Golden Corn Award for Best Debut Director Goes to Marko Novaković for the film „Accomplices“

The 9th Ravno Selo Film Festival, an international festival dedicated to first and second feature films, concluded with the official awards ceremony followed by the screening of Accomplices, directed by Marko Novaković. Over the course of four days, the festival welcomed filmmakers, guests from Serbia and abroad, emerging talents and audiences to Ravno Selo. A total of 29 films were screened across three competition programmes. The festival programme also featured the official reopening of the renovated House of Culture, a film music concert, an art colony, a comic book workshop, film workshops for young participants, and numerous accompanying events.

The Main Competition Programme, featuring 12 films, including five national premieres, was evaluated by an international jury chaired by Glauce Valdini, Director of the Italian Film Institute. The other jury members were director Dejan Zečević and director and screenwriter Đorđe Milosavljević.

The Golden Corn for Best Director, accompanied by a €1,500 cash prize, was awarded to Marko Novaković for film „Accomplices“. The Golden Corn for Best Film of the 9th Ravno Selo Film Festival was awarded to the film „Bird Boy“, directed by Savely Osadchyi.

The Golden Corn for Best Actor, accompanied by a €1,000 cash prize sponsored by GORKI LIST, was presented to Ubeimar Rios for his performance in „The Poet“, directed by Simón Mesa Soto.

The Audience Award for the Best Film, accompanied by a €500 cash prize, was presented to „DJ Ahmet“, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski. The Audience Jury was chaired by Sanja Mićić, representative of Telekom Srbija, with Mira Gvozdenac, retired professor, and Olivera Pantović, Principal of the „Branko Radičević“ Primary School in Ravno Selo, serving as jury members.

In the documentary competition „Short 100 Minutes“, which this year featured films from Mexico, Canada, Poland, India, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Belgium, Lithuania and Russia. Golden Corn for Best Documentary Film, together with a €500 cash prize, went to the film „Only If the Baby Cries“ by Indian director Shadab Farooq. The winner was selected by a single-member jury chaired by Giuseppe Panebianco, Artistic Director of the i-Fest International Film Festival.

The First Meter Award for Best Student Film, accompanied by a €500 cash prize, was presented to „They Will Love Me Now“ by Nikulás Tumi Hlynsson, a student at FAMU Film Academy in Prague. A Special Mention in the same category was awarded to Petr Vlček for his film „Fathers“.

As part of the closing ceremony, the audience also watched the short films created by local schoolchildren during the Filmić workshop in Ravno Selo, under the mentorship of Petar Pešut.

Lazar Ristovski, founder and festival director, said during the closing ceremony: „I am happy that next year we will celebrate the festival’s first major milestone – the 10th Ravno Selo Film Festival. This year’s edition was truly special, thanks to the large number of guests from abroad and across the region, as well as the video messages of support and congratulations we received from filmmakers and award winners from around the world. All of this came together to create a remarkable success and a shared sense of emotion. I believe this year’s festival has been our finest and most emotional edition to date.“

The festival was supported by the Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, the Film Center Serbia, the Municipality of Vrbas, the Vrbas Cultural Centre, the Vrbas Centre for Physical Culture, and the Local Community of Ravno Selo. The festival’s general sponsor is Telekom Srbija.

Over the course of four days, the Ravno Selo Film Festival once again demonstrated that cinema can serve as a powerful platform for bringing communities together, encouraging dialogue, and fostering new cultural connections.

The post AWARDS PRESENTED AT THE CLOSING OF THE 9TH RAVNO SELO FILM FESTIVAL appeared first on Zillion Film.

This June, Ravno Selo will once again become a place where film, audiences, and filmmakers from different parts of the world come together. Over the course of four festival days, this small village in Vojvodina once again proves that great film stories do not belong only to big cities, but to everyone who believes in the power of cinema and the shared experience of the silver screen.

The ninth edition of the Ravno Selo Film Festival brings together an international selection of first and second feature films, acclaimed filmmakers, and emerging voices of world cinema. Audiences can look forward to premiere screenings, talks with filmmakers, educational programs, and a rich accompanying program, creating the unique atmosphere that has made the Ravno Selo Film Festival recognizable for almost a decade.

Under this year’s slogan, “Film Stories Roam the Village”, Ravno Selo, located near Vrbas, will host the international festival of first and second films for the ninth time, from June 25 to 28.

Thursday, June 25

Friday, 26 June

Saturday, 27 June

Sunday, 28 June

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The festival, created from the idea of bringing film back to audiences and communities outside major cultural centers, once again brings a rich, diverse, and carefully curated program primarily intended for young authors, new cinematic voices, and audiences who enjoy discovering different, fresh, and authentic film stories.

