What our audience especially liked were the films chosen to represent the Israeli cinema in Tribute to Israeli Film, as well as the very entertaining “pop up“ selection California Dreaming and MTV selection of best regional music videos. Our selections 360°, Planet Rock, Up to 10,000 Bucks and CC Shorts maintained their traditional popularity. This year we decided to include the Fresh Danube Films selection, which screens debut accomplishments of young authors from the region, among our competition selections. We are especially proud of our Respect to Zoran Simjanović selection. Simjanović has been a guest of the festival, which made the screenings of this selection all the more memorable, since the audience had a chance to talk to this amazing artist. As is tradition, we have also screened some of the best documentaries from the BELDOCS festival.
We have had over 30,000 visitors, and played host to 500 guests, film professionals and journalists. Cinema City Day Zero – a music warm up with Collegium Musicum choir, which performed some of the iconic film sounds signed by Zoran Simjanović, was attended by over 1,500 people under the open sky of Amstel Open Air. The festival was officially opened the following day with the sold-out screening of The Disobedient.
This year we have established a new programme, Cinema City Pro. This programme is intended for film professionals, networking, and topics of significance for domestic cinema. It is comprised of two parts, Cinema City Campus and Cinema City Industry. The Campus gathered 30 young film directors and producers from the region. Through lectures, talks, and meetings with the guests of the festival these young artists had a chance to come one step closer to making their debut films. The Industry programme, which is unique to this festival, initiated some topics of grave importance to domestic filmmaking, and debates pertaining to the diversity of film, in terms of production and genre. It also addressed the issue of accessing the funds of the MEDIA programme, which is part of Creative Europe. Dag Asbjørnsen, the representative of the MEDIA programme, participated at the panel discussion, and shared with us some very important information not available to the general public. The transcripts of this information will soon be shared with our film professionals.
This year Cinema City cooperated with EXIT and Mikser festivals in establishing the Danube Festival Network. The idea behind this network is to promote the ever-growing potential that these festivals have on tourism development and economic recovery of the Danube Region.
Tonight at 20h at the main hall of Arena Cineplex we will present the awards within our competition selections. Below is the list of winners for the seventh Cinema City festival.
NATIONAL CLASS
Jury members of the film selection NATIONAL CLASS of the Cinema City – International Film Festival in the assembly:
1. Loic Magneron
2. Raymond Phathanavirangoon
3. Peter Stumbur
held the final session after careful consideration of all films in NATIONAL CLASS competition programme and decided to award the following films:
1) National Class Best film Award – IBIS statuette for the Best Film in the ’National Class’ competition programme goes to the film: The Disobedient.
Explication: for its quirky cast of characters, its lush cinematography and its ability to deliver a unique cinematic experience.
2) The Best Directing Award – IBIS statuette in the ’National Class’ competition programme goes to Mina Đukić, director of The Disobedient.
Explication: for a promising young director whose uncompromising vision is aided by her control of visuals and sounds.
3) The Best Male Role Award – IBIS statuette in the ’National Class’ competition programme goes to Muhamed Dupovac for his role in So Hot Was the Cannon.
Explication: for his mature and sensitive performance as a mischievous child growing up in dramatic wartime circumstances.
4) The Best Female Role Award – IBIS statuette in the ’National Class’ competition programme goes to Hana Selimović for her role in The Disobedient.
Explication: for her brave and emotionally versatile performance as a woman facing the crossroads of her life.
5) Special Mentions – Diploma in the “National Class” competition programme goes to
The Undertaker
Explication: for its surprisingly humorous yet unsettling portrait of a man who must bear the weight of his daily contact with death.
Nymph
Explication: for the filmmakers' ability to successfully achieve their intentions in delivering an entertaining film.
UP TO 10.000 BUCKS
Jury members of the film selection Up to 10,000 Bucks of the Cinema City – International Film Festival in the assembly:
1. Sarita Matijević
2. Nikola Majdak Jr.
3. Dean Radovanović
held the final session after careful consideration of all films in Up to 10,000 Bucks competition programme and decided to award the following films:
1. Up to 10,000 Bucks Best Film Award – IBIS statuette for the best film in the Up to 10,000 Bucks competition programme goes to the film Stray Dogs, by director Atanu Mukherjee.
Explication: Stray Dogs uses a minimalistic and well-aimed dramatic structure to speak of system-imposed relation between the privileged and the oppressed, the mercurial nature of such relations, and discovery of a Man outside the dynamics of hierarchy.
2. Special Mention – Diploma in the Up to 10,000 Bucks competition programme goes to Vladimir Tagić’s Emergency Exit.
Explication: for deftly delivering the satirical and absurd nature of the relation between an individual and the environment that surrounds him.
3. Special Mention – Diploma in the Up to 10,000 Bucks competition programme goes to Roberto Santaguida’s Goran.
Explication: for original directorial approach and remarkable methods for presenting the everyday life of its protagonist.
FRESH DANUBE FILMS
Jury of the film selection Fresh Danube Films of the Cinema City – International Film Festival:
1. David Gonzalez
held the final session after careful consideration of all films in Fresh Danube Films competition programme and decided to award the following films:
Fresh Danube Films Best film Award, IBIS statuette for the Best Film in the ’Fresh Danube Films’ competition programme goes to the film Free Entry, by Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Explication: A refreshing, humble and heartfelt coming-of-age tale set in a place that is part of everyone’s teenage years, a music festival, where the small things of life dance to the rhythm of music, and where the vision of the young filmmaker makes it through many difficulties to get somewhere special.
DECISIONS OF THE JURY OF THE SERBIAN FIPRESCI SECTION
The jury of FIPRESCI Serbia, comprised of Milan D. Špiček, president; Dejan Dabić and Boris Gigov, chose Boban Skerlić’s So Hot Was the Cannon as the best film from the National Class selection.
Explication: The jury of FIPRESCI Serbia had a tremendous pleasure to watch the films from two competitions selections, Fresh Danube Films and National Class, the latter carrying the name of one of our all time cult classics. Regretfully, the number of films at this year’s National Class selection was limited, but our filmmakers have proven that even the hardest of times are more easily endured through culture. Of the films that competed for this important critical recognition our unanimous decision was to award the film that was shaped into a fierce story that has happened to us not long ago. This film, interwoven with dark humor, managed to avoid catch 22, and steer clear from political connotations. Therefore, the jury of FIPRESCI Serbia chooses Boban Skerlić’s So Hot Was the Cannon as the best film of this year’s National Class selection.
For the best film from the Fresh Danube Films selection, the jury chose Velvet Terrorists directed by Pavol Pekarčík, Ivan Ostrochovský, and Peter Kerekes.
Explication: The jury of FIPRESCI Serbia unanimously decided to award Velvet Terrorists, Slovakian-Czech-Croatian co-production, directed by Pavol Pekarčík, Ivan Ostrochovský, and Peter Kerekes. Reflecting on three subversive protagonists during the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, this film examines the relations between fiction and non-fiction film. Both in terms of subject matter and form, this film leaves in its wake the search for the limits of human freedom.
SELECTION OF BEST REGIONAL MUSIC VIDEOS
Jury members of the competition programme of regional music videos of the Cinema City – International Film Festival in the assembly:
1. Aleksandar Ilić
2. Boris Miljković
held the final session after careful consideration of all the music videos from this competition programme, and decided to award the following music video:
1. Best regional music video – IBIS statuette for the best regional music video goes to director Stefan Đorđević for his music video for Wahine by Threesome.
Explication: for its authentic emotions and superb production.
