In the competition of feature films at the European Film Awards, the films ‘EKSKURZIJA’ by Una Gunjak, ‘SWEET DREAMS’ by Ene Sendijarević, and ‘NAJSRETNIJI ČOVJEK NA SVIJETU’ by Teona Strugar Mitevska, for which the screenplay was written by Bosnian screenwriter Elma Tataragić, have been selected.
The film ‘EKSKURZIJA’ had its world premiere at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, where it opened the Cineasti del presente program, dedicated to the first and second films of the most interesting new directors, and it was awarded a Special Mention at the Locarno Film Festival awards ceremony. The film was also screened as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival program, Bihać Avantura Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix ‘Unska sirena,’ and at the Montenegro Film Festival in Herceg Novi, where it won the Golden Mimosa for Best Screenplay (Una Gunjak) and the Best Actress award (Asja Zara Lagumdžija). ‘EKSKURZIJA’ is also this year’s Bosnian candidate in the category of Best International Feature Film for the Oscar of the American Academy.
‘NAJSRETNIJI ČOVJEK NA SVIJETU,’ directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska, for which the screenplay was written by Bosnian screenwriter Elma Tataragić, premiered in the competition of the prestigious Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section and was the North Macedonian Oscar candidate last year. The film received the FIPRESCI award for Best Film at the 35th Panorama of European Cinema in Athens, and it won the Grand Prix of the jury and the Young Jury Award at the 14th Les Arcs Film Festival in France. It was also screened in the Cannes Cinema program at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The film ‘SWEET DREAMS’ by Bosnian director Ene Sendijarević also had its premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, where it received the Best Performance Award (Renée Soutendijk), after which it was screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, Ghent Film Festival, and Haifa Film Festival.
In the competition, there is also the film ‘CLUB ZERO’ by Jessica Hausner, which is a minority co-production with Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Bosnian co-producer being Obala Art Center.
A total of 40 films from 31 European countries were included in the competition, and the official awards ceremony of the European Film Academy will be held on December 9th in Berlin.
For the complete list of nominated films and more information, please visit the official website of the European Film Academy.