The main program of this year’s festival will feature 12 feature-length films selected by guest curator Andrej Klemenčić. The program brings together authors from Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Italy, Germany, Australia, Russia, the United States, the Czech Republic, and other countries, confirming the festival’s international character and its openness to different poetics, generations, and cinematic sensibilities.

In addition to the main feature film selection, audiences can also expect a short documentary program, as well as a student selection dedicated to the youngest filmmakers and their first professional steps. It is precisely within these program segments that the Ravno Selo Film Festival further confirms its mission to be a space for encounters, support, and visibility for new authors.

A special part of the festival will also be the accompanying program, conversations with authors, meetings between filmmakers and audiences, as well as content intended for young people, through which the festival continues to develop its educational character and bring film closer to new generations of viewers.

As tradition dictates, the official opening of the festival will be marked by a performance of film music, creating the recognizable atmosphere of Ravno Selo, ceremonial, warm, and cinematic.

“As we approach this year’s festival, I am excited about everything that awaits us, and honestly, I am already thinking a little about the tenth, jubilee festival. I hope that is not immodest, but my satisfaction is truly immense as we approach that important anniversary. We are promoters of new cinematic thought. We are a small community and a small festival, but a festival that grows together with the authors who come here with their films and later become stars in the global film sky. Hospitable hosts await you, ready to open the doors of their homes. And besides a celebration of film, we are preparing a celebration for the other senses as well: music, homemade food, and valuable awards for the winners,” emphasizes Lazar Ristovski, the festival’s founder.

The main festival program will open on Thursday, June 25 at 9 PM with the film “Nuremberg,” directed by James Vanderbilt, a psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe as Nazi criminal Hermann Göring, following one of the greatest war crimes trials. Rami Malek plays an American military psychiatrist tasked with assessing the mental state of Göring and the other criminals on trial.

In addition to this cinematic treat, Klemenčić’s selection for this year’s main festival program also includes the following works:

“South Wind” (“Južina”), the debut feature film by director Ante Marin. The burden of the southern wind awakens suppressed conflicts among five residents of a four-story apartment building in Split, who, pressured by humidity and wind, dance through the film in the famous Dalmatian dialect and with an even more famous temperament.

“Pavilion” (“Paviljon”), directed by Dino Mustafić, featuring an impressive cast including Rade Šerbedžija, Mirjana Karanović, Zijah Sokolović, and Meto Jovanovski. After years of humiliation, the residents of the “Pavilion” retirement home take justice into their own hands and stage a rebellion. Former caregivers become hostages, and the struggle expands beyond the institution into the media sphere.

“The Poet” (“Un Poeta”), signed by Colombian director Simón Mesa Soto, follows the possibility of rebirth for a lonely obsessive poet, Oscar. Until yesterday surrounded only by loneliness and alcohol, Oscar finds inspiration in a young poet named Yurlady, whose talent gives him strength but also pushes him to resolve his life dilemmas.

The drama “One More Round Before Bed” (“La città di pianura”), directed by Francesco Sossai, is a true treat for lovers of the genre. Two broke fifty-year-olds obsessed with “one last drink before bed” meet a naive architecture student. Taking him under their wing, these mentors completely change his perspective on love and life.

The Australian feature documentary “The Raftsmen,” directed by Chadden Hunter, presents the longest raft journey in the world from Ecuador to Australia.

“How To Make A Killing,” directed by Jon Patton Ford, is a blend of black comedy and thriller inspired by the 1949 film “Kind Hearts and Coronets.” Beckett, masterfully played by Glen Powell, is the illegitimate child of a teenage mother whom a wealthy family rejected. Determined to reclaim the fortune that rightfully belongs to him, Beckett begins eliminating the arrogant family members one by one.

Actors Dustin Hoffman and Jean Reno are the best recommendation for the film “Tone of Crime” (“Tuner”), directed by Daniel Roher. The story of piano tuner Nick, who accidentally discovers a method for opening safes and slowly slips into crime, only to be interrupted by falling in love with talented pianist Ruthie, will certainly be interesting to audiences in Ravno Selo.

“Accomplices” (“Saučesnici”), directed by Marko Novaković, follows the fate of an apparently perfect married couple, Branko and Sofija. Branko decides to cover up the truth about an accident they were involved in, while Sofija succumbs to the pressure of conscience, discovering how deeply the social structures around her are soaked in hypocrisy and fear.

“DJ Ahmet,” by Macedonian director Georgi M. Unkovski, deals with the life of a fifteen-year-old village boy who dreams of becoming a DJ, winning over a girl promised to another man, and freeing himself from the limitations imposed by his rural and conservative environment.

