23/07/2019 - Dana Budisavljević's docu-fiction scooped four Golden Arenas and the Audience Award, while Predrag Ličina's The Last Serb in Croatia bagged five trophies

The 66th edition of the Pula Film Festival (13-21 July) saw only seven films in competition, and only three of these were world premieres, so it is hardly surprising that five movies picked up multiple trophies during the awards ceremony, held, as per tradition, on Saturday evening in the Arena. The winner of the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film, Dana Budisavljević's The Diary of Diana B. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dana Budisavljević
film profile], also reaped prizes for its director, editor Marko Ferković, and music composers Alen and Nenad Sinkauz. Additionally, it won the Golden Door (the Audience Award) and the Award of the FEDEORA Jury in the national competition.

The biggest number of Arenas, however, went to Predrag Ličina's zombie satire The Last Serb in Croatia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Hristina Popović was awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role, whereas Jana Piacun and Selena Orb won the Awards for Best Set Design and Best Costume Design, respectively. Svetlana Gutić and Miroslav Lakobrija were honoured for Best Make-up, while Ličina himself won the Breza Award for Best Debut Director.

The favourite title in certain political circles in Croatia, Antun Vrdoljak's epic war biopic General, ended the night with only three awards, two of them for actors in supporting roles, Olga Pakalović and Borko Perić, while Zvonimir Krivec got his for special effects. Vinko Brešan's political satire What a Country! [+see also:
trailer
film profile] won two major Arenas: Krešimir Mikić for Best Leading Male Role and Mate Matišić for Best Screenplay. The last movie that took home multiple awards was My Grandpa Is an Alien [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marina Andree Škop and Draž…
film profile] by Marina Andree Škop and Dražen Žarković, pocketing two Arenas for Best Cinematography (Sven Pepeonik) and Best Visual Effects.

In the minority co-production competition, the winner was Rafaël [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ben Sombogaart, while Teona Strugar-Mitevska was crowned Best Director for God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Labina Mitevska
interview: Teona Strugar Mitevska
film profile] and Judita Franković Brdar was awarded for her role in Miha Mazzini's Erased [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: GoCritic! Interview: Miha M…
film profile]. The actress also won the FEDEORA Special Mention.

Here is the complete list of award winners:

Croatian Film Competition

Grand Golden Arena
The Diary of Diana B. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dana Budisavljević
film profile] - Dana Budisavljević (Croatia/Slovenia/Serbia)

Golden Arena for Best Director
Dana Budisavljević - The Diary of Diana B.

Golden Arena for Best Screenplay
Mate Matišić - What a Country! [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Croatia/Serbia/Poland)

Golden Arena for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Hristina Popović - The Last Serb in Croatia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Croatia/Serbia)

Golden Arena for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Olga Pakalović – General (Croatia)

Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Krešimir Mikić - What a Country!

Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Borko Perić - General

Golden Arena for Best Cinematography
Sven Pepeonik - My Grandpa Is an Alien [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marina Andree Škop and Draž…
film profile] (Croatia/Luxembourg/Norway/Czech Republic/Slovakia/Slovenia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Golden Arena for Best Editing
Marko Ferković - The Diary of Diana B.

Golden Arena for Best Music
Alen and Nenad Sinkauz - The Diary of Diana B.

Golden Arena for Best Set Design
Jana Piacun - The Last Serb in Croatia

Golden Arena for Best Costume Design
Selena Orb - The Last Serb in Croatia

Golden Arena for Best Special Effects
Zvonimir Krivec - General

Golden Arena for Best Visual Effects
Krsto Jaram, Michal Struss, Antonio Ilic, Goran Stojnić, MagicLab and Hommage - My Grandpa Is an Alien

Golden Arena for Best Make-up
Svetlana Gutić and Miroslav Lakobrija - The Last Serb in Croatia

Golden Arena for Best Sound Design
Dario Domitrović - F20 (Croatia)

Breza Award for Best Debut Director
Predrag Ličina - The Last Serb in Croatia

Minority Co-production Competition

Golden Arena for Best Film
Rafaël [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ben Sombogaart (Netherlands/Belgium/Croatia)

Golden Arena for Best Director
Teona Strugar Mitevska - God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Labina Mitevska
interview: Teona Strugar Mitevska
film profile] (North Macedonia/Belgium/France/Croatia/Slovenia)

Golden Arena for Best Role
Judita Franković Brdar - Erased [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: GoCritic! Interview: Miha M…
film profile] (Slovenia/Croatia/Serbia)

Other awards

Golden Door of Pula - Audience Award
The Diary of Diana B. - Dana Budisavljević

FEDEORA Award - Croatian Film Competition
The Diary of Diana D. - Dana Budisavljević

FEDEORA Award - Croatian Minority Co-production
Stitches [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miroslav Terzić
film profile] - Miroslav Terzić (Serbia/Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

FEDEORA Special Mention
Judita Franković Brdar – Erased