The 8th annual Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival held its closing ceremony on Monday night, handing the awards of the Competition Programme, which, this year, included fifteen short films by Serbian and international filmmakers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands, Iceland, Romania, Israel, Croatia, Germany, Belgium, France, Hungary, Egypt, Russia and USA. 

The three-person jury, consisting of French producer Claudie Ossard, Amanda Neville, Director of the British Film Institute and Mexican producer Alex Garcia announced the three big winners:

The Golden Egg to Giacomo Abbruzzese for the film Stella Maris, a French short (2014).

The Silver Egg went to The Bag and director, Marko Sopić from Serbia (2013).

The Bronze Egg was handed to Icelander Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson for the film Whale Valley (2013).

A special award was decided to be given to Omar El Zohairy΄s film The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometer 375, a short film from Egypt (2014).

The Vilko Filač Award jury, comprised of cinematographers Istvan Borbas (Roy Andersson΄s DOP) and Goran Volarević gave the Best Cinematography Award to Ana Maria Vijdea fro her photography in the Serbian/Swiss film Merry-Go-Round by Luka Popadić (2015).

Before the winners revealing, the "Whistling Man" as they call him, Rade Zdravković whistled some amazing tunes, followed by the Svetozar Marković Academic Cultural Society from central Serbian city of Kragujevac, which performed a series of traditional dances. This festive atmosphere was also part of the ceremonial opening, the first day of the festival, with the Adam Stinga Orchestra and the Novi Sad Big Band providing a great spectacle. Even Serbian Culture and Information Minister, Ivan Tasovac, who declared the openig of the festival, was at great mood that day, bringing a red carpet with him to "the only festival in the world without this glamorous detail" according to Emir Kusturica. 

Kustendorf΄s 8th edition, included also a number highly anticipated workshops and masterclasse by renowned International filmmakers, producers and proffesionals of the industry, as well as the Retrospective of Greatness Section, screening  films of Andrei Konchalovsky, Bertrand Tavernier, Andrei Tarkovsky, Emir Kusturica, Alfonso Cuarón and old French filmmaker Charles Vanel. Konchalowsky, Tavernier and Cuaron, along with Nikita Michalkov, French  producer Claudie Ossard and Roy Andersson΄s latest A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence DOP, István Borbás were present, screening their films and discussing afterwards with the audience about different aspects of filmmaking. Cannes festival΄s director, Thierry Frémaux was also there, having a discussion with Emir Kusturica, after the screening of Charles Vanel΄s In the Night, the last ever French silent film. 

 

There was another award handed. Before his workshop, Alfonso Cuaron reeceivced the Future Films Award,  Küstendorf΄s most prestigious recognition while, during his workshop, Nikita Michalkov had some very interesting things to say: The director is not a doctor. His work is not to help in a crisis situation. In addition to hope, faith and love, it is also good to create with one’s own hands... Courage is also important. The other Russian filmmaker of the company, Michalkov΄s elder bother, Andrei Konchalovsky, was honored with an exhibition prepared by the Film Museum in Łódź specially for this year’s edition of the Kustendorf Film and Music Festival, a collection of archive material displayed in posters, photographs and still photos from his films.

Concluding in a proper manner, the music of Kustendorf. As every time, whether it’s the blues, reggae or soul, along with the live performances, it lasted all day, being heard from every part of the alpine cinematic village.