica gave me the same book on my departure. I will always remember that. I feel that we are people with the same habits, and I think that we experience agony, sadness, humor, hope in the same way “. Kesal thanked the Film Center of Serbia and co-producers Dimče Stojanovski and Stefan Orlandić for their contribution to the realization of the film, with the hope that this partnership will continue on future projects.

The jury of the FEST Focus program, which consists of director Katarina Koljević, actress Isidora Simijonović and director Darko Nikolić, chose the film Poppy Field by the young Romanian director Eugen Jebeleanu as the best achievement in this selection. The award was given for “precise and subtle directorial expression in which a strong acting process stands out”, with the assessment that this film “gives us a deep insight into the complex internal conflict of the main character, whose personal story rises to the level of a universally important social topic”.

Eugen Jebeleanu addressed the audience via video: “I am honored to have received this award. I want to thank my team, the producer, the screenwriters, all the actors, the distributor, and the whole team that worked on this wonderful, first film that we worked on together. It is very important for us that the film was shown in cinemas and at festivals, because it tells the story of a young homosexual police officer in today’s Romania. It’s a story we don’t see so often in Romanian film. It is wonderful that this award arrived just before the International Day against Homophobia. ”

The critic jury for the “Nebojsa Đukelić” award, which consisted of film director and theorist Vlastimir Sudar, film critic Miroljub Stojanović and film critic and historian Daniel Rafaelić, awardedOasis by Ivan Ikić as the best regional film at the festival. The explanation of the jury states, among other things: “We put emphasis on innovation and originality in the film speech and in the choice of topics.” Guided by the approach that the expansion of the space of contemporary film art should be rewarded, the jury unanimously decided to award Oasis as one of the most authentic films not only in this program, but also in the past few years.”

The jury for the award of the daily Politika “Milutin Čolić”, composed of Goran Radovanovic (director, screenwriter and producer), Mladen Đorđević (director, screenwriter and producer) and Dubravka Lakić (film critic, founder of the award), declared Loanshark by Nemanja Ćeranić. The jury awarded the prize “for an authentic and refreshing approach to the crime drama genre, with skillful use of solutions that fall within the domain of auteur film.” The explanation continues: “he jury recognized the exceptional work with untrained actors, engaged in observing social problems and placing the setting and the entire production outside the capital – in the function of demetropolization of Serbian cinema.”