Macedonian films win five awards at Sarajevo Film Festival

Macedonian cinema achieved significant success at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, with two films securing a total of five awards.

Kosara Mitic’s debut feature film, ‘17’, earned four honors: the Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality, the Cineuropa award, the UniCredit Audience Award, and the ‘Heart of Sarajevo’ for Best Actress, awarded to Eva Kostik. The jury, led by British actress Emily Watson, praised Kostik’s visceral performance in the drama, which follows a 17-year-old girl navigating trauma and isolation.

Director Dina Duma’s film, ‘Skateboarding is not for girls’, received the Special Award for Youth Perspectives. The jury recognized the film for its authentic portrayal of youth within marginalized communities and its exploration of themes such as female growth, freedom, and solidarity through the lives of two sisters in a Roma family.