Dua, directed by Blerta Basholli, has won the Grand Prix at Luxembourg’s 19th CinEast Festival, leading an awards list that recognised films from across Central and Eastern Europe, according to FilmNewEurope.
The Kosovo, Switzerland and France production received the festival’s top award from an international jury chaired by Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi. The Special Jury Prize went to the Polish film Tell Me What You Feel, directed by Łukasz Ronduda, while Ivan Ostrochovský’s Only Beautiful Things to Look at, a Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary production, received a special mention.
Alongside Enyedi, the international jury included Bulgarian director Petar Valchanov, Macedonian director Georgi Unkovski, Italian-Luxembourgish director and producer Fabrizio Maltese, and Luxembourgish actress Jeanne Werner.
The press jury awarded its Critics’ Prize to Shame and Money, directed by Visar Morina. The film brings together Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia and Belgium as production countries. In the Young Talents Competition, Romanian director Alina Şerban won with her debut feature I Matter, a Romania, Germany and Belgium production.
Bulgarian films secured two audience awards. Kristina Nikolova’s documentary In Hell with Ivo won Best Long Film, while Georges Vanev’s Gadjé received the award for Best Short Fiction Film. Bulgaria was also this edition’s featured country, represented by seven feature films and several shorts.
The audience prize for Best Short Documentary went to Fragments of Resistance, a Georgia and Russia production directed by Levan Tskhovrebadze and Ani Kiladze. Veronika Hozjan’s Slovenian-Croatian film Fin People won Best Short Animated Film.
Beyond the competitions, CinEast presented more than 65 features and 60 short films across more than 120 cinema screenings. Its programme also included film debates, a large photography exhibition, special evenings and concerts at Melusina Club, Rotondes and Neimënster.
The festival’s industry programme included the 15th CinEast Pro coproduction meeting. Organised with Film Fund Luxembourg, professional associations and film institutes, the meeting gives professionals from Luxembourg and Central and Eastern Europe a place to present projects and develop collaborations.
Festival director Radek Lipka reported provisional attendance of more than 8,500 participants. That figure was still awaiting additions from the final two days, partner cinemas, school screenings and the online extension. FilmNewEurope reported that attendance appeared likely to exceed 11,000 for the third time in the festival’s history, although the final total remained unconfirmed.