Up the Mountain and Una Primavera scoop the Big Stamps at the 15th ZagrebDox
- Yang Zhang’s documentary has received the top prize in the International Competition, while Valentina Primavera was the winner in the Regional Competition
Chinese documentarian Yang Zhang’s visually impressive Up the Mountain has received the Big Stamp in the International Competition of the 15th-anniversary edition of the ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival, which ran from 24 February-4 March; meanwhile, Valentina Primavera’s debut feature, Una Primavera [+see also:
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The international jury, comprising Croatian writer-director Nebojša Slijepčević, Danish film critic and advisor Tue Steen Müller and acclaimed Serbian director Želimir Žilnik, handed the main prize to Up the Mountain, which follows the impact of an artist’s drawing lessons on a local community residing in a remote Chinese mountain village. The two Special Mentions of the jury were presented to the Oscar-nominated American documentary Minding the Gap by Bing Liu and the political-historical documentary My Unknown Soldier [+see also:
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In the Regional Competition, the Big Stamp went to debutant Italian director Primavera for her film Una Primavera. The regional jury, consisting of Bosnian director Nedžad Begović, Sheffield Doc/Fest acting director Melanie Iredale, and Croatian TV reporter, director and Motovun Film Festival director Igor Mirković, stated: “The winning film is a very personal insight into domestic abuse, and a great example of a filmmaker turning their camera on their own dysfunctional family to produce a work so intimate and warm whilst also making a bigger statement about the systemic issue of patriarchal violence and coercion.” The film follows the director’s 60-year-old mother, who makes the bold decision to start her life over again after 40 years of marriage. The Visions du Réel- and Beldocs-awarded Serbian documentary 4 Years in 10 Minutes [+see also:
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The Little Stamp for Best Film by an Author Under 35 Years of Age went to Still Recording [+see also:
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The Special Mentions in the Movies That Matter competition, judged by political scientist and activist Sara Kekuš, Georgian director Rati Oneli and Animateka Ljubljana director Igor Prassel, went to Gabrielle Brady's Island of the Hungry Ghosts [+see also:
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The FIPRESCI Award was bestowed upon the Italian film Stories of the Half-Light [+see also:
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The My Generation Award, given out each year by ZagrebDox director Nenad Puhovski to a film by an auteur from his generation, went to To Be Continued [+see also:
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Finally, the Audience Award went to the Croatian observational documentary Neighbors [+see also:
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Here is the complete list of winners at the 15th ZagrebDox International Documentary Festival:
International Competition
Big Stamp
Up the Mountain - Yang Zhang (China)
Special Mentions
Minding the Gap - Bing Liu (USA)
My Unknown Soldier [+see also:
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Regional Competition
Big Stamp
Una Primavera [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] - Valentina Primavera (Austria/Italy/Germany)
Special Mentions
4 Years in 10 Minutes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Mladen Kovačević (Serbia)
In the Name of the Republic of Croatia - Goran Dević (Croatia)
Young Jury
Little Stamp
Still Recording [+see also:
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Special Mentions
Easy Lessons [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Dorrotya Zurbó (Hungary)
Taurunum Boy [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] - Jelena Maksimović, Dušan Grubin (Serbia/Switzerland)
Movies That Matter Award
Easy Lessons - Dorrotya Zurbó
Special Mentions
Island of the Hungry Ghosts [+see also:
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On Her Shoulders - Alexandria Bombach (USA)
FIPRESCI Award
Stories of the Half-Light [+see also:
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film profile] - Luca Magi (Italy)
Teen Dox Award
Science Fair - Cristina Constantini, Darren Foster (USA)
My Generation Award
To Be Continued [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Ivars Seleckis (Latvia)
Honorary Stamps
Tue Steen Müller
Hrvoje Hribar
Audience Award
Neighbors [+see also:
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film profile] - Tomislav Žaja (Croatia)
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