The Heart of Sarajevo Awards ceremony of the 31st edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, was held in Sarajevo. The jury that decided on the best fiction film was composed of: director and screenwriter Sergei Loznitsa, actor Dragan Mićanović, director, screenwriter and actor Emanuel Pârvu, director and screenwriter Ena Sendijarević, and the director responsible for the creative management of the festival in Berlin, Tricia Tuttle. The Heart of Sarajevo for best film went to Restart’s minority co-production, the hybrid film “Wind, Talk to Me” by director and screenwriter Stefan Đorđević. The jury explained it in these words: “The filmmaker behind our Best Film takes a formally bold and inquisitive approach to his very personal subject, working with his collaborators to combine elements of fiction and documentary into a film of beguiling melancholy and delicate beauty”. Also, the Docu Rough Cut Boutique industry program featured the feature documentary project “Cordon” by director and screenwriter Anton Mezulić. “Cordon” won two awards: the HBO Award worth 2,000 euros and the East Silver Caravan Distribution Award, worth 3,500 euros. The HBO Award was presented to the project by producer Tereza Bóna Keilová with the following explanation: “The protagonist of the film faces great challenge. He doesn’t just imagine a divided world – he lives in one. Thanks to the filmmakers’ intimate access, we are able to experience this reality with him. We feel his uncertainty, his courage, and his inner struggle. And we begin to understand how difficult it is to reconcile with a reality that forces you to choose between loyalty and freedom. We are awarding the HBO Award to Cordon for its sensitivity, authenticity, and the closeness with which it allows us to feel the protagonist”. The East Silver Caravan award was presented by Nora Särak, East Doc coordinator, with the following argument: „The Institute of Documentary Film’s East Silver Caravan Award goes to a project that demonstrates both artistic vision and great sensitivity in exploring a deeply complex theme. It is a moving coming-of-age story, and also a father-and-son story, about a young man’s search for his own path, showing how history continues to shape personal struggles”.
