altcine - The Awards of the 63rd Pula Film Festival

The 63rd Pula Film Festival came to its end on Friday, July 16th. For a whole week, Pula Film Festival screened 135 films in 9 different programmes of which 4 were competitive film programmes: Croatian programme – Croatian film, Minority co-production and Short Pula as well as the International Programme, Neighbours and Friends and Student Programme.

Grand Golden Arena for Best Festival Film was awarded to the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta, by Interfilm Production Studio of the producer Ivan Maloča. According to the Jury, the film was awarded "due to its impressive atmosphere of uncertainty and with a gradual development of emotional and dramatic suspense that leads to a global metaphor."

Golden Arena for Best Director, Golden Arena for Best Screenplay, Golden Arena for Best Actress, Golden Arena for Best Actor, Golden Arena for Best Editing, Golden Arena for Best Sound Design and the Octavian Award were also awarded to the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta which, along with the Grand Golden Arena, received a total of 8 awards.

By voting for the Croatian Programme films screened in the Arena, the audience has awarded the Golden Gate of Pula to the film Lazar directed by Svetozar Ristovski with an average mark of 4,89.

On the Other Side by Zrinko Ogresta

The full list of the winners

1. Best Film – Programme Pulica

The audience in the Programme Pulica awarded:

- Diploma for Best Feature Film to the film Little Gangster, director Arne Toonen.

2. Decision of the Jury in the Student Programme

Members of the Jury: Daniel Kušan (Croatia, director), Daniel Rafaelić (Croatia, film critic) and Chris Auty (Italy, producer) awarded:

- Diploma for Best Film to the film Love, directed by Boya Harizanova.

For a mature creation of a warm and moving story about most important human emotions.

3. Decision of the Jury in the Programme Neighbours and Friends

Members of the Jury: Călin Peter Netzer (Romania, director), Ivan Ostrochovský (Slovakia, producer and director), Mia Pećina (Croatia, producer), awarded:

- Diploma for Best Film to the film Illegitimate, directed by Adrian Sitaru.

According to the Statute of the Pula Film Festival, the jury of the Friends and Neighbours Programme has unanimously granted a Diploma for best film to Adrian Sitaru’s Illegitimate, for its successful presentation of a unique psychological family theme in an innovative manner, especially considering the fact that every scene was shot only once and that for half of the actors this was their first screen appearance.

The jury wanted to grant a special mention to the film Houston, We Have a Problem!, by director Žiga Virc.

4. Best Short Film – Croatian Programme

Members of the Jury: Daniel Kušan (Croatia, director), Daniel Rafaelić (Croatia, film critic) and Chris Auty (Italy, producer), awarded:

- Diploma for Best Short Film in the Croatian Programme to the short film Flowers directed by Judita Gamulin.

For excellent directing of actors and viewers through a complex and emotional story.

Illegitimate by Adrian Sitaru

5. Decisions of the Jury for the International Programme

Members of the Jury: Ivona Juka (Croatia, director), Stevan Filipović (Serbia, director and film editor) and Gaby Babić (Germany, Wiesbaden Festival director), awarded:

Special mention to the film Tramontane directed by Vatche Boulghourhian

For goodnes discovered in a complex way and for showing us that sometimes life can offer unexpected prospects.

Golden Arena for Best Feature Film to the film Illegitimate directed by Adrian Sitaru.

According to the Statute of the Pula Film Festival, the jury of the International Programme has granted the best film award to Adrian Sitaru’s Illegitimate, the film that questions morality and legitimacy without lecturing or choosing sides, through complex family relations, demonstrating honesty to the society it was made in.

6. Croatian Society of Film Critics Award

The Octavian Award is awarded to the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta, with an average mark of 4,28.

7. Golden Gate of Pula Audience Award

By voting for the Croatian Programme films screened in the Arena, the audience has awarded the Golden Gate of Pula to the film Lazar directed by Svetozar Ristovski with an average mark of 4,89.

Lazar by Svetozar Ristovski

8. Decision of the Jury in the Croatian Programme

JURY AWARDS FOR THE CROATIAN COMPETITIVE PROGRAMME

Members of the Jury: Sanja Vejnović, Bruno Kragić, Labina Mitevska, Hrvoje Mršić, Donald K. Ranvaud.

CROATIAN PROGRAMME – CROATIAN MINORITY CO-PRODUCTION

1. Golden Arena for Best Film is awarded to the film A Good Wife, directed by Mirjana Karanović.

The film is an impressive debutant achievement which thematises the relationship between truth and emotions in a dramatically strong manner and through a series of impressive acting performances.

