The 12th edition of the Star Film Fest, an international film festival in Sisak, concluded this evening with the official announcement of the winners. Out of a total of 32 short films in the competition program — 10 animated, 8 documentaries, 8 experimental, and 6 fiction shorts — 24 were student films.
This year’s jury, consisting of film critic Bartol Babić Vukmir, actress Petra Kurtela, illustrator and animator Ana Despot (last year’s Star Film Fest award winner for Best Animated Film), and director Lucija Brkić (winner of the Mali Pečat Award for Best Short Film at ZagrebDox 2024), presented six “Star Awards” to the best films in the following categories: Best Fiction Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Experimental Film, Best Animated Film, along with one Special Mention and this year’s special prize — the Supernova Star awarded to the film that best portrays the festival’s theme: movement.
Due to the powerful dramatization of the director’s research endeavor, the Best Documentary Film Award went to “More tišine” by director Sara Gurdulić. Details from widely published newspaper articles gradually reveal a fascinating story about a lesser-known chapter of Croatian history, immersing us in a time when the exploration of outer space was viewed in a very different way than today.
In the fiction category, the jury was especially moved by a film whose maturity stems from the warmth of the author’s perspective on its lost protagonists. Within a cold setting, the characters we follow feel alive, and their relationship, however fleeting, seems to represent something more than mere coincidence. The Best Fiction Film Award was given to “Greek Apricots” by director Jan Krevatin.
The Best Experimental Film Award went to a work that stands out through its critical reflection on the process of its own creation. Using artificial intelligence to revive a time that is forever gone, the film simultaneously reminds us of the futility of such an attempt. The best experimental film at the 12th Star Film Fest is “Memories in Polaroids” by director Luka Duvančić.
This year’s special Supernova Starlet Award, for a film that innovatively explores the concept of movement, was awarded to a work in which the painful inertia of its characters collides with a journey they collectively experience as an even greater horror. The very first Supernova Starlet went to “The Doctor Comes” on Thursdays by director Jovana Anđelković.
In the animation competition, the jury decided to highlight a film that offers more with every rewatch. Despite the abundance of details in each frame, the complex web of relationships tying the characters together always remains clear, regardless of perspective. Colorful and lively, the Best Animated Film of the 12th Star Film Fest is “Balkonada” by author Iva Tokmakchieva.
The jury awarded a Special Mention to the animated film “Chronicity” by Aleta Rajič. The film was also recognized by the Star Film Fest audience, who awarded it the Stardust Award for the best film as voted by the public.
The Star Film Fest selection team, consisting of Martina Mladenović, Anja Kavić, and Iva Rosandić, presented the Special Star Award — for the best film chosen by the selectors — to the fiction film “Rats with Flowery Hats” by author Hannah Koselj Marušič. In their statement, they explained:
“Through a technically challenging, yet at the same time exceptionally thoughtful and carefully constructed approach, the author builds tension and an atmosphere that draws us into the inner world of the protagonist. With skillful play on genre, the film further deepens the experience and builds additional suspense. At a time when the fast pace of life often leaves little room for caring for oneself and others, this film reminds us of the importance of mental health, while promoting acceptance and understanding of differences as the foundation of human connection and compassion.”
The Star Film Fest Youth Jury, known as the Stardusters — composed of high school students from Sisak and Petrinja: Lucija Tuškanec, Karla Korečić, Maks Hajneman, Josipa Brandić, Ema Šebrek, and Lena Gramnjak — awarded the Golden Star Award for Best Student Film to the fiction film “Silenzio Stampa” by Jakov Benčić.
In their statement, the youth jury explained that “this film intrigued all of us as the perfect blend of something new and something old. Every component that makes up this film was crafted by the young director down to the finest detail, which allowed us, as young viewers, to experience it through our contemporary perspective, while at the same time feeling the charming, traditional glow this comedy brings.” The award also includes a cash prize as an incentive for further creation and production of new films.
