Awards and Closing Ceremony
The 11th International Film and Music Festival Küstendorf was closed tonight with the awards ceremony.
The program started with an homage to one of the most significant Serbian film and theatre actors Aleksandar Berček.
After the omage and standing ovation, professor Emir Kusturica presented Berček with the Award for Future Films or Tree of Life. We connected around the love for other things and stories not centering around what unsuccessful actors usually start, and that’s talk about acting, said professor Kusturica for Berček and added that this art is not easy to talk about and it only works when someone goes wild or when someone wishes to put a whole package of feelings through a camera and show that this game, as one writer said, is a glass bead game.
Since this is a reward for future films, and Professor is a director… play it smart, Berček said jokingly, accepting the prize.
The program continued with the folklore ensemble Svetozar Markovic from Kragujevac, who performed a collection of dances from Šumadija, silent kolo from Glamoč and Moldavian tarantella.
Professor Emir Kusturica then awarded diplomas to participants of the Festival’s Competition Programme, after which the jury was invited to announce the Festival winners.
The winner of this year’s award Vilko Filač for best cinematography is Piotr Pawlus for the film It’s Really Awesome. It was presented by István Borbás, who emphasized the significance of photography, comparing it to building bridges between light and shadow, directing and acting, and calling Vilko Filač a great bridge builder, whose presence is felt in every shot he took.
The ceremony continued with special and main awards.
Since all stories are told, it is always good to see one retold in a new way, in a new geography, said a member of this year’s Jury, Peca Popović, and handed the first special jury award to the film Chanel by Humberto Vallejo. The second special jury award went to the film Merry-go-round by Ruslan Bratov. The Jury said that this film re-plays a known cinematic theme about masculine mindlessness in an irresistible and very humorous way.
Bronze Egg was given by professor Serge Regourd to the film Lumpen by Nikola Vičinić. Regourd emphasized that the film talks about the reality of a global market which reduces the life of a good worker to insignificance.
Silver Egg went to the film Fifteen by Sameh Alaa. Vlastimir Sudar presented this award, pointing out that this is a film that shows how in the world of grown-ups, one child takes responsibility of an uncertain future.
The main award, the Golden Egg, went to the film which in a sensitive way witnesses a lust for life in a politically complex world, the film Bomboné by Rakan Mayasi. The award was presented to the Palestinian director by Peca Popović.
After the awards ceremony, Professor Kusturica reminded that this year’s Küstendorf was inspired by the lost Russian avant-garde film Bound by Film and its authors Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik.
There is nothing better for an author and a festival than to set off on an adventure from a wonderful avant-garde film that has disappeared, Professor Kusturica concluded and declared the Festival closed.
