The jury of the 20 Mediterranean Film Festival, that was taking place in Široki Brijeg from August 21 to 24, unanimously decided that the Grand Prix of the festival in the category of feature documentary film goes to the film ‘To the Four Winds’, directed by Michel Toesca from France.

The film ‘God’s Acre’, directed by Pablo Adiego Almudevar from Spain won the award for the Best short film at MFF, while the audience selected the film ‘Cherry Days’ directed by Mohamad and Ahmad Mals from Syria to be the best film by their choice.

The jury composed of Alejandro Diaz Castanno, Alen Drljević and Dževdet TuzlićIn in their explanation said that the film ‘To the Four Winds’ deals with a current and universal subject.    

„It promotes genuine human values in a fascinating way through authentic film language and authorial approach“, they said in the decision.

The jury also awarded two special mentions - to the Israeli film 'Family in Transition' directed by Ofir Trainin and to the film ‘iIsland’, directed by Miha Čelar, a Slovenian-Croatian-Italian coproduction.

In their explanation the jury stated that the Israeli film is a very intimate film about pushing boundaries and breaking traditional moral norms, without pretending to moralize and condemn, while ‘iIsland’ tells the story of people at the margins of the geographical and political life of the wider community, and their struggle to preserve the primordial natural values of the space in which they live.

The jury for the short documentary competition composed of Vera Robić Škarica, Sara Fgair and Marijana Mikulić decided that the MFF Best Short award of the festival goes to the film ‘God’s Acre’, directed by Pablo Adiego Almudevar from Spain. As they said in their explanation it is a great documentary story about a life circle.

“It seemed the most beautiful to us as a whole, within which, a myriad of great details indicate that a family lived in the house whose presence the main character respects” the jury said and they also awarded two special mentions.

The film ‘Footstep’ directed by Haydar Demirtas won the first special mention for which the jury said On the one hand, it tells the story of a man who has decided to sacrifice his life in some way and to help his people. And through his story we discover the hypocrisy of the world's great powers.

Second special mention also went to the film ‘My Father’s Son’ – directed by Hillel Rate from Israel. This is a story of the attachment of a father and a son with the evident domination of the father, until the moment when the son realizes that he has the desire and right to his own path.

The Audience award went to the film ‘Cherry Days’. Receiving the award Malas brothers said that it is a great honour for them to get this award from the audience in Široki Brijeg.

 “Thank you for the award and this beautiful festival”, they said.

The HT Eronet Award, which is given to the festival visitors who voted for the best film, was won by Danijel Lukić. The short documentary film ‘Usput’ and short fiction film ‘Dvica’ created at the film workshop were screened at the closing ceremony.

Tomislav Topić, Festival Director, closing the 20th edition of the festival, thanked everyone who supported this festival both this and the previous years.

''The festival is entering the third decade. We will continue the path we have drawn in, '' Topic said.

Twenty films in the competition were screened at the 20 Mediterranean Film Festival that was held in Široki Brijeg from August 21 to 24. At the festival 45 films were screened in eight programmes, with several world and festival premiers. After the awards ceremony 20 MFF was closed by the screening of the film ‘Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood”, directed by Quentin Tarantino.

General sponsor of the Mediterranean Film Festival is HT Eronet, and the festival was also supported by the US Embassy in B&H and the Office of the EU Special Representative in B&H.