07/03/2023 - Rolf de Heer's The Survival of Kindness, Fyzal Boulifa’s The Damned Don’t Cry and Mladomir Puriša Đorđević's Mouth Full of Earth also won prizes

Radivoje Andrić accepting the Milutin Čolić Award for Mouth Full of Earth on behalf of Mladomir Puriša Đorđević

The 51^st edition of the Belgrade International Film Festival took place from 24 February-5 March in the Serbian capital, spread across six locations in and around the city centre. In addition, this was the first iteration of the festival to introduce the FEST Pro industry section. It drew to a close with the awards ceremony on Sunday, followed by a screening of one of the award winners, Mouth Full of Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile], which scooped the Milutin Čolić Award and is also the last film by Serbian filmmaker Mladomir Puriša Đorđević, who passed away recently. The movies from FEST will be shown for local audiences for one more week, as part of a programme called Encore.

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With three major awards under its belt, World War III could be deemed the overall winner of the gathering. Besides the top Belgrade Victor Award, Houman Seyyedi’s film also brought glory specifically to its director and its lead actor, Mohsen Tanabandeh. Aicha Tebbae scooped the Best Actress Award for her part in Fyzal Boulifa’s The Damned Don’t Cry [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], while the film itself bagged the FEDEORA Award. Rolf de Heer’s The Survival of Kindness also picked up two gongs: on top of the Special Mention from the jury, the film’s lead actress, Mwajemi Hussein, was also recognised for Best Debut.

In the main competition, the Award for Best Script went to Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen for The Beasts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile]. Selcen Ergun’s Snow and the Bear [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Selcen Ergun
film profile] won the Nebojša Đukelič Award for the Best Regional Film, while Nina Ognjanović’s debut, Where the Road Leads [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], scooped the Audience Award for Best European Film at its national premiere.

Honorary Belgrade Victors were also handed out to some of the most esteemed guests at the festival, such as actors Udo Kier and Barbara Sukowa, filmmaker Lordan Zafranović and Hollywood-based Serbian-American producer Dan Tana.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Belgrade Victor for Best Film
World War III – Houman Seyyedi (Iran)
Special Mention
The Survival of Kindness – Rolf de Heer (Australia)

Best Director
Houman Seyyedi – World War III

Best Screenplay
Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen – The Beasts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile] (Spain/France)

Best Actress
Aicha Tebbae – The Damned Don’t Cry [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Belgium/Morocco)

Best Actor
Mohsen Tanabandeh – World War III

Best Debut
Mwajemi Hussein – The Survival of Kindness

Nebojša Đukelić Award
Snow and the Bear [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Selcen Ergun
film profile] – Selcen Ergun (Turkey/Germany/Serbia)

Milutin Čolić Award
Mouth Full of Earth [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Mladomir Puriša Đorđević (Serbia)

FEDEORA Award
The Damned Don’t Cry – Fyzal Boulifa

Audience Award
Where the Road Leads [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Nina Ognjanović (Serbia)

Honorary Belgrade Victors
Udo Kier, Barbara Sukowa, Lordan Zafranović, Dan Tana