Zlatibor (Serbia) was the seat – from June 28 to July 2 – of the “8th Zlatibor International FICTS Festival”  organized in the framework of the “World FICTS Challenge” World Championship of Cinema, Television, Communication and Sport Culture. The festival main topic was the basket and in particular as, during the Festival, the basketball great team of former Yugoslavia, led by legendary coach Ranko Zeravica, that exactly 49 years ago, opened the new era of national basketball history. 51 films from 22 countries participated in the contest.

The winners, that will compete in the Final “Sport Movies & Tv 2019” in Milano (October 25-30), have been chose by the Jury chaired by Mr Vladimir Stankovic and composed by Mr Nikolay Porohovnik (Russia) and Dusan Vrakela (Serbia).

The awards went to:

  • The award for the best film about high moral values ​​in sports is awarded to the  realization of “Open eyes” by Serbian author Marko Novakovic. A great story about the  visually impaired marathon layer, Goran Nikolić, who runs 77 marathons in 77 days tomorrow, in Chicago, This story’s strong message of will, persistence and high morale is an inspiring example for all disabled people who can find full compensation in their respective sports activities.
  • The award for the best film about personality in sports was awarded to “Šabo from Sarajevo” by Sarajevo author Sabahudin Topalbećirovic. A warm, authentic story, with valuable testimonies about Ivica Osim, the legendary footballer of Sarajevo’s Railway and Yugoslav repression, who in later years was an even more legendary coach of his “Wish”,  the national selection of Yugoslavia, and “Sturma” from Graz. The film showcases his enduring trail in Japan as well.  A wonderful career of a wonderful man who in every way meets the criterion for the “personality in sport” award.
  • The award for best photo was given to Mehdi Amiriu, director of photography in the Iranian film “Volleyball“. Mehidi’s camera celebrates the director’s idea (Mohammad  Bakhshi) in which barbed wire shared by a group of emigrants and   soldiers, who defended the entrance to the border, or what could have perhaps been seen as a better world. With few words and through several beautiful photos, the way from  unpleasant to “friendly” volleyball game is crossed over the wire that divides them.
  •  The “Dinko Tucakovic” award for best direction was given to the Serbian director  Ivica Vidanovic, the author of the film “The Golden Boys of the Seventies“. With his original masterpiece, he merged two stories, one tragic and another with a happy ending, into a great documentary testimony. The film begins with a memory of Radivoj Korac  and his car accident with tragic consequences, on June 2, 1969, and ends with a series of   memories of the actors, including a triumph of the Yugoslavian basketball team at the World Championship in Ljubljana, May 1970. Although the legendary “Zucko” is absent, this is for him.

Arsen Djuric, President of Festival Organizing Committee and  Ivica Vidanovic, award as „Best direction“

  • The award for the best feature film was given to “Three seconds for eternity” by  Russian director Anton Megerdich. One of the greatest sports dramas at the Olympic Games, tells the tale of the final encounter of the USSR-US in Munich in 1972, and is told in cinematic language, with inevitable dramatic decorations, but at the same time as a permanent document about a sports drama, its heroes and tragic figures. The film broke all records in ratings and revenue in Russia.
  • The Jury awarded the award for the best feature-length documentary (over 40 minutes) to the Croatian film “Uvik isto” directed by Slavica Šnur, who is also the screenwriter of this piece. The film is about the immense love of basketball within the Šarić family, whose most prominent member is Dario, a player in the NBA. The film   showcases, the plays of Dari’s father Predrag, who played in Šibenik with Dražen Petrović, Veselinka’s mother, who also played basketball, and his sister Dani, who, with her father, is a double in family basketball bidding.

Nikolay Porohovnik, Member of Jury, with Slavica Snur, director of film „Uvik isto“

  • The recipient of the award for the best short documentary film (up to 40 minutes) is  Dragan Stanojevic for the film “Martin Strel- the man who defeated the Amazon“. A valuable, professionally completed testimony of a 53-year-old Slovenian who swam 5,268 kilograms in the most dangerous river in the world. Apart from the currents, resources, disasters and other natural hurdles, Strel had to be faster and wiser than crocodiles, piranhas, snakes, hostile tribe. Despite the dangers, he succeeded in everything.
  • The Grand Prix Prize was awarded to the film “1-0, Star of the First Final,” by Milan Stojiljkovic and Steven Sirete. A wonderful attestation of Red Star’s way to the UEFA Cup Final 1979 and their unfortunate defeat in the last match after a non-existent penalty. Sequences from the win over Dinamo Berlin, Sporting from Hihon, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Herta remind us of a large generation of red and white jerseys and their legendary coach Branko Stankovic. An instructive story of self- confidence, about talent and work, about the attitude of the coach-players; from initial misunderstandings to maximum gratitude of the players themselves, because of what Bata Stane, as they called him, taught them.

The jury also decided to award more special awards:

  • Arijani Saračević Helac for the film “Bosnia-40 years of the title of the European champion”, for an emotional and convincing documentary reminder of the first triumph  of a Yugoslavian team in the former Cup of Champions, today’s Euroleague
  • Bulgarian author Valentina Fidanova Kolararova, director and co-writer of the film: “On the other side of the jump”, about the former world record holder for jumping Jordanka Blagoeva. A warm story about a top athlete, a mother of two children and an exemplary sports worker
  • Film “Ghost Tel Aviv”, produced by Catalan TV3. The filmmakers gathered players who became champions of Europe and recorded their memories of the triumph of  Huventud from Badalona in 1994 in Tel Aviv with Zeljko Obradovic on the coaching bench.
  • Film “Sreta-veliki mastery of wrestling”, by Siniša Otašević and Nenad Milošević, who immortalized the story of Sreten Damjanović, a great champion, who was awarded the festival prize for life’s work last year. This is also the recognition of RTV Vojvodina – for program support and production of sports film.
  • Zrenjanin, the Festival’s guest city this year, also presented the film “The Woman’s Face of Sport in Zrenjanin” in which the authors, Stojanka Lekic and Sinisa Onjin used direct testimony of the great athletes to tell the history of several sports in Zrenjanin, which is a as a city that has always nurtured sport.