On Sunday, 22 September, the 22nd Festival of Slovenian Film closed with the awards ceremony to celebrate the highest creative achievements of Slovenian cinema. Over six days, the festival served an audience of 6,200, or more than 1,000 each day, which indicates its growing attendance. In addition to the extensive and very varied line-up of films (106 films, of which 57 were in the running for Vesna awards), FSF offered a range of industry events addressing a whole array of significant issues, as well as opportunities to meet the casts and crews of films in competition at Q&As, which all filmmakers in official competition were invited to attend. A special feature of this year’s festival was a live broadcast of the awards ceremony. Its hosts were actors who appeared in last year’s award-winning feature Consequences: Matej Zemljič, Timon Šturbej and Gašper Markun, who made the ceremony original and dynamic. Adding to the atmosphere was music from Slovenian films such as Mambo Cubano from the legendary Don’t Whisper, performed by Lea Cok. The Vesna Award for best feature film was presented by the Slovenian culture minister Zoran Poznič.
The big winner of the 22nd FSF, Stories from the Chestnut Woods, won as many as 11 Vesna Awards: for best feature film, best director (Gregor Božič), best actor in a leading role (Massimo De Francovich), best cinematography (Ferran Paredes Rubio), best original music (Hekla Magnúsdóttir), best editing (Gregor Božič, Benjamin Mirguet, Beppe Leonetti), best production design (Giovanna Cirianni), best costume design (Katharina Jockwer, Mateja Fajt), best make-up (Barbara Morosetti), best sound (Jan Vysocky, Julij Zornik), and the Audience Award (with an average grade of 4.69). In addition, the film was also presented with the IRIDIUM Award for best directorial debut (postproduction services amounting to EUR 5,000).
The Vesna Award for best screenplay went to Katja Colja and Angelo Carbone for Rosa (directed by Katja Colja). Vesna for best actress in a leading role was awarded to Liza Marijina for her role in Half-Sister (dir. Damjan Kozole), Vesna for best actress in a supporting role to Jana Zupančič for her role in Corporation (dir. Matej Nahtigal), and Vesna for best actor in a supporting role to Milivoj Roš for his role in Oroslan (dir. Matjaž Ivanišin). The Vesna Award for best documentary went to Daughter of Camorra, directed by Siniša Gačić, Vesna for best short film to Paradise by Mitja Ličen and Sonja Prosenc, Vesna for best minority co-production to God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya, directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska. Alzheimer Café by Martin Draksler won the Vesna Award for best student film, Liliana by Milanka Fabjančič won the Vesna Award for best animated film, and Man with Shadow by Ema Kugler won the Vesna Award for best original / experimental AV work.
Two Vesnas for special achievements were awarded to Pumpkin on the Hot Roof of the World, directed by Nejc Saje and Jeffrey Young, and to Martin Turk for his achievements as director and screenwriter in Good Day’s Work.
The award presented by the educational programme Sharpening the Gaze, run by KINO! Society for Expanding Film Culture, to the best student film in the official competition went to Sandra Jovanovska for Soma. The programme also gave a special mention to Alzheimer Café.
The Kosobrin Award for priceless film professionals, presented by the Directors Guild of Slovenia, went to production manager Matija Kozamernik Jojo.
Photos of the closing night and the awards ceremony are available //www.flickr.com/photos/151251060@N05/albums/72157711024131466">here.
The list of winners with jury commentaries is available here.
