All festival programmes were held in person. About 100 premiere films in various programme selections were screened.
The encore screening programme postFESTum is currently in progress till the end of this week.
In 2023, FEST introduced FEST Pro, a new initiative aiming to create a platform for the film industry to network, learn and explore new opportunities. The goal of the initiative created by producer Miloš Đukelić is also to establish Belgrade as a hub for the film industry and a desirable destination for film productions.
FEST Pro ran 2 - 5 March 2023 with numerous regional and international guests, panels, workshops and sub-programmes, including the panel Regional coproductions, European coproductions and applying to competitions, powered by Film Center Serbia, hosted by Miroljub Vučković of FCS, which brought together the heads of national and/or regional film centres and funds from Croatia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, the Republic of Srpska, joined by the Slovenian producer Aleš Pavlin.
FULL LIST OF AWARDS:
Main Competition:
Belgrade Victor Award for Best Film:
World War Three (Iran)
Directed by Houman Seyyedi
Best Director:
Houman Seyyedi for World War Three (Iran)
Best Actress:
Aïcha Tebbae for The Damned Don’t Cry (France, Belgium, Morocco)
Best Actor:
Mohsen Tanabandeh for World War Three (Iran)
Best Script:
Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen for The Beasts / As Bestas (Spain, France)
Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Best Debut:
Actress Mwajemi Hussein for The Mountain / The Survival of Kindness (Australia, USA, China)
Jury’s Special Mention:
The Mountain / The Survival of Kindness (Australia, USA, China)
Directed by Rolf de Heer
Politika Award for Best Serbian Film:
Mouth Full of Earth / Usta puna zemlje (Serbia)
Directed by Mladomir Puriša Đorđević
Produced by Apolon, Telekom Srbija, Pink Media Group
Nebojša Đukelić Award for Best Film in the Region:
Snow and the Bear / Kar Ve Ayi (Turkey, Germany, Serbia)
Directed by Selcen Ergun
Produced by Nefes' Films, Albino Zebra Film
Coproduced by Riva Film, Set Sail Film
Supported by Berlinale Talents Script Station, Nipkow AIR, Cannes Film Festival La Maison des Scénaristes, First Films First, Eurimages, the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Film Center Serbia, German-Turkish Co-Production
FEDEORA Award for Best Euro-Mediterranean Film in the Main Competition:
The Damned Don’t Cry (France, Belgium, Morocco)
Directed by Fyzal Boulifa
Audience Award:
Where the Road Leads / Ovuda će proći put (Serbia)
Directed by Nina Ognjanović
Produced by Pointless Films
Coproduced by the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, RTS - Radio Television of Serbia
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Serbia
Belgrade Victor Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film Art:
Director Lordan Zafranović
Producer Dan Tana (born as Dobrivoje Tanasijević)
Actors Udo Kier, Barbara Sukowa
