The 30th Split Film Festival has ended. During the last 6 days, 57 films from 29 countries of the world were shown in four locations, in the Karaman cinema, the Zlatna vrata cinema, the Kvart gallery and the Academia Club Ghetto.
The closing ceremony and announcement of the winners was held last night in the Art Gallery. The three-member jury consisting of Sanja Grbin, Daria Dunatova and Mario Kokotović decided to award the GRAND PRIX in the feature film category to the film Beautiful and Neat Room by Marie Petschnig. The author addressed the audience and the jury via video message. The jury explained the award as follows: “The film Beautiful and Neat Room stands out for its exceptionally readable narrative achieved by successfully merging documentary and fiction, its special sensibility, authenticity, and convincing visual expression. It is a successful auto-fictional approach to the film medium that strikingly reflects the position of the visual artist in the contemporary world. Using spatial minimalism, camera positions, and existing light, the author has created an ambiance that emphasizes the shared experience of fundamental existential questions.” Honorable mention was awarded to the film My Friend Miles, by Pieter Solta.
In the second category, short film, the jury consisting of Vlado Zrnić, David Lušičić and Thomas Mohr awarded the GRAND PRIX to Let’s Pretend, by Diego Fossati, with the following explanation: “The film is a powerful and disturbing insight that goes beyond the image of childhood innocence to reveal the raw roots of human behavior. With a clear and consistent cinematic language, it deconstructs the clichés of childhood and reveals the fragile boundary between play and the harsh reality we inherit, functioning as a critique of the society that shapes us. The film’s language reflects this complexity through carefully composed shots, coherent editing and sophisticated sound design, all presented with a striking simplicity that leaves a deep and lasting impression on the viewer.” Honorable mention was given to Impivaara – A New World, by Patrik Söderlund and All said done, by Micah H. Weber.
The final award, “Ivan Martinac”, is awarded by the organizers, taking into account the entire festival and films from all categories. The “Ivan Martinac” award was awarded posthumously to the author of the first feminist film in this region, Tatjana Dunja Ivanišević, for the film Žemsko (1968), in whose memory, one festival program was entitled Dunja’s Nights. The award was accepted by the author’s daughter with words of gratitude, and the film was then screened. This award righted an injustice that silenced an author’s voice and interrupted his creativity, but at the same time sent an important message that STFF recognizes, preserves and celebrates authorship as the core of artistic expression and freedom.