03/08/2015 - Other winners at 18th edition of the Croatian event include Gunnar Jónsson, Magical Girl, and a plastic chair

The 18th Motovun Film Festival (25-29 July) wrapped on Wednesday, with the closing ceremony awarding Clément Cogitore's Cannes Critics Week entry, Ni le ciel ni la terre [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], with the top honor of the festival, the Propeller of Motovun.

The jury, comprised of directors Mira Fornay and Petr Lom, and actress Tihana Lazović, gave a special mention to Icelandic actor Gunnar Jónsson for his role in Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

The FIPRESCI Prize, determined by film critics Mihai Fulger (Romania), Dieter Wieczorek (France), and Josip Grozdanić (Croatia), went to Carlos Vermut's San Sebastian Golden Shell-winning Magical Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Vermut
film profile].

Chintis Lundgren's Life with Herman H. Rott (Estonia-Croatia-Denmark) was crowned best short film by last year's Motovun Shorts winner, Martin Raith.

Finally, the newly established Jury of Veterans, comprised of cult Yugoslavian directors Karpo Godina (now based in Slovenia), Rajko Grlić (Croatia), and Srdjan Karanović (Serbia), was given the freedom to award absolutely anything at the festival based on their own criteria. Using this power, they gave a special mention to the plastic chair that they used as protection from the rain, saving the main prize for Mrs. Snježana Mikić, a loyal Motovun-goer and member of the audience since the festival’s inception.

"The Motovun Film Festival has once again come up trumps," says festival president Mike Downey, "with a broad selection of the best of world cinema to an audience who have little chance of seeing the films in Croatian cinemas. In addition to that, with many key figures from the international business on hand, the festival has an industry function that works very well."