In a twirl
Closing ceremony of the 21st Youth Film Festival and 9th Four River Film Festival lasted for over two hours with the twirl of dance and excitement. During that time winners were announced and we marked tenth anniversary oft his film even that is jointly organized by Croatian Film Association and Kinoklub Karlovac – or to be more precise, Marija Ratković Vidaković, as it was shown in the witty film by her colleagues and coworkers at the very end of festivals.
Best of five pitchers that presented their projects on Friday at the first Pack&Pitch in the history of the Festival and FRFF was Rudolf Bavbar from Kinoklub Karlovac. He will spend three weeks in Los Angeles and will be able to make a film based on his idea, while Prodigy Camp in Seattle will welcome Luka Pisačić, seventeen year old independent author from Sesvete because of his 3D animated film White Oak.
Award for the Best anti corruption film went to the independent author from Sračinec, Matija Benić for his highly styled Anticorruption atom, while the Yellow flag was won by authors of the film KagePac about the „worst student in the Republic of Croatia“ which has legendary Josip Krunić from Studio Kreativnih idea Gunja playing the role of the appalled teacher.
International youth jury awarded the best actor to Nartin Osvold in the film End of Jupiter by Jergen Egner Grenerud, independent author from Norway, about a man that runs over a cat by accident and tries to think of a way to calm his conscious and show compassion to the young owner. Award for the best actress went to Kaya Borrett in the film Wings for Sally by the director Frej Lykke Maegaard from Danish production Station Next where she plays a girl dying from leukemia while her brother is trying to bring her back to life. Title of the best director was won by Simon Marian Hofman, independent author from Germany for his film Natan, dark and tragic story about homosexual rape of the adopted child and two murders that follow, which also won the Best screen writer. Best cameraman went to Hanis Bagashov, independent author from Macedonia for his film Faces, gloomy story about people without future, lost in the rural country whose children are leaving for Germany in the search for the better life while the Best editor went to Leon Vignjević for the film by independent author Teo Vukšan for the film Leon Vignjević – Flatland BMX, film about himself and skillful balance on two wheels which was also a film closes to the „biking spirit“ of this year's Festival and FRFF.
This was the first year in the history of Youth Film Festival and Four River Film Festival where the adult jury made decisions for national and international selection. In their opinion, Best animated film amongst national candidates was Navis by Stella Hartman from FKVK Zaprešić, allegory about various troubles that life exposes us to, while in the international category the same award went to Aguila Rapax by Ema Klučovska from ZAADM from Slovakia. Film was a 2D animation that represents author’s relationship towards eagles and other hunting birds because she is a falconer.
Best national documentary film was I don't regret a thing by Lucija Strugar from Art, Design, Graphics and Clothes High School Zabok about homosexual ballet dancer from the island of Vis, while best international documentary went to Faces by Hanis Bagashov, independent author from Macedonia (who also won the award for the best camera man).
Best fiction film in the national competition was Hana, Hana, Honey by Marko Bičanić and Karlo Vorih from Blank_filmski inkubator from Zagreb about drinking and passion in one winter night. Same award in the international competition went to Reincarnation inc. by Hadley Hillel from USA, film about a dilemma of a broken man to come back to this world as a fly or a snail.
Finally, Best national film in the free style category at the Youth Film Festival was Urbex 3: Ruševići by Videoaktivisti from Petrinja High School about a town destroyed by war that has been waiting too long to turn back into normal life. Officially foreign, or to be precise, from the Four River Film Festival competition in free style category best film award went to Abandoned Karlovac by Pavao Kocanjer about what the town used to be.
Audience award, as well as the Grand Pirx of the Festival and FRFF went to Dominik Ćorić from the Mediterranean Film Festival from Bosnia and Herzegovina for the film Bridge about love between American girl and Herzegovian boy that fall in love in spite of their lack of language knowledge.
Duško Popović
popovicdusko@yahoo.com
11.09.2016.