The winners of the 16th Mediterranean Film Festival Split, decided by the audience votes, as well as two juries, are finally revealed. The Festival’s award “The Hook” for the best feature film from the "Mediterranean" programme was given to the film "The Beasts" by the Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and a special award was given to the film "El Shatt – A Blueprint for Utopia" by Ivan Ramljak.
The decision was made by a jury composed of regional cinema executives Boban Stefanović, Artur Logar and Darko Tumpić.
- After careful analysis of all features, we unanimously decided that the best film of the 16th FMFS is "The Beasts" by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. This film shows us the extraordinary power of cinematic expression. “The Beasts” is an amazing thriller with the duration of over 130 minutes that fly by quickly thanks to impeccable direction, exceptional characterization of the characters, strong dialogues and great acting performances. The wide spectrum of emotions is excellently conveyed and leaves a strong impression on the viewer long after the film has ended. The photography delves into every frame, and the music further enhances the emotion and contributes to the additional enhancement of experiencing the film.
We gave a special award to the documentary film "El Shatt — A Blueprint for Utopia" because it brings us the story of an extremely important part of the past that marked the lives of a large number of Dalmatians. What made this film special was the excellent use of archival material, i.e. recordings and photographs, as well as the narrated testimonies of people who participated in this event. All these elements contributed to the film taking us on a journey through time, into the past, skilfully creating an intense connection. This film has become a living witness of the past - the jury explained.
The same film received an award by the audience that gave "El Shatt – A Blueprint for Utopia" by Ivan Ramljak the highest number of points.
- I am extremely happy about these awards because we really invested a lot of effort and time into this film, but I am even more happy because this means that these kinds of topics must continue to be opened - said Ramljak.
The jury that chose the best Ješka, but also the film script from the Short Croatian Films programme, and the best short international film, consisted of Anna Smith, a British film critic who runs the podcast "Girls On Film" and collaborates with the Guardian and the BBC, last year’s Ješke winner for the film "Carpe Diem" Filip Antonio Lizatović, and Slobodan Čiča, director of the distribution company Editus.
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best "Ješka" - Croatian short film and a cash prize of 2,500 euros was won by director Ivan Efendić for the film "Mate", which had its world premiere at the FMFS. The jury described this film with the words "an amazing, provocative portrait of a complex character, his artistic process and alternative lifestyle".
Debutant Ivan Efendić was visibly surprised by his victory in this competition.
- First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their support. I am especially glad that I received the award for my first documentary film right here in Split at the FMFS. A festival that puts domestic authors first and gives us the opportunity to present films in front of a full audience. This award is an incentive for me to work further and to do future projects.
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best screenplay of the film from the "Ješke" programme and a cash prize of 500 euros went to Rino Barbir for "Zof", which the jury saw as "a non-judgmental and empathetic character study that gives a better insight into a well-known archetype".
- It means a lot to me that the Split audience saw the film at this festival, and even more so that the jury decided to give it an award, thank you for that. Neither this film, nor the script, would have existed without my lead actor Leo Mirković, a non-professional, agreeing to participate, so I would like to thank him once again - said Barbir.
The audience award for the best "Ješka" and a monetary award of 500 euros remain in Split for the film "Dancing on the Grave", won by director Ana Šiškov.
- I am overjoyed that the audience in my hometown liked the film. I especially thank the festival for giving me, as a directing student, an incentive for further work and creation. It was a great pleasure and I hope to see you again - said Šiškov.
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best international short film and a cash prize of 1,500 euros went to the film "Tria" by Giulia Grandinetti, and the jury awarded special recognition to the film "Super" by Nikolas Kouloglou.
The FMFS director, Alen Munitić, thanked everyone who supported this event, and he especially mentioned the audience in Split which filled four cinemas over the course of ten days.
- Our audience gave the experience of unforgettable premieres to all the authors who were in Split. The guests returned home enthusiastic about the festival and the city, they created memories that will remain with them forever. The festival is increasingly showing its strength in the context of the industry, competitive programmes and importance, both on the domestic and international scene. We believe that we will renew the support of Creative Europe for the 2024/2025 season as well, and next year we will create an edition of the 17th FMFS with additional news and changes that we want to introduce. Of course, the story does not stop, our summer cinemas throughout Dalmatia are already open, so we will enjoy watching numerous films until mid-September, and the fantastic ratings of the audience will help the festival films in further distribution - said Alen Munitić.
AWARDS FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN FEATURE PROGRAMME
The festival’s “The Hook” Award for the best feature film from the "Mediterranean" programme and a cash prize of 1,000 euros went to
THE BEASTS Rordigo Sorogoyen
*SPECIAL JURY AWARD: EL SHATT – A BLUEPRINT FOR UTOPIA Ivan Ramljak
Audience Award for Best Feature Film
EL SHATT – A BLUEPRINT FOR UTOPIA Ivan Ramljak
SHORT FILMS PROGRAMMES AWARDS
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best "Ješka" - Croatian short film and a cash prize of 2,500 euros went to
MATE Ivan Efendić
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best screenplay from the "Ješke" programme and a cash prize of 500 euros went to
ZOF Rino Barbir
The festival’s “The Hook” for the best international short film and a cash prize of 1,500 euros went to
TRIA Giulia Grandinetti
*SPECIAL JURY AWARD: SUPER Nikolas Kouloglou
The audience award for the best "Ješka" – Croatian Short Film and a monetary award of 500 euros went to "Dancing on the Grave"
DANCING ON THE GRAVE Ana Šiškov
