At the closing ceremony of the 22nd edition of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF) in New York, the award for best feature film was awarded to the film “Paviljon”, directed by Dino Mustafić.
This recognition represents a significant international success for the film and its authors, confirming the strong presence of contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography on the international scene and opening the way for further festival and distribution affirmation of the work.
This year’s edition of the BHFF was held at the SVA Theater and brought together numerous prominent authors and artists, including Rade Šerbedžija, Aleksandar Hemon, Lidija Zelović, Bojan Stojčić, Aida Šehović, Biliana Grozdanova and Chris Leslie, as well as representatives of the film industry and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora.
The festival, founded in 2003, is the longest-running international event dedicated to Bosnian and Herzegovinian film abroad and one of the key platforms for the promotion of film authors and the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the United States. The film’s star, Rade Šerbedžija, also received a special award for his contribution to the art of Bosnian and Herzegovinian film. He also presented the film “Paviljon” in New York to the festival audience, according to the statement.
The film “Paviljon”, based on the script by Viktor Ivančić and Emir Imamović Pirket, is a black comedy about a group of residents of the “Paviljon” nursing home, who, after years of abuse and humiliation, decide to launch an armed rebellion. Armed with illegal means, they occupy the home, take the staff hostage and enter into conflict with the authorities.
The film “Paviljon” premiered at the opening of the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, and was co-produced by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
