Milica Tomović’s “Big Women” and Philip Sotnychenko’s “Times New Roman” won big at the Sarajevo Film Festival‘s CineLink, its industry section that featured projects from Southeast Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
Serbian director Tomović’s sophomore feature, which is produced by Dragana Jovović of Non-Aligned Films and Jelena Radenković for Big Time Production, won the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, a cash prize of €20,000 ($22,200).
The film follows two wild women who embark on an unexpected trip to the coast of Montenegro, where they’ll settle forgotten bills, rediscover their friendship and uncover long-buried secrets. It’s the director’s follow-up to her critically lauded Berlinale and Sarajevo player “Celts.”
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Sotnychenko’s second feature (pictured, top), which is produced by Valeria Sochyvets for Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema, won the Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award, a cash prize in the amount of €20,000 ($22,200).
Set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion, the film follows a contemporary artist with an alcohol problem who tries to find understanding with his loved ones. Caught up in a cycle of recurring events and circumstances, he turns to his past in order not to lose himself in the present. Sotnychenko won best director last year at Sarajevo for his first feature, Rotterdam prizewinner “La Palisiada.”
The Post Republic Award, in the CineLink Work in Progress section, went to Banu Sıvacı’s “Hear the Yellow,” produced by Yusuf Aslanyürek and Orkun Huylu for Anagraffilm, Huylu Film and Aslanyürek Film. The film, which will receive post-production services worth €30,000 ($33,400), follows a woman who returns to her Anatolian village in search of her missing cat, uncovering family secrets and reconnecting with her roots along the way.
The Turkish National Radio Television Award in the amount of €25,000 ($27,800) went to “Honey Bunny,” directed by Igor Jelinović and produced by Rea Rajčić and production companies Eclectica and Baš-Čelik. Pic centers on a woman’s secret effort to secure a coveted family property, leading to a fracture with her relationship with her sister when unspoken tensions come to a head.
The Female CineLink Award, a cash prize in the amount of €20,000 ($22,200) supported by the Slovenian Film Center and U.N. Women – Bosnia and Herzegovina, went to Keti Machaviarani’s “Lullaby,” produced by Anda Ionescu of View Master Films. The film follows a caregiver who’s threatened with the loss of her only source of income when she faces the death of the elderly man she cares for, questioning if she’ll be able to get through the challenge without betraying her values.
The CineLink Impact Award in the amount of €20,000 ($22,200) went to “Divia,” by director Dmytro Hreshko. A conceptual documentary about the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine’s environment and its consequences for society, the film is produced by Polina Herman and Glib Lukianets for Gogol Film and UP UA Studio.
In the CineLink Drama strand, the Croatian Audiovisual Center Drama Award went to Filip Jokanović’s “Pray for Us,” produced by Jon Gojani and Sara Stijović for Kot Productions, an award in the amount of €15,000 ($16,700). The horror series follows a priest who battles 10 biblical plagues in an isolated Bosnian village, racing against time to save his family and his sanity.
In the Docu Rought Cut Boutique section, the big winner was “In Hell With Ivo,” from director-producer Kristina Nikolovafor LunaClipse Media. A portrait of Bulgarian choreographer, visual artist and singer-songwriter Ivo Dimchev, the documentary feature scooped a trio of prizes, including the Avantpost Award offering €20,000 ($22,200) in post-production services.
