“As with films we’ve screened during these seven days, this edition of the festival is a debut in its own fashion. We have changed the concept of the festival, in terms of both programme and location, seeing how we’ve entered the new creative district. We hope to be here in the years to come and that our neighbours will help us create a festival that is even more exciting. We are very proud that this new concept has taken root, and that it has been recognized by our audience and guests. The best indicator of that is our attendance, which was at 35,000, and the record visit at Amstel Open Air cinema on Wednesday, with over 1,200 people in the audience,” said manager of the festival, Mina Padežanin, at the official closing ceremony.
The days of the festival were spectacular, owing to superb film and music programmes, new festival locations, but most of all, the audience, who are true film and music aficionados.
“The audience got the chance to see over 70 films that we believed deserve your attention, and we sincerely hope and believe that our selection justified your trust,” said Anđelka Janković, PR and marketing manager, at the official closing ceremony.
Over 35,000 visitors passed through the gates of the festival. Over a hundred guests, film professionals, and journalists visited the festival, and attended the screenings of 70 films in six selections. The competition included the films from the National Class, Up to 10,000 Bucks, and Fresh Danube Films selections, while the review portion of the festival included the films from the 360°, Planet Rock and new hit selection Respect to First Films.
Amstel Open Air cinema registered record attendance at the screening of No One’s Child. Other screenings at this location were not far behind, with visitors even sitting on grass during the screenings. Planet Rock Music Stage & Open Air Cinema was also packed, both during the screenings of music films and concerts of Jarboli, Darkwood dub, Threesome, Ragman, Stray Dogg, Iskaz, DJs Flip & Rasheed, Zemlja Gruva, Public П, Vis limunada and VKSHN.
The audience also enjoyed our diverse accompanying programme, Cinema City parallels: exhibition of the sculptures of Viktor Kiss, dance for Novi Sad by the dance organization Groove, skateboarding competition, Be a donor! Become a hero! project for taking out your own organ donor card, eco-workshop Magic through ecology, and many other projects.
Selectors Petar Protić, Vladan Petković and Miloš Pušić left the juries with a difficult task of choosing the best film and best performance, although, as said by Milan Stojanović, the entire festival is a collection of favourites. The juries made their decisions and presented the following awards:
This year, Cinema City presents Pavle Vučković’s Panama with a special recognition of the festival – Award for contribution to the national cinema.
The opening of the 8th Cinema City was marked by the national premiere of Pavle Vučković’s Panama, which was part of the main programme of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. This is the first Serbian debut film in thirty years to be included in the programme of that festival. This is why we are honoured to award the film crew of panama with Special recognition for contribution to promotion of the national cinema.
JURY OF THE NATIONAL CLASS SELECTION, which includes Karpo Godina, Kasia Kawran, and Alessandro Groplero, presents the following awards:
Best Film in the National Class selection – IBIS statuette for best film in the National Class competition programme is awarded to Vuk Ršumović’s film No One’s Child.
The jury gives this award to the film that is complete on all cinematic levels. What the jury wants to recognize are the achievements of the whole filming crew - from the directing to storytelling to the complete and realistic production design. The movie we are giving the award to takes us on a journey of initiation to the civilization that fails because of the animal condition of human beings.
Special recognition
For natural, convincing, charismatic, and touching performance in Panama, the jury presents special recognition to young actress Jovana Stojiljković, and special recognition to Željko Marković for his role in Barbarians, and Denis Murić for his role in No One’s Child.
Innovation award for the National Class competition programme goes to Ivan Ikić for Barbarians.
YOUTH JURY, which includes Ana Marija Radosavljević, Bojana Kliska, Divna Stojanov, Ivana Čavić, Rada Šolak, Savina Smederevac and Teodora Slijepčević, “took particular notice of the film that depicts the hopelessness and sheer existence of the young, who themselves haven’t got the strength to change the society”.
“This powerful and, unfortunately, hard-headed picture of reality is shown in Ivan Ikić’s Barbarians, to which we present the Youth Jury Award. We are yet to embark on our academic journey, and we have no films under our belts. But what we do have is great love and interest in film art, and gratitude for getting this opportunity to review, vote for, and award the best film from the National Class selection, just like the ‘adult jury’.”
JURY OF THE FRESH DANUBE FILMS SELECTION, which includes Laura Nanchino, presents the following awards:
Cineuropa Prize to Károly Ujj Mészáros’ Liza, the Fox-Fairy.
Hungarian director Károly Ujj Mészáros’ feature debut Liza, the Fox-Fairy has been awarded Best Film of the Fresh Danube Films section – for this entertaining and really creative Hungarian fairy-tale set in the 1970’s, blending genres (fantastic, burlesque and romantic comedy), with a great set design.
Special Mention for Naked Island
The Special Mention of the Fresh Danube Films selection has been awarded to Croatian documentary Naked Island by first-time director Tiha K. Gudac. Her familial and historical research into the political prisoners in Yugoslavia’s gulag on the ‘Naked Island’ in the early 1950’s make out a very personal and touching, but also an informative, politically significant and universal, story.
Naked Island was also awarded by the audience of this year’s festival.
JURY OF THE UP TO 10,000 BUCKS SELECTION, which includes: Atanu Mukherjee, Dragan von Petrović and Đorđe Bajić, made the following decisions:
Best Film Award – IBIS statuette for best film in the Up To 10,000 Bucks competition programme goes to Szabolcs Tolnai’s Flowers of Evil.
Through powerful imagination, Szabolcs Tolnai created a film of distinctive style that made it stand out in this year’s selection. Putting his story in the confines of a silent film and using intertitles to send clear political messages, Tolnai created a visually lush piece that uses the filthy reality of society as a superb set design.
Special recognitions from this competition selection go to Jelena Novaković’s Ana Square, Leeron Revah’s No Free Lunch, and Milutin Petrović’s The Loop.
Thank you for being with us these past seven days and for helping us create a truly wonderful festival!
The unforgettable festival days are behind us. Please, join us in celebrating them in the best way possible; with film and music!
We’ll be again in China Town in 2016!
Your #CinemaCity