2. Golden Arena for Best Director is awarded to Rúnar Rúnarsson for the film Sparrows.

Due to a masterful direction which links the harshness of the atmosphere and the story with lyrical moments in a skilful and precise manner.

3. Golden Arena for Best Acting Performance is awarded to Vedran Živolić in the film Lazar.

For an acting performance that displays the internal restlessness of the character in a subtle yet powerful fashion.

All the Best by Snjezana Tribuson

9. Croatian Programme – Croatian Film

1. Breza Award for Best Debutant is awarded to Renata Pokupić for Brankica in the film All the Best directed by Snježana Tribuson.

For the ease and spontaneity with which she stepped into the medium of film.

Julius Meinl coffee joins the Breza Award for Best Debutant granted by the 63rd Pula Film Festival jury with the amount of 7,000 kuna.

2. Golden Arena for Make-up is awarded to Slavica Šnur for the film Shooting Stars directed by Ivan-Goran Vitez.

For the make-up that follows director’s ideas through a series of different transformations.

3. Golden Arena for Best Sound Design is awarded to Martin Semenčić and Ivan Zelić for the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

For the background sound that supports the atmosphere of the film in a discreet manner.

4. Golden Arena for Best Visual Effects is awarded to Saša Budimir, Ratimir Rakuljić and Lado Skorin for the film All the Best directed by Snježana Tribuson.

For visual stylizations that introduce us to the story in an intriguing manner.

5. Golden Arena for Best Costume Design is awarded to Ivana Zozoli Vargović for the film All the Best directed by Snježana Tribuson.

For the equally skilful design of costumes of a strong visual melodrama and those from different life situations.

6. Golden Arena for Best Scenography is awarded to Željka Burić for the film All the Best directed by Snježana Tribuson.

For a broad spectrum of different ambiences that participate in the creation of a unique film atmosphere in an intriguing manner.

7. Golden Arena for Best Music is awarded to Rundek Cargo Trio for the music in the film Generation ‘68 directed by Nenad Puhovski.

For the music that introduces the viewer to the time period the film is set in in a nostalgic and discreet fashion.

8. Golden Arena for Best Editing is awarded to Tomislav Pavlic for the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

It contributes to the film’s dramaturgy in its very restricted form, faithfully following and enhancing director’s ideas.

9. Golden Arena for Best DOP is awarded to Tamara Cesarec for the film Shooting Stars directed by Ivan-Goran Vitez.

For innovative use of photography techniques that strongly mark the general tone of the film.

10. Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actor is awarded to Goran Navojec for the role of Ljubo in the film All the Best directed by Snježana Tribuson.

For a charming interpretation of a likable fickle person.

11. Golden Arena for Best Actor is awarded to Lazar Ristovski for the role of Žarko in the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

For a convincing interpretation relying primarily on suggestion and only secondly on explication.

12. Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actress is awarded to Tena Brankov Nemet for the role of Nika in the film Trampoline directed by Katarina Zrinka Matijević.

For an impressive interpretation of a teenage girl torn between an oppressive life with her mother and a desire to live a new life.

13. Golden Arena for Best Actress is awarded to Ksenija Marinković for the role of Vesna in the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

The award is granted to an actress who has marked this year’s Pula with versatile roles for a particularly perceptive creation that largely contributed to the overall impression of the film.

14. Golden Arena for Best Screenplay is awarded to Mate Matišić and Zrinko Ogresta for the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

For the screenplay that with its dramaturgy reaches a high level of persuasiveness of the story that is further strengthened through an unpredictable twist.

15. Golden Arena for Best Director is awarded to Zrinko Ogresta for the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

For the direction that makes use of all means of expression to pull the viewer as an observer from the other side into the anxiety-ridden world of the protagonists.

16. Grand Golden Arena for Best Festival Film is awarded to the film On the Other Side directed by Zrinko Ogresta.

A film with an impressive atmosphere of uncertainty and with a gradual development of emotional and dramatic suspense that leads to a global metaphor.

Teleking awarded the production house of the film On the Other Side winner of the Grand Golden Arena with a package of post-production services: images processing and mastering for the amount of € 10,000.

Addiko Bank awarded Zrinko Ogresta director of the film On the Other Side winner of the Grand Golden Arena for Best Festival Film a prize of HRK 30,000.00.