Here’s a full rundown of the winners in Sarajevo:
CINELINK CO-PRODUCTION MARKET AWARDS
EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD
BIG WOMENDirector: Milica TomovićProducers: Dragana Jovović, Jelena RadenkovićProduction Companies: Non-Aligned Films, Big Time ProductionCountry: SerbiaAward in the amount of €20,000EURIMAGES SPECIAL CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD
TIMES NEW ROMANDirector: Philip SotnychenkoProducer: Valeria SochyvetsProduction Company: Contemporary Ukrainian CinemaCountries: Ukraine, LithuaniaAward in the amount of €20,000
FILM CENTER MONTENEGRO CINELINK AWARD
HYSTÉRADirector: Asimina ProedrouProducer: Maria KontogianniProduction Company: Wild at HeartCountries: Greece, Slovenia, FranceAward in the amount of €10,000
FILM CENTER SERBIA CINELINK AWARD
AIR IN A BOTTLEDirector: Aida BegićProducer: Snežana van HouwelingenProduction Companies: Film House Sarajevo, This and That ProductionsCountries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, SerbiaAward in the amount of €10,000
ARTEKINO INTERNATIONAL PRIZE
UPTIGHT ASSDirector: Matija GluščevićProducer: Čarna VučinićProduction Company: NakedCountry: SerbiaAward in the amount of €6,000
CINELINK DRAMA AWARDS
CROATIAN AUDIOVISUAL CENTER DRAMA AWARD
PRAY FOR USCreator: Filip JokanovićProducers: Jon Gojani, Sara StijovićProduction Company: Kot ProductionsCountries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, MontenegroAward in the amount of €15,000
TV DRAMA VISION PITCH AWARD
ANGELMAKERCreator: Cristina GroșanProducer: Anda IonescuProduction Company: Tangaj ProductionCountries: Romania, Czech Republic
CINELINK CO-PRODUCTION MARKET & CINELINK DRAMA
FEMALE VOICES CINELINK AWARD, SUPPORTED BY SLOVENIAN FILM CENTER AND UN WOMEN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
LULLABYDirector: Keti MachaviaraniProducer: Anda IonescuProduction Company: View Master FilmsCountries: Greece, GeorgiaAward in the amount of €20,000
CINELINK WORK IN PROGRESS
TURKISH NATIONAL RADIO TELEVISION AWARD
HONEY BUNNYDirector: Igor JelinovićProducer: Rea RajčićProduction Companies: Eclectica, Baš-ČelikCountries: Croatia, SerbiaAward in the amount of €25,000
POST REPUBLIC AWARD
HEAR THE YELLOWDirector: Banu SıvacıProducers: Yusuf Aslanyürek, Orkun HuyluProduction Companies: Anagraffilm, Huylu Film, Aslanyürek FilmCountry: TürkiyeAward in the amount of €30,000 in kind
CINELINK IMPACT AWARD
THINK-FILM IMPACT PRODUCTION
DIVIADirector: Dmytro HreshkoProducers: Polina Herman, Glib LukianetsProduction Companies: Gogol Film, UP UA StudioCountries: Poland, Ukraine, NetherlandsAward in the amount of €20,000 in kind
DOCU ROUGH CUT BOUTIQUE
HBO AWARD
IN HELL WITH IVODirector/Producer: Kristina NikolovaProduction Company: LunaClipse Media Countries: Bulgaria, USAAward in the amount of €2,000
CAT&DOCS AWARD
KARTLI Directors: Tamar Kalandadze, Julien PebrelProducer: Ketevan KipianiProduction Company: Sakdoc Film Countries: Georgia, FranceAward in the amount of €2,000DOK LEIPZIG PREVIEW AWARD
ELECTING MISS SANTADirector: Raisa RazmeritaProducer: Ion GnatiucProduction Company: HaiDOC ProductionsCountries: Republic of Moldova, RomaniaInvitation to present a project at DOK Leipzig 2024
AVANTPOST AWARD
IN HELL WITH IVODirector/Producer: Kristina NikolovaProduction Company: LunaClipse Media Countries: Bulgaria, U.S.Award in the amount of €20,000 in kind
MOVIES THAT MATTER AWARD
ELECTING MISS SANTADirector: Raisa RazmeritaProducer: Ion GnatiucProduction Company: HaiDOC Productions Countries: Republic of Moldova, RomaniaInvitation to present a project at Movies that Matter Festival
EAST SILVER CARAVAN AWARD
IN HELL WITH IVODirector/Producer: Kristina NikolovaProduction Company: LunaClipse Media Countries: Bulgaria, USAThe Institute of Documentary Film (IDF), in kind distribution service worth €3,500
The Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 16 – 23.
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