Rab Film Festival will once again present some of the most successful films from Pula Film Festival to the audience on Rab. This year, RAFF brings Honey Bunny by Igor Jelinović and 3 Weeks After by Miroslav Terzić — films that together won seven Golden Arenas in Pula, with Terzić’s film also receiving the highest critics’ rating.
Honey Bunny: Grand Golden Arena and Four Pula Awards
Honey Bunny by Igor Jelinović won the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film. In addition to Pula Film Festival’s top award, the film also received Golden Arenas for Best Screenplay, Best Actress for Snježana Sinovčić Šiškov, and Best Supporting Actress for Aleksandra Janković.
In its statement, the jury said that the Grand Golden Arena was awarded to Honey Bunny “for its convincing portrayal of a Mediterranean milieu and its expressive theatricality, a compelling family drama, a skilfully shaped humorous discourse, and exceptionally strong acting performances that give the film a special emotional force.”
The films in Pula were judged by a jury consisting of director and screenwriter Vinko Brešan, editor Hrvoslava Brkušić, producer Tina Hajon, production designer Tanja Lacko, and director and curator Ivan Ramljak. Ramljak’s film Peacemaker, last year’s Grand Golden Arena winner, was also screened at RAFF, where it won the Audience Award.
3 Weeks After: Awards for Directing, Screenplay and Editing
3 Weeks After by Miroslav Terzić comes to RAFF after a strong festival run. Just before Pula, the film had its world premiere in the main competition programme of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, one of the most important festivals in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the Croatian minority co-production competition, the film won Golden Arenas for directing, screenplay and editing. The screenplay was written by Vladimir Arsenijević, Miroslav Terzić and Bojan Vuletić, while the Golden Arena for editing went to Croatian editor Marko Ferković.
The jury awarded Terzić the directing prize “for a stylised cinematic world that faithfully portrays the violence, helplessness and pessimism of contemporary society, leaving a powerful impression on the viewer.”
The film was produced as a co-production between Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. In Pula, it also received the highest critics’ rating, with a strong average score of 4.36.
Award-Winning Films from Pula Before the Audience on Rab
By including these films in its programme, RAFF continues to present titles that have marked the regional festival year, as well as films that open questions relevant to contemporary society. Honey Bunny and 3 Weeks After differ in their cinematic language, tone and the worlds they portray, but both confirm what RAFF looks for in its programme: a strong authorial perspective, social relevance and stories that stay with the audience after the screening.
