17-07-2025

Peacemaker Wins Pula Film Festival 2025

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    Peacemaker Wins Pula Film Festival 2025 credit: Pula IFF

    PULA: Peacemaker by Ivan Ramljak received the Big Golden Arena for Best Film in the Croatian competition at the 72nd Pula Film Festival (10 – 17 July 2025). Serbian/Croatian/Bulgarian How Come It’s All Green Out There?  by Nikola Ležaić scooped the Golden Arena for Best Croatian Minority Coproduction, while the 1st edition of the Regional Competition gave its main award to Serbian 78 Days by Emilija Gašić.

    In the Croatian Programme, awards went also to the Croatian/ Italian/Slovenian Fiume o morte! by Igor Bezinović (Golden Arena for Directing), Sandbag Dam (Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia) by Čejen Černić Čanak, Good Children (Croatia, France) by Filip Peruzović, and Dražen (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia) by Danilo Šerbedžija. 

    The Pula PRO programme gave awards in its three pitching projects, as well as the awards of the network of independent cinema exhibitors.

    FESTIVAL WINNERS:

    Croatian Programme:

    Big Golden Arena for BestFilm:
    Peacemaker / Mirotdvorac (Croatia)
    Directed by Ivan Ramljak
    Produced by Factum
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre

    Golden Arena for Directing:
    Igor Bezinović for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Produced by Restart
    Coproduced by Videomante, Nosorogi
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual CentreEurimages, the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Regional Fund Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Slovenian Film CentreViba Film, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the Croatian Television, the Slovenian TelevisionRE-ACT, the City of Rijeka, the City of Zagreb, Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission, ANGOA – PROCIREP, the Croatian Film Directors Guild

    Golden Arena for Best Leading Actress:
    Nina Violić in Good Children / Dobra djeca (Croatia, France)
    Directed by Filip Peruzović
    Produced by Dinaridi film
    Coproduced by Rikikiki Films 
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Radio Television (HRT)

    Golden Arena for Best Leading Actor:
    Filip Šovagović in Good Children / Dobra djeca (Croatia, France)
    Directed by Filip Peruzović

    Golden Arena for Best Script:
    Nikolina Bogdanović and Filip Peruzović for Good Children / Dobra djeca (Croatia, France)
    Directed by Filip Peruzović

    Golden Arena for Best Editing:
    Damir Čučić for Peacemaker / Mirotdvorac (Croatia)
    Directed by Ivan Ramljak

    Golden Arena for Best Cinematography:
    Tomislav Sutlar for Good Children / Dobra djeca (Croatia, France)
    Directed by Filip Peruzović

    Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actress:
    Zrinka Cvitešić in Dražen (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia)
    Directed by Danilo Šerbedžija
    Co-directed by Ljubo Zdjelarević
    Produced by Kinoteka 
    Coproduced by DecemberLiving Pictures
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Radio Television, the City of Zagreb, the Slovenian Film CentreFilm Center Serbia

    Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actor:

    Andrija Žunac in

    Sandbag Dam / Zečji nasip (Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia)
    Directed by Čejen Černić Čanak
    Produced by Kinorama
    Coproduced by TremoraPerfo
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Slovenian Film Centre, MEDIA Creative Europe

    Golden Arena for Best Set Design:
    Anton Spazzapan for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Directed by Igor Bezinović

    Golden Arena for Best Music:
    Domas Strupinskas for Sandbag Dam / Zečji nasip (Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia)
    Directed by Čejen Černić Čanak

    Golden Arena for Best Sound Design:
    Julio Zornik for Sandbag Dam / Zečji nasip (Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia)
    Directed by Čejen Černić Čanak

    Golden Arena for Best Visual Effects:
    Marin Vuletić for Dražen (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia)
    Directed by Danilo Šerbedžija
    Co-directed by Ljubo Zdjelarević

    Golden Arena for Best Make-up:
    Ivana Pralija for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Directed by Igor Bezinović

    Golden Arena for Best Costume Design:
    Tajča Čekada and Manuela Paladin for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Directed by Igor Bezinović

    Golden Arena for Best Production:
    Vanja Jambrović and Tibor Keser for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Directed by Igor Bezinović

    Golden Arena for Outstanding Directorial Approach:
    Goran Dević for Pavilion 6 / Paviljon 6 (Croatia)
    Produced by Fifteenth Art 
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre

    Golden Arena for Best Casting:
    Sara Jakupec for Fiume o morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
    Directed by Igor Bezinović

