After scooping multiple awards at Locarno and Sarajevo, and most recently a Special Mention at Zagreb, Juraj Lerotić’s feature debut, Safe Place [+lee también:
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Polish filmmaker Damian Kocur was also awarded in the Feature Film Competition, pocketing a Special Award for Best Director for his work on Bread and Salt [+lee también:
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entrevista: Paul Negoescu
ficha de la película].

The Award for Best Youth Film in the Youth Film Competition, along with the prize of €5,000 donated by the city of Cottbus, was handed to Szilárd Bernath’s Larry. The same film was also rewarded for being the best debut feature. Boris Guts’ Minsk bagged the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Award, while Tomáš Hodan’s The Last Race won the Audience Award.

The 32^nd FilmFestival Cottbus, dedicated to showcasing relevant cinematic works from Central and Eastern Europe, took place from 8-13 November in various locations in the German town that used to be part of the GDR. A total of 219 films from 48 producing countries were shown, many of them having their German, international or world premieres at the event.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Feature Film Competition

Main Award for Best Film
Safe Place [+lee también:
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Special Award for Best Director
Damian Kocur – Bread and Salt [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] (Poland)

Award for Outstanding Individual Performance
Iulian Postelnicu – Men of Deeds [+lee también:
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entrevista: Paul Negoescu
ficha de la película] (Romania/Bulgaria)

Short Film Competition

Main Award for Best Short Film
Last Time – Rinaldas Tomaševičius (Lithuania)

Special Award for a Director
Santtu Salminen – Primal Therapy (Finland)

Youth Film Competition

Award for Best Youth Film
Larry – Szilárd Bernath (Hungary)

Other awards

DIALOG Award for Understanding Between Cultures
Bread and Salt – Damian Kocur

Award for Best Debut Film
Larry – Szilárd Bernath

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Minsk – Boris Guts (Estonia/Russia)

FIPRESCI Award
Minsk – Boris Guts

Audience Award
The Last Race – Tomáš Hodan (Czech Republic)

MIOB in Shorts Award
Amygdala – Maria Hatzakou (Greece)