The documentary film 'Sisters' directed by Zdenko Jurilj was given a special mention by the jury at Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival BHFF in New York, which had its 16th edition this year.

It is emphasised at the festival that: “The BHFF 2019 Jury Special Mention went to Zdenko Jurilj’s 'Sisters',  a visually striking documentary that recounts a harrowing ordeal that two teenage sisters went through decades ago when they found themselves stuck in a snow-covered canyon for eight days. Through evocative reenactments and the sisters’ own vivid narration, the film viscerally depicts their miraculous struggle to survive and their will to live”.

The reasons for this acknowledgment as the BHFF 2019 Jury stated were:  “Zdenko Jurij’s documentary film ‘Sisters’ delivers an atmospheric setting that acts as an anaesthetic for psychological and physical traumas the two women endured. The film’s cinematography contributes significantly to its poetic take on courage, endurance and success”.

 Total of 13 films was screened at this year’s Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival, held from April 10 to 13 in New York. Besides ‘Sisters’ the awarded films were ‘Nomophobia’ directed by Ado Hasanović as the best short film, Bojan Bodruzić’s ‘The Museum of Forgotten Triumphs’ as the best documentary film. Bobo Jelčić’s film ‘All Alone’ won two awards,

Golden Apple Jury Award for Best Feature Film and Rakan Rushaidat won the Jury Award for Best Acting Performance for his role as Marko in ‘All Alone’. The Audience award went to the film ‘Chaotic Life of Nada Kadić’, directed by Marta Hernaiz Pidal.

The winners of the BHFF 2019 Golden Apple Jury Awards were selected by this year's esteemed jurors: renowned filmmaker Ademir Kenović, cinematographer Tatjana Krstevski, and visual culture scholar Aleksandar Bošković.

The film ‘Sisters’ made in ‘Kadar’ production from Široki Brijeg depicts the destiny of sisters Šima and Draženka Čuljak, who fell into a deep pit on a cold snowy morning of January 6, when 1985 Herzegovina was struck by unusually severe winter, on their way to take the bus from Bogodol village, 20 km away from Mostar. They stayed there for seven nights and eight days at the temperature below minus 20° with no food or water.

The film had its premiere screening at Sarajevo Film Festival, while its Herzegovinian premiere was at the 19th Mediterranean Film Festival in Široki Brijeg.