In the same section, Goran Stanković was awarded best director for Our Father, a coproduction between Serbia, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Polish production People & Things by Damian Kosowski won the Short Film Competition, while the Slovak/Czech Promise, I’ll Be Fine by Katarína Gramatová won the U18 Youth Film Competition, as well as the prize for best debut.
With 138 films from 41 countries, one of the most important festivals dedicated to Central and Eastern European cinema once again presented exceptional filmmaking, social relevance, and exciting new discoveries.
The industry part of the festival, coco - connecting cottbus east-west co-production market, was held 5 – 7 November 2025.
“We’ve had a fantastic festival week with a wonderfully diverse film selection, inspiring conversations, lively discussions, well-filled cinemas, and a warm, vibrant festival atmosphere. By the end of the 35th edition, around 17,500 visitors will have attended the screenings and events of this year’s FilmFestival Cottbus”, Managing Director Andreas Stein said in a statement.
PRIZE WINNERS:
Feature Film Competition:
Main Prize for Best Feature Film:
Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day / Lijep avečer, lijep dan (Croatia, Canada, Poland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Directed by Ivona Juka
Produced by 4film
Coproduced by Quiet Revolution, ORKA, Caretta Films, DEPO Production
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the Adris Foundation, Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Creates programme, the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth through its Cinema Advisory Committee, and Sarajevo and Tuzla Canton Film Funds
Special Prize for Best Director:
Goran Stanković for Our Father / Oče naš (Serbia, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Produced by This and That Productions
Coproduced by Nightswim, PomPom Film, Dream Factory, Kino, Novi Film, Cineplanet
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Culture of Italy, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Centre of Montenegro, the North Macedonia Film Agency, Film Fund Sarajevo, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the RE-ACT Fund
Award for an Outstanding Individual Performance:
Emir Hadžihafizbegović in Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day / Lijep avečer, lijep dan (Croatia, Canada, Poland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Directed by Ivona Juka
Short Film Competition:
Main Prize:
People & Things / Ludzie i rzeczy (Poland)
Directed by Damian Kosowski
Special Prize:
Love Is in the Air / Dragostea e in aer (Romania)
Directed by Claudiu Mitcu
U18 Youth Film Competition:
Main Prize:
Promise, I’ll Be Fine / Nahoře nebe, v dolině já (Slovakia, Czech Republic)
Directed by Katarína Gramatová
Produced by Dryeye Film
Coproduced by Nochi Film, RTVS
Supported by the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Košice Region / Terra Incognita
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DIALOGUE Award for Intercultural Understanding:
How Come It’s All Green Out There? / Kako je ovde tako zeleno? (Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria)
Directed by Nikola Ležaić
Produced by Qče
Coproduced by Nukleus Film, PremierStudio, Forgrade Studio
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Bulgarian National Film Center
Prize for Best Debut:
Promise, I’ll Be Fine / Nahoře nebe, v dolině já (Slovakia, Czech Republic)
Directed by Katarína Gramatová
FIPRESCI Award:
Wrooklyn Zoo (Poland)
Directed by Krzysztof Skonieczcny
Produced by głęboki OFF, ZQ Entertainment, R.U. Robot Studios
Coproduced by Canal+ Polska, Juice, Dolnośląskie Centrum Filmowe
Supported by the Polish Film Institute, the Lower Silesian Film Fund
Award of the Ecumenical Jury:
Mayflies / Pipas (Hungary)
Directed by Emília Goldberg
Produced by KMH Film
Honorable Mention by the Ecumenical Jury:
Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song / Ida, ki je pela tako grdo, da so še mrtvi vstali od mrtvih in zapeli z njo (Slovenia, Croatia)
Directed by Ester Ivakič
Produced by Temporama
Coproduced by RTV Slovenija, Gustav Film, Film Factory, Dinaridi Film
Supported by the Slovenian Film Centre, with technical support provided by FS Viba
Audience Award:
Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day / Lijep avečer, lijep dan (Croatia, Canada, Poland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Directed by Ivona Juka
MIOB in Shorts Award:
Land der Berge (Austria, Germany)
Directed by Olga Kosanović
PICKASTORY – Audience Logline Award:
Branko Tomović
Promotional Award of the Foundation for the Sorbian People:
Roman Pernack
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