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PRIFEST 2018 Awards

Wajib and Men Don’t Cry win the 10th PriFest

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- The biggest Kosovar fiction-film event has wrapped its anniversary edition, crowning winners in eight different competition sections

Wajib and Men Don’t Cry win the 10th PriFest
Some of the winners of the 10th PriFest

The celebratory 10th Prishtina International Film Festival (PriFest), which ran from 17-22 July, ended on Saturday night with its awards ceremony.

The international jury for PriFest’s main competition, the European programme, comprising Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, Tina Hajon and Almir Djikoli, handed Palestinian director-screenwriter-producer Annemarie Jacir’s Wajib [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
the Best European Film Award, while Anchor and Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Marques-Marcet
film profile
]
 by Spaniard Carlos Marques-Marcet received the Special Jury Prize as well as the Media Jury Award.

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The winner of the Balkan film competition, also known as the “Honey and Blood” programme, was Alen Drljević’s debut feature, Men Don’t Cry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alen Drljević
film profile
]
, as decided by jury members Johannes NaberHayet Benkara and Izabel Igel. The jury bestowed the Best Director Award upon Bulgaria’s Stephan Komandarev for his film Directions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephan Komandarev
film profile
]
, which also received the FIPRESCI Jury Award. Kosovar actor Xhevdet Doda received the Best Actor Award for his performance in Gazmend Nela’s Rooftop Story, while Silma Mahmuti was crowned Best Actress for her role in The Witch Hunters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Raško Miljković. The International Achievement of a Kosovar Film/Actor Award went to acting duo Genc Salihu and Alban Ukaj for their performances in Blerta Zeqiri’s debut feature, The Marriage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Blerta Zeqiri
film profile
]
.

Finally, in the Documentary programme, Ayse Toprak’s Mr Gay Syria [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 received the Best Documentary Award. The end of the ceremony had a surprise in store for PriFest’s directors, Vjosa and Fatos Berisha, as they were unexpectedly presented with a "Golden Goddess" by the festival’s honorary guest, Vanessa Redgrave.

Here is the complete list of winners at the 10th Prishtina International Film Festival:

Best European Film
Wajib [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Annemarie Jacir (Palestine/France/Germany/Colombia/Norway/Denmark/Qatar/United Arab Emirates)

Special Jury Prize
Anchor and Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Marques-Marcet
film profile
]
- Carlos Marques-Marcet (Spain/United Kingdom)

Best Balkan Film
Men Don’t Cry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alen Drljević
film profile
]
- Alen Drljević (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia/Germany)

Best Director
Stephan Komandarev - Directions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephan Komandarev
film profile
]
(Bulgaria/Germany/Macedonia)

Best Actor Award
Xhevdet Doda - Rooftop Story (Kosovo)

Best Actress Award 
Silma Mahmuti - The Witch Hunters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(Serbia/Macedonia)

International Achievement of a Kosovar Film/Actor
Genc Salihu and Alban Ukaj (actors) - The Marriage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Blerta Zeqiri
film profile
]
 (Kosovo/Albania)

Best Documentary Award 
Mr Gay Syria [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Ayse Toprak (Turkey/France/Germany)

FIPRESCI Award – Best Balkan Film
Directions - Stephan Komandarev

Media Jury Award
Anchor and Hope - Carlos Marques-Marcet

Middle-length Award
Éclair - Marko Gjokovik (Macedonia)

Student Programme Award
Sun - Mjellma Istrefi (Kosovo/Italy)

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