‘How to Have Sex’ is the Winner of the 21st ZFF
11. November
On Saturday, November 11, in SC Gallery, awards were given out for best short films and feature films of this year’s Zagreb Film Festival.
The jury for feature films, made up from producer Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, actress and producer Labina Mitevska, and director Sebastian Meise, whose film Great Freedom won the Golden Pram in 2021, awarded the Golden Pram for best feature film to the film How to Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker. The jury explained its decision:
“A film that deeply disturbed us and triggered discussions that showed us once again how we are still stuck in different perspectives. Where are the gray zones of what is expected of us? How specific do we have to be in order to be understood by others? With an independent cinematic vision, a great cast and intimate direction, this film reveals layer by layer how fragile our coexistence is. The Golden Pram for best feature film goes to How to Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker.”
Director of the VIS Vienna Shorts Daniel Hadenius-Ebner, double ZFF’s laureate – Slovenian director Matjaž Ivanišin, and Josip Lukić, co-director of last year’s Checkers winner, decided on the best film of the international short film program and the national program Checkers. The Golden Pram for best international short film goes to Portuguese director Daniel Soares for the film Please Make it Work. The jury concluded:
“The main prize for the best international short film goes to a minimalist, smart and incredibly well-executed film that made a lasting impression on the jury. As an audience, we are placed in the position of observers who witness an amusing sequence of scenes in the Swiss mountains – and at the same time a steep and cold class divide. We empathize with the main character and follow her from a comfortable distance without ever taking our eyes off her. Our heartfelt congratulations go to the Portuguese director Daniel Soares and his team for the astounding film Please Make It Work.”
Special mention in the international short film competition goes to the film Tits by Eivind Landsvik.
“Our Special Mention in the international short film competition goes to a film that captures growing up in an unconventional and warm-hearted way. Adapted to the age of its protagonists, the film culminates in a meeting of two characters who could not be more different – and yet experience a summery, romantic moment together. We congratulate the talented Norwegian director Eivind Landsvik with an honorable mention for his film Tits.”
The Golden Pram in Checkers, the competition program for Croatian short film, goes to the Short Cut Grass by David Gašo.
“A film which managed to set itself apart with a thought-out directorial concept which was deftly executed. We also wanted to point out this film as an example of cooperation between all the students at the Academy of Dramatic Arts who were in charge of the technical part of the film where the director used his persistence to get the best out of his young and talented colleagues, and showed in the best possible way how film work is teamwork. The jury hopes that this award will serve as an encouragement to the director to test his boundaries in even more radical and eclectic ways and not to stay dedicated to exclusively one idea which he mastered perfectly with this film. The main award goes to the film Short Cut Grass by David Gašo.”
Special mention in the national short film program goes to Under the Rug by Paško Vukasović.
“To the guardian spirit of this year’s Checkers, but some past editions as well, to the man whose excellent acting helped many young directors make their first steps in filmmaking, and also win their first awards right in the Checkers program. In his directorial debut, he builds a convincing world and makes us viewers empathize with the protagonists. Although not without flaws, the film has disarmed us with its sincerity and the jury has decided to award the special mention to Paško Vukasović for the film Under the Rug.”
The Golden Bicycle, which is awarded to the best achievement in the program Together Again, went to Teacher’s Lounge by Ilker Çatak. The jury’s members Stanko Heceg, Višnja Skorin and Josip Žuvan, explained their decision in these words:
“An intense film which takes the viewer through numerous moral quandaries, not leaving him with only one solution. Precisely directed, with an artfully thought-out photography which perfectly complements the editing of a continually pulsing tension. It leaves a deep impression because it forces the viewer to think about justice and punishment. The author has the sensibility to humanely look at both sides, erasing the lines between winners and losers, because in today’s world we are all a bit of both. The Golden Bicycle goes to the film Teachers’ Lounge by director Ilker Çatak.”
The best film in the KinoKino program was announced by the members of the children’s jury: Josip Zovko, Lana Markuš, Matko Pranjić, Ilija Vujić i Bruna Mikac. The award goes to the film Full of Grace by Roberto Bueso. The jury said the following:
“After a lot of thought and long consideration, we have decided on the best film. We liked this film because of its great screenwriting creativity, fun topic and plot, as well as very good actors. This film brings a true story which entertained us, made us laugh, and touched us at the same time. Although all the other films we watched were excellent, we give the Best Film Award to the film Full of Grace by Roberto Bueso.”
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