Neum Underwater Film Festival, which took place this year for the second time in the only BiH city by the sea gathered numerous guests at the event where 26 underwater films from various parts of the world competed for the title of the best.
The festival, which is different from existing film festivals, hosted students, amateurs and professionals in underwater filming, as well as last year’s winner in the Best Underwater Film category, Gareth Bartlett, and this year’s authors from around the world.
That this is a significant event is confirmed by the fact that the Municipality of Neum is the sponsor of the Festival, which it has supported from the very beginning with its human and material capacities.
During the festival, 26 finalist films from the United States, Belgium, France, Italy, Brazil, and Great Britain were shown.
The unique films of the underwater world showed, in addition to the beauty and richness of the underwater world through various scenarios of artists and amateurs, and interesting ecological underwater stories, as well as love and passion for the sea, rivers, lakes, diving and research, but also for the health of both people and the inhabitants of the underwater world.
In addition to the audience, all films were followed with great attention by the international jury consisting of Nikša Kaleb from Croatia, Mike Frankel from Arizona, Yaakov Rubinsten from Israel, Tomislav Franjo Šušak from Croatia, Jurgen H. Gangoly from Austria, Ante Žono from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vinko Ćemeraš from Croatia and Tamara Bekčić from Serbia and chose the best of the 26 films shown.
Thus, the winner of the international underwater film festival in Neum is “Tiger Shark King” directed by Clayton Conn from the USA. The award for the best underwater Eco film was won by “Water under water vision” directed by Lorenzo Moschi from Italy.
The best underwater film camera was declared for “Reef reflection” directed by Blane Henderson from the USA, while “Like a bride” directed by Francesco Cabras from Italy was declared the best original music of Neum Underwater Film Festival 2022.
Festival director Ivo Mikulić said that with the end of this year’s festival, he is immediately starting preparations for next year, expanding the team of people, because he intends to become a tradition of Neum.
“I am satisfied with the interest of authors from our country and abroad, as well as members of the jury and Neum volunteers, the audience, but also the screenings themselves, as well as the interest of the participants to become the authors of underwater films themselves, which, among other things, is the goal of the Neum International Underwater Film Festival,” he said.
According to him, by meeting domestic authors and authors from abroad, knowledge and experiences were exchanged, and they also became familiar with the important segment of promotion, which makes progress related to an even greater number of quality underwater films, Klix.ba writes.
