The 21st edition of ZagrebDox (30 Mar-6 Apr) came to a close with its awards ceremony on Saturday 5 April, held at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema, which traditionally serves as the primary location of the festival. The largest documentary gathering in the Croatian capital showcased 107 documentaries in various formats across 16 categories. Twenty films were in the running for the Big Stamp Award in the international competition, while 18 vied for it in the regional one.

The international jury, consisting of filmmakers Silje Evensmo Jacobsen and Igor Mirković, aided by Beldocs festival director Mara Prohaska Marković, awarded David Borenstein’s and Pavel Talankin’s Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] with the Big Stamp. It was praised as “a testimony for present and future generations, showing how we can understand the gradual embedding of war in our everyday lives and the fear it sows, especially among children. When the primary-school curriculum becomes a mechanism of indoctrination, the integrity of the individual and incredible courage inspire us with their essence and strike out against the cruelty of propaganda,” the jury's explanation reads. Elizabeth Lo’s Mistress Dispeller snagged the Special Mention in the same category.

In the regional competition, the Big Stamp went to Dalija Dozet’s My Dad’s Lessons [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película]. “This is a film about documentation and the act of filming. About the camera as a tool and a means of communication […]. It is also a film about family, interpersonal relationships and mourning. We witness the beautiful meeting of a father and daughter through numerous poetic images. This is an innovative and artistically extraordinary film,” goes the explanation by the jury, consisting of Pula Film Festival director Tanja Miličić, producer Viki Réka Kiss and filmmaker Vladimir Loginov. Maja Novaković’s At the Door of the House, Who Will Come Knocking [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Maja Novaković
ficha de la película] was awarded a Special Mention.

The Small Stamp for Best Short Documentary went to Arshia Shakiba for Who Loves the Sun, while The Other Side of the Mountain by He Yumeng got the Special Mention. The same jury, consisting of Lucija Brkić, Mariusz Rusiński and Maja Malus Azhdari, also decided on the winners among the films by young filmmakers under the age of 35. Wind Has No Tail by Ivan Vlasov and Nikita Stashkevich won the Small Stamp, while Eyes of Gaza by Mahmoud Atassi got a Special Mention.

The Movies That Matter Award went to Sudan, Remember Us [+lee también:
entrevista: Hind Meddeb
ficha de la película] by Hind Meddeb, while Trans Memoria [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Victoria Verseau
ficha de la película] by Victoria Verseau scooped a Special Mention. Night of the Coyotes by Clara Trischler won the FIPRESCI Prize. The Audience Awards went to Maja Prettner’s Woman of God [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] in the regional competition and to Lidija Zelović’s Home Game [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Lidija Zelovic
ficha de la película] in the international competition. Lastly, legendary Canadian-Swiss filmmaker Peter Mettler was presented with the Honorary Big Stamp.

Here is the full list of award winners:

International Competition

Big Stamp
Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin (Denmark/Czech Republic)
Special Mention
Mistress Dispeller – Elizabeth Lo (China/USA)

Regional Competition

Big Stamp
My Dad’s Lessons [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Dalija Dozet (Croatia)
Special Mention
At the Door of the House, Who Will Come Knocking [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Maja Novaković
ficha de la película] – Maja Novaković (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Shorts Competition

Small Stamp
Who Loves the Sun – Arisha Shakiba (Canada)
Special Mention
The Other Side of the Mountain – He Yumeng (USA/China)

Young Jury Awards

Small Stamp
Wind Has No Tail – Ivan Vlasov, Nikita Stashkevich (Russia)
Special Mention
Eyes of Gaza – Mahmoud Atassi (Qatar)

Movies That Matter

Movies That Matter Award
Sudan, Remember Us [+lee también:
entrevista: Hind Meddeb
ficha de la película] – Hind Meddeb (France/Tunisia/Qatar)
Special Mention
Trans Memoria [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Victoria Verseau
ficha de la película] – Victoria Verseau (Sweden/France)

FIPRESCI Award
Night of the Coyotes – Clara Trischler (Germany/Austria)

Teen Dox

Teen Dox Award
Lessons of Happiness – Oleksii Yeroshenko (Ukraine)
Special Mention
Where the Kids Have No Name – Jamillah van der Hulst (Netherlands/Bangladesh)

Audience Awards

Aviteh Audience Award – International Competition
Home Game [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Lidija Zelovic
ficha de la película] – Lidija Zelović (Netherlands)

Croatian Radio-Television Audience Award – Regional Competition
Woman of God [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] – Iza Strehar (Slovenia)

Honorary Big Stamp
Peter Mettler