Bajic Wins Golden Naisus, Lecic Gets Lifetime Award

In brief:

• Rados Bajic won the Grand Prix “Golden Naisus” for his role as Stanoje Reljic
• The “Danilo Bata Stojkovic” lifetime achievement award went to Branislav Lecic
• The International Film Festival in Nis has closed, with 26 films in competition

The Summer Stage at the Nis Fortress was packed when, after six festival days, the host walked out to read the list of winners. The International Film Festival in Nis closed the way such festivals typically do, with a long list of honors and one name that carried the evening: Rados Bajic won the Grand Prix “Golden Naisus,” the top award in a program that saw 26 films compete this year.

The festival is organized by the City of Nis and the Nis Cultural Center, and the jury awarded the Grand Prix for Bajic’s role in a film whose title different outlets render differently: Telegraf calls it “Guardian of the Icon of Saint George,” while Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) writes “Guardians of the Icon of Saint George.” Bajic plays the character Stanoje Reljic in the film, and alongside the Grand Prix he also picked up the journalists’ jury award, a double honor for the same role, from the audience that watches the film and from the audience that writes about it.

The actor himself was not on stage when the award was announced. He sent his thanks in a video message, since prior commitments kept him from attending the closing ceremony in person, and in that message he thanked the festival’s management, the journalists’ jury and his colleagues from the film.

“I believe that next year this festival will be even brighter, even more successful, even better. I believe that art will win,” Rados Bajic said in a video message sent from the festival’s closing ceremony.

National Selection: From Videnovic to Debutant Dimovski

In the national competition, the “Golden Helena” award for best female role went to Gala Videnovic, for the film “For Better or Worse.” The actress followed up her award with a comment that brought a rare note of discord into an otherwise festive evening.

“I would just like to add that it also leaves a bitter taste because of the divisions that exist. I hope that in the future these divisions will no longer exist,” said Gala Videnovic, winner of the “Golden Helena.”

The “Constantine’s Seal, Christ’s Monogram” award for best male role in the national selection went to Dimitrije Mita Ilic, according to Telegraf for his role in the film “Christmas Adventure,” though RTS does not name the film alongside that award. Ilic collected a second honor that night as well, the audience award for best actor, and thanked, as reported, both the audience and the jury members who gave him the prize.

In the supporting roles, the winners were Miodrag Miki Radonjic, for a male role in “First Class, Full Voice,” and Ljiljana Stjepanovic, for a female role in “Christmas Adventure,” a film that also picked up the “Bitter Leaf” audience award. Among young actors, Djordje Kreca was named best for “Duplicate,” and Bojana Stojkovic best young actress for “For Better or Worse.” The “Desimir Stanojevic” award for best young debut actor went to Zarko Dimovski, also for a role in “Christmas Adventure,” a film that, unlike almost any other title in the national program that night, collected three separate awards.

International Selection and Two Honorary Charters

In the international competition, “Constantine’s Seal, Christ’s Monogram” went to Zeljko Dzek Dimic, while the “Golden Helena” was won by Finnish actress Seidi Harla. Alongside her acting award, Harla also received the journalists’ jury award for best female role, the same honor that went to Bajic in the national program, which meant that on this particular night the journalists’ jury turned out to be the only one recognizing both the domestic and the international selection at once. The festival’s honorary charters, a recognition that carries no competitive weight but honors participation, went to Matthew McNulty and Olga Odanovic.

Danilo Bata Stojkovic Award Goes to Lecic

The lifetime achievement award, which carries the name of Danilo Bata Stojkovic, went this year to Branislav Lecic. It is an honor the Nis festival gives to actors whose body of work goes beyond a single role or a single festival, and judging by what he said from the stage, Lecic received it as a personal tribute as much as a professional one.

“I am incredibly glad that this is happening in Nis, and it means a great deal to me that this award carries the name Danilo Bata Stojkovic. I know Bata is watching me and that he is very pleased I received this award,” said Branislav Lecic, winner of the lifetime achievement award.

We previewed the festival in an earlier piece about the closing program, which also announced the award ceremony itself, so last night’s event at the Summer Stage was a known fixture on the calendar rather than a surprise. After the ceremony, the program closed with a screening of a restored, digitally remastered print of “Written Off,” a choice the Nis festival returns to when it wants the closing night to tie back to the legacy of Yugoslav cinema rather than to the current competition alone. Six festival days and 26 films later, the list of winners is complete, and the only thing still missing is a date for when Bajic will come to collect his award in person, if he manages to before the festival’s next edition, which he himself said he hopes will be even brighter.