Georgian filmmaker Elene Naveriani clinched the Best Feature Award in the main international competition of the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival with her latest pic Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry. The award comes with a €16,000 cash prize.
The film also picked up the Best Actress award for Ekaterine Chavleishvili, which comes with a €2,500 cash prize. Overall, eleven films battled it out in the main competition, and Mia Wasikowska’s jury—including MoMA Film Head Josh Siegel, actor Zlatko Burić, actress Danica Ćurčić, and director Juraj Lerotić, spread the love quite widely.
The Ukrainian pic La Palisiada won the Best Director Award for Philip Sotnychenko, while Jovan Ginić won the Best Actor prize for the Serbian film Lost Country. In the festival’s documentary section, the top prize went to Bottlemen by Slovenian director Nemanja Vojinović.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Honorary Heart of SarajevoMark Cousins, director and screenwriterLynne Ramsay, director, screenwriter, and producerCharlie Kaufman, screenwriter, director, and producer
The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo is awarded in recognition of exceptional contribution to the art of film.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – FEATURE FILMPresident of the Jury:Mia Wasikowska (Actor, Director, Australia)Members of the Jury:Zlatko Burić (Actor, Croatia, Denmark)Danica Čurčić (Actor, Serbia, Denmark)Juraj Lerotić (Director, Actor, Croatia)Josh Siegel (Curator of MoMA’s Department of Film, USA)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILMBLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRYGeorgia, SwitzerlandDirector: Elene NaverianiProducer: Britta Rindelaub, Thomas Reichlin, Ketie DaneliaThe monetary prize in the amount of €16,000 is co-funded by the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo.
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTORPhilip Sotnychenko, LA PALISIADAUkraineThe monetary prize in the amount of €10,000 is sponsored by the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with UNESCO.
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESSEkaterine Chavleishvili, BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRYGeorgia, SwitzerlandMonetary prize in the amount of €2,500.
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTORJovan Ginić, LOST COUNTRYSerbia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, QatarMonetary prize in the amount of €2,500.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – DOCUMENTARY FILM
Jury:Iva Dimitrova (Program Manager at Chicken and Egg Pictures, USA)Niklas Engstrom (Artistic Director at CPH:Dox, Denmark)Péter Kerekes (Director, Producer, Slovakia)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILMBOTTLEMENSerbia, SloveniaDirector: Nemanja VojinovićThe monetary prize in the amount of €4,000 is sponsored by the Government of Switzerland.
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILMVALERIJACroatiaDirector: Sara JurinčićMonetary prize in the amount of €2,000.
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDSILENCE OF REASONNorth Macedonia, Bosnia and HerzegovinaDirector: Kumjana NovakovaThe Human Rights Award is presented for the best film from the Competition Programme – Documentary Film that addresses human rights issues. The monetary prize in the amount of €3,000 is sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
SPECIAL JURY AWARDFAIRY GARDENHungary, Romania, CroatiaDirector: Gergő SomogyváriMonetary prize in the amount of €2,500.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – SHORT FILM
Jury:Turai Balazs (director, animation artist, Hungary)Nina Rodriguez (Head of Programming at Guanajuato Film Festival, Mexico)Wim Vanacker (Programmer at Cannes Official Competition Short Film, France)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM – eligible for Oscar® nomination27Hungary, FranceDirector: Flóra Anna BudaMonetary prize in the amount of €2,500.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME – STUDENT FILM
Jury:Kumjana Novakova (Programmer, Professor, Producer and Filmmaker, North Macedonia)Tomek Popakuł (Director, Animation Artist, Poland)Damir Šagolj (Journalist, Photographer, Director of Photography, Professor at Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILMFALLINGHungary, Belgium, PortugalDirector: Anna GyimesiThe monetary prize in the amount of €1,000 is sponsored by the Regional Cooperation Council.
JURY SPECIAL MENTIONSHORT CUT GRASSCroatiaDirector: David Gašo
SPECIAL AWARD FOR PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY
Jury:Jay Van Hoy (Producer, USA)Nashen Moodley (Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Australia, South Africa)Mila Schlingemann (Head of Programming at Eye Filmmuseum, Netherlands)
DE FACTOAustria, GermanyDirector: Selma DoboracThe monetary prize in the amount of €7,500 is sponsored by Mastercard.
