Una Gunjak received the Golden Mimosa for Best Director for Excursion / Ekskurzija. The film she also directed is a coproduction between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Norway, and France. Asja Zara Lagumdžija was also awarded Best Actress in Excursion.
A Special Jury Award went to actor Jovan Ginić for his performance in Lost Country (France, Serbia, Luxembourg, Croatia) directed by Vladimir Perišić.
Nine titles were selected for the Feature Film Competition and 25 titles for the Documentary Film Competition. The festival also organised a competition for student films.
The festival also included the KINO Evropa section, as well as the programme of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region, the regional festival founded in 2021 and including the Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Auteur Film Festival (Serbia), the Montenegro Film Festival (Montenegro), the Ljubljana International Film Festival (Slovenia) and the Zagreb Film Festival (Croatia).
Herceg Novi - Montenegro Film Festival was held 22 – 28 August 2023 under the slogan "All the colours of the film".
WINNERS:
Golden Mimosa Grand Prix:
Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto (Croatia, Slovenia)
Directed by Juraj Lerotić
Produced by Pipser
Coproduced by Zelena traka, December
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Slovenian Film Centre
Golden Mimosa for Best Director:
Juraj Lerotić for Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto (Croatia, Slovenia)
Golden Mimosa for Best Screenplay:
Una Gunjak for Excursion / Ekskurzija (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Norway, France)
Directed by Una Gunjak
Produced by SCCA/pro.ba
Coproduced by Baš Čelik, Nukleus Film, Mer Film, Salaud Morisset
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Canton Sarajevo, Film Fund Sarajevo, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Sorfond, Film Center Serbia, Hubert Bals Fund, Eurimages
Golden Mimosa for Best Actress:
Asja Zara Lagumdžija in Excursion / Ekskurzija (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Norway, France)
Directed by Una Gunjak
Golden Mimosa for Best Actor:
Goran Marković and Juraj Lerotić in Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto (Croatia, Slovenia)
Jury Special Award:
Actor Jovan Ginić in Lost Country (France, Serbia, Luxembourg, Croatia)
Directed by Vladimir Perišić
Produced by Easy Riders Films, Trilema, KinoElektron
Coproduced by Red Lion, Kinorama
Supported by Film Center Serbia, CNC, Arte France Cinema, the Luxembourg Film Fund, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
"Zoran Živković" Plaque for Best Film:
Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto (Croatia, Slovenia)
Directed by Juraj Lerotić
"Živko Nikolić" Award for Special Contribution to Film Expression:
Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević for Have You Seen This Woman? / Da li ste videli ovu ženu? (Serbia, Croatia)
Directed by Dušan Zorić, Matija Gluscevic
Produced by Non-Aligned Films
Coproduced by the Radio and Television of Serbia, the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Dinaridi Film
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
Golden Mimosa for Best Documentary:
Dipped in Black (Australia)
Directed by Mathew Thorne, Derik Lynch
Documentary Special Mention:
Percents of Life / Percenti života (Serbia)
Directed by Vladimir Perović
Produced by Cinnamon Films
Golden Mimosa for Best Student Film:
Guguto Memeto (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Directed by Branislav Stošić
Produced by the Academy of Arts of the University of Banja Luka
Jury Special Awards for a Student Film:
Ilija Zeković for the screenplay of The Dog Who Peed Out of Happiness
Produced by FDU Cetinje, Montenegro
Amar Komić for directing the films Mlada and Where Do the Lost Cats Go?
Produced by ASU Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
FEDEORA Award (Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean) for Best Film:
Safe Place / Sigurno mjesto (Croatia, Slovenia)
Directed by Juraj Lerotić
FEDEORA Special Mention:
Kaymak (North Macedonia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Croatia)
Directed by Milcho Manchevski
Produced by Banana Film
Coproduced by Meta Film, N279 Entertainment, Nukleus film, the Macedonian Radio Television
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Danish Film Institute, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, Eurimages, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre
"Milan Žmukić" Award for Special Contribution to the Affirmation of the Festival:
Jelisaveta Seka Sablić
