08/03/2016 - The first official Serbian awards since 2007 took place at the 44th Belgrade FEST

Serbia hasn't had any official film awards since 2007, when the first Cinema City festival in Novi Sad was launched as a cooperative event between the Film Center Serbia (FCS) and the Exit music festival. After that edition, which was marred by many controversies, the FCS pulled out of Cinema City, and the festival developed on its own, with a concept that changed from year to year, until two years ago, when it established itself as an event for first- or second-time directors. 

On the other hand, the International Film Festival Belgrade FEST, the largest and most popular film event in Serbia, which regularly sells over 100,000 tickets per edition, had been non-competitive until last year, when it introduced national and international competitions. This year, the FCS officially supported the national awards at the 44th FEST, and modelled on the Croatian national Pula Film Festival, there is also a competition for minority co-productions.

Nikola Ljuca's Humidity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nikola Ljuca
film profile], which world-premiered in the Berlinale's Forum section, picked up the main award, the Belgrade Victor for Best Film, as well as Best Director and Best Actor for its lead, Miloš Timotijević. It also received a Special Mention from the jury for the Nebojsa Djukelić Award for Best Regional Film. 

Stevan Filipović's Pula and Sarajevo title Next to Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stevan Filipović
film profile] received the Jury Prize and the FEDEORA Prize in the national competition.

Best Actress went to Mirjana Karanović for A Good Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. The actress, for whom the film is also a directorial debut, also won the newly established Milutin Čolić Award from the Politika newspaper.

Milena Marković won the Best Screenplay Award for Oleg Novković's Homeland [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which also picked up the FIPRESCI Prize, while writer-director Pavle Vučković won Best Debut Film for the Cannes title Panama [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

Zrinko Ogresta's On the Other Side [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tihana Lazovic
interview: Zrinko Ogresta
film profile] triumphed in the minority co-productions competition, winning Best Film and Best Director, as well as the Nebojsa Djukelic Award. Lana Barić received the Award for Best Actor or Actress for her role in You Carry Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivona Juka
film profile] by Ivona Juka.

FEST's international competition awards were almost completely split between US and Mexican films: The Diary of a Teenage Girl won Best Film, Best Director for Marielle Heller and Best Actress for Bel Powley, while 99 Homes received Best Screenplay for Ramin Bahrani and Best Actor for Michael Shannon. The Chosen Ones [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by David Pablos won the Jury Prize, and Ixcanul Volcano [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile] by Jayro Bustamante was crowned Best Debut Film. A title with much more European involvement, Mediterranea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile] by Jonas Carpignano, took home the FEDEORA Prize in the international competition. 

Lastly, in the Frontiers programme, Ludo by India's Qaushiq Mukherjee and Nikon won Best Film, with a Special Mention going to the Thai title The Blue Hour by Anucha Boonyawatana.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Main programme

Belgrade Victor for Best Film
The Diary of a Teenage Girl – Marielle Heller 

Best Director
Marielle Heller – The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Jury Prize
The Chosen Ones [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – David Pablos

Best Screenplay
Ramin Bahrani – 99 Homes 

Best Actress
Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Best Actor
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

Best Debut Film
Ixcanul Volcano [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile] – Jayro Bustamante 

FEDEORA Prize
Mediterranea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile] – Jonas Carpignano

National selection of Serbian films

Belgrade Victor for Best Film
Humidity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nikola Ljuca
film profile] – Nikola Ljuca 

Jury Prize
Next to Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stevan Filipović
film profile] – Stevan Filipović

Best Director
Nikola Ljuca – Humidity

Best Screenplay
Milena Marković – Homeland [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Actress
Mirjana Karanović – A Good Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Actor
Miloš Timotijević – Humidity

Best Debut Film
Panama [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Pavle Vučković

Milutin Čolić Award
A Good Wife – Mirjana Karanović

Special Mention
Humidity – Nikola Ljuca

FEDEORA Prize
Next to Me – Stevan Filipović

Minority co-productions

Belgrade Victor for Best Film
On the Other Side [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tihana Lazovic
interview: Zrinko Ogresta
film profile] – Zrinko Ogresta

Best Director
Zrinko Ogresta – On the Other Side

Best Actor or Actress
Lana Barić – You Carry Me [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivona Juka
film profile]

Nebojsa Djukelic Award
On the Other Side – Zrinko Ogresta

Frontiers

Best Film
Ludo – Qaushiq Mukherjee and Nikon

Special Mention
The Blue Hour – Anucha Boonyawatana