    Breza Award for the Best Debutant:
    Actor Lav Novoselo in Sandbag Dam / Zečji nasip (Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia)
    Directed by Čejen Černić Čanak

    Croatian Minority Coproductions Programme:

    Golden Arena for Best Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    How Come It’s All Green Out There? / Kako je ovde tako zeleno? (Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria)
    Directed by Nikola Ležaić
    Produced by Qče 
    Coproduced by Nukleus Film, PremierStudioForgrade Studio
    Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Bulgarian National Film Center

    Golden Arena for Best Leading Actor in a Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    Filip Đurić in How Come It’s All Green Out There? / Kako je ovde tako zeleno? (Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria)
    Directed by Nikola Ležaić

    Golden Arena for Best Leading Actress in a Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    Fereshteh Hosseini in Dwelling among the Gods / Među bogovima (Serbia, Italy, Croatia)
    Directed by Vuk Ršumović
    Produced by BaBoon Production
    Coproduced by Nightswim, Kinorama
    Supported by Film Center Serbia, MIBAC, the Croatian Audiovisual CentreEurimages

    Golden Arena for Best Cinematography in a Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    Aleksandar Pavlović in How Come It’s All Green Out There? / Kako je ovde tako zeleno? (Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria)
    Directed by Nikola Ležaić

    Golden Arena for Best Editing in a Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    Vladimir Gojun for Little Trouble Girls / Kaj ti je deklica (Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia)
    Directed by Urška Djukić
    Produced by Spok Films, Staragara I.T., Izazov 365
    Coproduced by NosorogiRTV SlovenijaNon-Aligned Films
    Supported by the Slovenian Film CentreRTV Slovenija, Direzione generale Cinema e audiovisivo del Ministero della Cultura DGCA-Mic (MIBACT), the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, the Film Commission Friuli Venezia Gulia (FVG), the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Film Center Serbia (fcs.rs), with technical support provided by FS Viba. The development of the film was supported by the Slovenian Film Centre, Creative Europe MEDIA, RE-ACT, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine

    Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actor in a Croatian Minority Coproduction:
    Nikola Ristanovski in Dwelling among the Gods / Među bogovima (Serbia, Italy, Croatia)
    Directed by Vuk Ršumović

    Regional Competition:

    Golden Arena for Best Regional Film:
    78 Days / 78 Dana (Serbia)
    Directed by Emilija Gašić
    Produced by Set Sail Films

    Student Film Competition:

    Golden Arena for Best Student Film:
    Greek Apricots / Grčke marelice (Croatia)
    Directed by Jan Krevatin
    Produced by Academy of Dramatic Arts - University of Zagreb

    Special Mention:
    Fleka (Croatia)
    Directed by Sara Alavanić
    Produced by Academy of Dramatic Arts - University of Zagreb

    PULA PRO PROGRAMME WINNERS:

    Make the Scene - Comedy Edition Pitching Programme:

    Main Prize:
    Mayor / Zgradonačelnik (Croatia)
    Written by Ivan Veljača

    Mentorship Award:
    Out of the World / Mimo svijeta (Croatia)
    Written by Lora Džolić and Jana Bjelica

    Scenarij kinohita Pitching Programme:

    Main Award:
    Smisao života u četiri meč bolpe (Croatia)
    Written by Nikola Kuprešanin

    Films in the Making Pitching Programme:

    Sleepwalker Award:
    Yugo Goes to America / Yugo ide u Ameriku (Serbia, Croatia)
    Directed by Filip Grujić and Aleksa Borković
    Produced by Naked
    Coproduced by Restart, United Media
    Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, United Media

    Filmlab Award:
    Novi život (Croatia)
    Directed by Goran Dević
    Produced by Petnaesta umjetnost
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre

    Brijuni Riviera Award:
    Mom’s Alive Today / Danas je mama živa! (Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo)
    Directed by Josip Lukić
    Produced by Dinaridi Film
    Coproduced by Non-Aligned Films, Mobius
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual CentreFilm Center Serbia

    Kino Mreža Distribution Awards:

    Award for Best Croatian Film:
    South Wind / Južina (Croatia, Serbia), World premiere
    Directed by Ante Marin 
    Produced by Peglanje snova, Missart
    Coproduced by InterfilmZillion Film 
    Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual CentreFilm Center Serbia

    Award for Best Film in Greater Adria Programme:
    Sirât (France, Spain)
    Directed by Olivier Laxe

    Drame.hr Portal’s Competition:

    Winner:
    Nikome ništa (Croatia)
    Written by Nikolina Bogdanović