Chinese documentarian Yang Zhang’s visually impressive Up the Mountain has received the Big Stamp in the International Competition of the 15^th-anniversary edition of the ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival, which ran from 24 February-4 March; meanwhile, Valentina Primavera’s debut feature, Una Primavera [+lee también:
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The international jury, comprising Croatian writer-director Nebojša Slijepčević, Danish film critic and advisor Tue Steen Müller and acclaimed Serbian director Želimir Žilnik, handed the main prize to Up the Mountain, which follows the impact of an artist’s drawing lessons on a local community residing in a remote Chinese mountain village. The two Special Mentions of the jury were presented to the Oscar-nominated American documentary Minding the Gap by Bing Liu and the political-historical documentary My Unknown Soldier [+lee también:
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In the Regional Competition, the Big Stamp went to debutant Italian director Primavera for her film Una Primavera. The regional jury, consisting of Bosnian director Nedžad Begović, Sheffield Doc/Fest acting director Melanie Iredale, and Croatian TV reporter, director and Motovun Film Festival director Igor Mirković, stated: “The winning film is a very personal insight into domestic abuse, and a great example of a filmmaker turning their camera on their own dysfunctional family to produce a work so intimate and warm whilst also making a bigger statement about the systemic issue of patriarchal violence and coercion.” The film follows the director’s 60-year-old mother, who makes the bold decision to start her life over again after 40 years of marriage. The Visions du Réel- and Beldocs-awarded Serbian documentary 4 Years in 10 Minutes [+lee también:
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The Little Stamp for Best Film by an Author Under 35 Years of Age went to Still Recording [+lee también:
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The Special Mentions in the Movies That Matter competition, judged by political scientist and activist Sara Kekuš, Georgian director Rati Oneli and Animateka Ljubljana director Igor Prassel, went to Gabrielle Brady's Island of the Hungry Ghosts [+lee también:
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The FIPRESCI Award was bestowed upon the Italian film Stories of the Half-Light [+lee también:
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The My Generation Award, given out each year by ZagrebDox director Nenad Puhovski to a film by an auteur from his generation, went to To Be Continued [+lee también:
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Finally, the Audience Award went to the Croatian observational documentary Neighbors [+lee también:
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Here is the complete list of winners at the 15^th ZagrebDox International Documentary Festival:

International Competition

Big Stamp
Up the Mountain - Yang Zhang (China)

Special Mentions
Minding the Gap - Bing Liu (USA)
My Unknown Soldier [+lee también:
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Regional Competition

Big Stamp
Una Primavera [+lee también:
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Special Mentions
4 Years in 10 Minutes [+lee también:
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In the Name of the Republic of Croatia - Goran Dević (Croatia)

Young Jury

Little Stamp
Still Recording [+lee también:
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Special Mentions
Easy Lessons [+lee también:
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Taurunum Boy [+lee también:
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Movies That Matter Award
Easy Lessons - Dorrotya Zurbó

Special Mentions
Island of the Hungry Ghosts [+lee también:
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On Her Shoulders - Alexandria Bombach (USA)

FIPRESCI Award
Stories of the Half-Light [+lee también:
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Teen Dox Award
Science Fair - Cristina Constantini, Darren Foster (USA)

My Generation Award
To Be Continued [+lee también:
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Honorary Stamps
Tue Steen Müller
Hrvoje Hribar

Audience Award
Neighbors [+lee también:
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