The twelfth edition of Bašta Fest, the international short film festival in Bajina Bašta, closed on Sunday, October 26, at the “Vlaja” Cinema of the “Culture” Institution with the awards for the best film and acting achievements and the screening of the film “78 Days” by director Emilija Gašić.

Actress Tamara Dragičević, a member of the festival’s main jury, addressed the audience with the words: “I have trepidation and responsibility in front of this youth, beauty and talent. Thank you and I am overjoyed. The dilemma of whether we should prove that we can, despite the political situation and what they are trying to extinguish and destroy us, does not exist. We should start from our backyard and show them that we are strong. That art will live forever, an it will never be defeated and extinguished.”

The “Golden Imagination” award for the best film went to “Our Room” directed by Jaume Claret Mouxart. “This film in a unique way embodies the idea of ​​the festival, start from your own backyard, showing that one’s own room is both an intimate space and a space of the world. In closed spaces, we see different types of care and tenderness that together build a story about inner freedom. Intertwining narrative subtlety and sensuality, this film, in which little happens and a lot is felt, opens up the possibility for reflection, away from the noise,” the jury explained.

The “Golden Interpretation” award for the best male role was awarded to actor Goran Bogdan for his role in the film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” directed by Nebojsa Slijepčević. According to the jury, Bogdan “masterfully built the character from the inside, relying on the look, breathing and inner tension that becomes the center of the film”. The jury also stated that “his play becomes a testimony of the silence that speaks the loudest”.

The “Golden Interpretation” for the best female role was awarded to actress Marylou Cabane for her role in the film “Clamour”. In its explanation, the jury stated, among other things: “The wonderful wildness that bursts from every scene, skilfully mixed with fragility and deep emotionality is what makes the award-winning performance unique. The young actress boldly and easily channels the energy and poise of the character in a way that her more experienced colleagues would envy.”

The jury pointed out that in this year’s competition the dominance of female characters was so strong and superior, and that is why they awarded two special awards “for strong, emotional and courageous performances delivered with sovereignty by young actresses”. One is Anđelka Petrović for the character of Ema in the film “The Smell of Fresh Paint” directed by Nađa Petrović, and the second special award goes to Dana Poletan for the character of Nina in the film “Bullet in the Gun” by Karmen Obrdalj.

Special award goes to “My mother is a cow” directed by Moara Passoni. “Through the form of a meditative western, the author creates a powerful metaphor of the human struggle against the cruelty that surrounds us – when security replaces cruelty, in a world that is on fire, where life and death are constantly intertwined, the film shows that even when every rebellion seems futile, there is a glimmer of hope. Hope in human nature to resist even when it seems that the jaguars are winning,” said the jury.

The main jury of the festival consisted of actress Tamara Dragičević, director Andrija Mardešić and producer Jelena Mišeljić.

The regional award “Golden visualization” for the best camera went to Tin Ostrošić for his work on the film “Yogurt, juice, cigarettes” by Josip Lukić. Director of Photography Marko Cile Mladenović decided on the award given in cooperation with Cineplanet rental.

The youth jury made up of high school students from Bajina Bašta, which this year consisted of: Ivana Lukić, Pavle Živanović, Katarina Purković, Jovana Đurić and Anđela Živanović, awarded its prize to the film “Wounded” by Miloš Živanović, while a special award was given to actress Ivana Vuković for her role in the film “Morocco” by director Staša Bajac.  The mentor and collaborator of the Youth Jury was the director Mina Đukić.

The Bašta Pitch jury, consisting of: Mina Đukić, Zoran Galić, and Maja Šuša, declared “Sisters” by director Sara Ećimović and producer Marija Đokić as the best project, “for a deeply moving and intimate pitch, which directly conveys to us on the spot the poignancy and importance of the topic the author chose to deal with and conveys the idea that some wounds can perhaps only be healed through film”.

The twelfth Bašta Fest ended with the screening of the film “78 days” directed by Emilija Gašić, which closed the festival. Bašta Fest thus continued the tradition of dedicating the closing of the show program to the achievement that, in the opinion of the festival team, marked the previous year.

During the three festival days, a total of 27 short fiction films from 17 countries were shown in the competition program of the festival.