Karlovac has once again become a meeting place for young filmmakers from all over Croatia and the world. After several days filled with film screenings, conversations, workshops and new friendships, the 31st Youth Film Festival and the 19th Four River Film Festival, organized by the Croatian Film Association and Karlovac Cinema Club, and co-organized by the Edison Cinema, have ended. The Awards ceremony revealed the names of this year’s laureates.
In the competition made up of numerous young authors and films, the Juries selected the best films in the categories of animated, documentary, freestyle and fiction film. The Grand Prix of the 19th Four River Film Festival went to the film Myosotis by Blank_film incubator from Zagreb, while the Audience Award was awarded to the film Echoes of Everything directed by Magnus Sønderby Larsen from Denmark. The Yellow Flag, an award given to a film that most successfully condemns violence, went to Like an Orchid from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
The Expert Jury, composed of Tatjana Božić, Nikola Janković and Eva Kraljević, chose the best achievements of the 31st Youth Film Festival.
The awards went to the following films:
Best Animated Film: Tail Spin – Graditeljska škola Čakovec, Čakovec, Croatia
Best Documentary Film: Last day of School – DOKUart EDU workshop for documentary film, Bjelovar, Croatia
Best Fiction Film: Grandma’s Gospel – Blank_film incubator, Zagreb, Croatia
Best Freestyle Film: Reflections – Gimnazija Pula, Pula, Croatia
Special mention in the category of Animated Film: Anthropophobia – Gimnazija dr. Ivana Kranjčeva, Đurđevac, Croatia
The international competition of the 19th Four River Film Festival once again presented diverse film stories by young authors from all over the world, and the Jury selected the winners in four categories.
Best Animated Film: Like an Orchid – Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
Special mention for Animated Film: Koli – Whistling Woods International, India
Best Documentary Film: Journey – École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, Switzerland
Best Fiction Film: Echoes of Everything – Magnus Sønderby Larsen, Denmark
Special mention for Fiction Film: My Own Jules – 3iS Education, France
Best Freestyle Film: Fallen from Olympus – Açık Öğretim, Turkey
The Grand Prix went to the film Myosotis, a fiction film produced by Blank_film incubator from Zagreb. The Jury highlighted the director’s excellent work with the actors, the organic use of symbolism in film language, and a strong authorial voice, as well as the unconventional approach, depth, courage, and poetics of the film.
The Audience Award went to Echoes of Everything, directed by Magnus Sønderby Larsen from Denmark.
The Yellow Flag was awarded to Like an Orchid, an animated film that deals with violence against women and its consequences. The Jury praised the film’s strong message, as well as the creative use of animation, sound and color.
The Youth Jury played a special role in the festival program, giving out awards to authors and film crews in seven categories.
Best Actor: Viktor Ćirić for the role of Filip in the film Zoloft – Mihailo Lazić, Serbia
Best Actress: Juliette Gasquet for the role of Sam in the film My Own Jules – 3iS Education, France
Special Mention for Best Actress: Vera Gojo Džoja for the role of Grandma in the film Grandma’s Gospel – Blank_film incubator, Zagreb, Croatia
Best Director: Myosotis – Blank_film incubator, Zagreb, Croatia
Best Screenplay: Zoloft – Mihailo Lazić, Serbia
Best Cinematography: The Fair – MMC SKIG – Gunja Summer Film School, Gunja, Croatia
Best Editing: Stellan – MMC SKIG – Gunja Summer Film School, Gunja, Croatia
Special Mention for Best Editing: Echoes of Everything – Magnus Sønderby Larsen, Denmark
This year’s editions of the Youth Film Festival and Four River Film Festival once again brought together young filmmakers of different generations, interests and authorial approaches. Through the competition program, the audience had the opportunity to meet new filmmakers’ voices, their stories and the topics they deal with, but also to follow the development of young authors who build their filmmaking path through international events such as these Festivals.
The 31st Youth Film Festival and the 19th Four River Film Festival were once again concluded in the spirit of youth filmmaking, new ideas and awarded authors whose works stood out the most to the Expert and Youth Jury.
The festival is supported by: the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Association of Technical Culture, the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, Karlovac County, City of Karlovac, the “Kultura nova” Foundation, The National Foundation for Civil Society Development, the Tourist Board of the City of Karlovac, the Technical Culture Community of Karlovac and Karlovac County, and Turbing d.o.o.
