Zafranovic wins Milutin Colic award at 53rd FEST

Lordan Zafranovic said at the closing of the 53rd FEST that he feels we are “at some kind of turning point,” and he received the Milutin Colic award for best Serbian film for “Zlatni rez ‘42: Djeca Kozare,” the same film that opened this year’s festival. Awards in 12 categories were handed out on Sunday, October 11, at the Sava Centre in Belgrade, and this year the list included, for the first time, the Slobodan Novakovic award for best debut film.

What did the jury say about Zafranovic’s film?

The jury honored the film for a powerful authorial voice and a consistent exploration of the anatomy of evil and historical crimes, adding that the prize continues the director’s long engagement with that subject. From the stage, he addressed the same theme in plainer language than the jury’s citation:

“My wish is that the civilization of good begins, not the civilization of evil. And it seems to me that we are at some kind of turning point. I feel that we have had enough of wars, enough of killing. That beast within us simply has to disappear.”

So the “anatomy of evil” from the citation became, in the director’s words, a beast. Before the closing we reported that 12 awards were waiting for their winners, and the Milutin Colic prize, meant for the best Serbian film, went to the very picture that opened the festival.

Who else won at the 53rd FEST?

The main prizes in the competition programs went as follows:

• European Competition, best film: “The Silent Beekeeper” (Sweden)
• World Competition, best film: “Red Hangar” (Spain)
• Regional Competition, best film: “Hold On to Me” (Greece and Cyprus)
• Nebojsa Djukelic award for best regional film in the main competition: “Women, Madmen and Some Good Queers” (Croatia)

The Slobodan Novakovic award was shared by “Red Hangar” and the Chilean “Wandering Rocks,” which means the Spanish film won in two categories. Awards for directing and screenwriting went to “Yellow Letters,” “How to Divorce During a War,” “The Filipina” and “The Teacher,” while in the regional program the directing and screenwriting prizes went to “The Last Call” and “Alone Together.” A special mention was given to “Narciso.”

What did the festival director say about this edition?

FEST’s programming and artistic director Dragan Jelicic said he was pleased with this year’s edition, at which, by his account, all 115 announced films were screened:

“Of course I am very pleased with the films. Not only with the selection, not only with the fact that they arrived, but also with the fact that all 115 films were shown. Just as I am pleased with the number of guests and with the fact that all the guests, I can say, are leaving Belgrade extremely pleased.”

The director tied his satisfaction to three things: the choice of films, the fact that the films arrived, and the fact that every one of them was screened. The festival thus closed the way it was announced, with all 115 titles on the program and awards in 12 categories.