12/08/2019 - Chinese filmmaker Zhu Shengze and Romania's Nora Agapi won the top prizes at the 18th edition of DokuFest in Prizren

The 18th edition of DokuFest, the documentary and short film festival held in the city of Prizren, Kosovo showcased 106 films from 40 countries in 7 competitive categories, with the winners revealed at the ceremony held at Lumbardhi Cinema on August 10th. With non-competitive categories, retrospectives and special events accounted, the number of films screened went up to 282, while the programme was also complemented with panels, workshops, debates, masterclasses, exhibitions and live music events.

The members of the International Dox jury (Adam Szymczyk, Stephanie Fuchs and James Lattimer) crowned Zhu Shengze's Present. Perfect with the award for the best feature-length documentary in the international competition. In their statement, they highlighted that the film "taps into the technology of today to create a portrait of China whose cast and casting principles are immaculate: those normally marginalized and denied both a voice and a camera are put, and put themselves, centrestage".

In the Balkan Dox competition, covering the feature and mid-length films from Balkan countries, the main prize went to Nora Agapi for her intimate, yet socially relevant documentary Timebox [+see also:
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The Green Dox competition was dominated by Earth [+see also:
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interview: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
film profile], directed by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. The jury consisting of Deniz Buga, Kati Juurus and Hanna Atallah also gave away two special mentions, which went to Brett Story's The Hottest August and Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė's Acid Forest [+see also:
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Full awards list:

International - Feature Dox Competition

Best Feature Film
Present. Perfect -  Zhu Shengze (China/Hong Kong/US)

International - Short Dox Competition

Best Short Film
Wild Berries - Marianna Vas, Hedda Bednarszky (Hungary/Portugal/Romania)

Balkan Dox Competition

Best Film
Timebox [+see also:
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Special Mention
On the Water [+see also:
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Best Balkan Newcomer
Ivan Marković - Centar (Serbia/Germany)

International Shorts Competition

Best Film
Brotherhood - Meryam Joobeur (Canada/Tunisia/Qatar/Sweden)

Special Mention
All Inclusive - Teemu Nikki (Finland)

Green Dox Competition

Best Film
Earth [+see also:
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interview: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
film profile] - Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Austria)

Special Mention #1
The Hottest August - Brett Story (US/Canada)

Special Mention #2
Acid Forest [+see also:
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Human Rights Dox

Best Film
Tiny Souls [+see also:
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National Competition

Best Film
Pick a Name - Dritëro Mehmetaj (Kosovo/Czech Republic) (short film)

Other awards

The Distribution Award
Evidence - Lum Radoniqi (Kosovo) (short film)

Audience Award
The Reformist [+see also:
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