The 16th Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival ended last night on Mokra Gora with the presentation of the “Tree of Life” award to playwright and academician Dušan Kovačević and the awarding of prizes to the best films in the competition program.
The main prize of the “Golden Egg” festival was awarded to Israeli director Tal Kantor for the animated film “Letter to Pigs”.
The “Silver Egg” was awarded to director Dulma Purev-Očir from Mongolia for the film “Snow in September”, and the “Bronze Egg” went to Hungarian director Ana Đimeša for the film “Afrikat”.
The decision was made by a jury consisting of Italian director Suzana Nicjarelli, actor Slavko Štimac and Israeli producer, director and screenwriter David Noj.
The “Vilko Filač” award for best photography was awarded to Evan Maragkoudakis from Greece for “On the Throne of Xerxes” directed by Eva Kalojiropoulos.
The “Tree of Life” award, which is awarded to prominent creators for future films, was presented to Academician Kovačević by the founder of Kustendorf, the celebrated director Emir Kusturica.
Kovačević said that he is honored to be at one of the most important film festivals in the world.
– The “Tree of Life” award is important for two reasons. The first is that it is an award for my previous filmmaking, and the second is that this is an award for future films, which is a nice obligation – Kovačević pointed out.
Addressing the audience, Kusturica said that he closes the festival with the words – think of freedom and search for the lost freedom that has disappeared from our lives.
The Kustendorf Festival decided to award a special award to Serbian director Aleksandra Lazarovski for the film “More than Life”.
In addition to the tribute dedicated to the creativity of Dušan Kovačević, the ensemble of the National Theater in Belgrade performed in the hall “Kreleta avlija” on the last night of Kustendorf.
They performed a point from the ballet “Ko to tamo pjeva”, created on the basis of Kovačević’s screenplay for the film of the same name, to the music of Vojislav Voki Kostić and choreographed and directed by Staša Zurovac.
Under the slogan “Art above everything”, 27 films were shown in Drvengrad from January 25, 14 of them in the competition program.
Kustendorf has traditionally hosted notable authors, actors and musicians, as well as numerous young filmmakers and students of film schools from all over the world during the five festival days.
Students and young authors from Hungary, Serbia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Israel, Greece, Czech Republic, Iran, Slovakia, Mongolia and Switzerland presented their works.
The workshops were held by guests of Kustendorf Suzana Nicjarelli, Paolo Virci and Paolo Fiore Angelini from Italy, Gregorio Graciozo from Brazil and Chiya Hayakawa from Japan, after the screenings of their films.
Kustendorf has a non-commercial character and is held every year in January.
(www.palelive.com / RTRS/Srna)