“Bird Boy” (“Dečak-ptica”), directed by Savely Osadsky, is based on the story of eighteen-year-old orphan Vanya, whose voice has not yet changed. Facing difficulties in socializing with others, especially with his adoptive family and the girl he falls in love with, Vanya must decide whether he will sound like a child forever or attempt to change his voice and his destiny.

“A Real Man” (“Un hombre de verdad”), by Spanish director Liteo Pedregal. Guillermo, an eighty-year-old neurosurgeon, has spent his entire life accustomed to being served by his wife Maria. After her sudden death, he faces new challenges and the task of becoming “a real man” in his later years.

Over the course of four festival days, Ravno Selo will once again become a meeting place for film, authors, and audiences a small village of great film stories.

The Ravno Selo Film Festival is held with the support of the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the City of Vrbas, and the production company Zillion Film.

Source: nedeljnik.rs – “Ninth Ravno Selo Film Festival from June 25 to 28”

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Taunus Filmfest is an international film festival held in the Taunus region, in the immediate vicinity of Frankfurt am Main. The festival brings together filmmakers from around the world through live screenings, with the aim of promoting films that entertain, inspire, and provoke thought. Over more than 15 years, it has become a recognizable platform for international filmmakers.

The Honorable Mention was awarded to the film as a special distinction by the jury within this year’s program.

“Accomplices” continues its international festival journey, and this recognition represents yet another confirmation of the film’s strong reception among festival audiences and selectors.

The post Film “Accomplices” Receives Honorable Mention at Taunus Filmfest | TAUNALE appeared first on Zillion Film.

Some films resist easy interpretation because they ask us to watch differently. On the surface, Accomplices appears to be a typical psychological drama about guilt and corruption, with an open-ended resolution. With some reframing, it becomes an examination of how people and systems are shaped by individual choices that compound over time. The film is an exercise in reflection and accountability, demanding we think through decisions and consequences alongside its characters.

The film opens with newly engaged couple Sofija and Branko getting into a fatal accident on their way home from dinner. They choose to hide what happened, and that choice immediately locks them into a system of silence that the film explores throughout. From the outset, we are placed in a heavy, tense environment, with an undercurrent that builds to incoherence.

Emotional cues are withheld, conversations stay surface-level, and no one speaks honestly about what they feel. You wait for clarity that never comes, and without it, it’s hard to find your footing. The frustration builds. We are made to feel what it’s like to live in an environment where honest conversation is dangerous, and silence is required for survival. The only characters who speak freely are scrutinized and marginalized. Complicity perpetuates harm through the systematic avoidance of truth and accountability.

We are taken through a series of events that show how easily complicity forms through turning a blind eye, explaining things away, and quiet endurance. Sofija is our entry point into this world: the most naive, the least adapted, still struggling against what the older women have already learned to accept. Marko Novaković, the director, explains that “each of the female characters in our film belongs to a different layer on the social ladder, and each of them fights for their survival within the system in their own way.” But the system shapes everyone, including men, who use their own “fears and defense mechanisms” to create the “appearance of being in control”. The film shows how banal complicity creates corrupt systems that mold individuals to its needs, regardless of gender or position.

The most devastating example is Leposava, Sofija’s mother. When Sofija confesses to her mother, her face hardens, but she calls Branko instead of confronting the issue. We could read her expression as one of upset about her daughter’s grievances, but her actions suggest that the truth is too disruptive and its consequences too destabilizing. When forced to choose between her daughter’s version of events and an authority figure’s, she refuses to engage. All she says, to no one in particular, as Branko and Sofija are making their exit, is, “My daughter will freeze,” as she puts a sweater on her with a severe look.

You watch as this guts Sofija, and your heart breaks when you realize her mother has a greater allegiance to the system and survival than to her daughter. It isn’t a rejection, though it does show how harm perpetuates through the refusal to act or engage meaningfully. Novaković stressed viewers keep in mind that, “when people live in a society close to the poverty line, opportunities are much narrower compared to people from rich countries.” This context explains why the women might endure, why looking away becomes a survival strategy, and why complicity is easy to form when options are constrained.

Because you’re left unsettled, the film gives you a chance to process the experience yourself. Once you get over the initial shock of being denied resolution, you begin to ask what it all means. When the film ends, you’re angry, not only because you wanted a clean ending, but because Sofija deserves justice. But why? The director puts viewers through a moral test: “they become aware of the fact that an individual who has done something bad can still go unpunished if he sympathizes with the system that protects him, if he still adheres to the rules of that system.”

The film makes you feel the constraints the characters face. The impossible calculus of survival in a system with limited options. Would you make the same decisions? These questions aren’t rhetorical; they ask what principles govern your ethics and morals. Novaković wanted “the audience to leave the cinema with questions… to not only think about the problems or situations presented in the film, but to delve into the things that are close to them in their lives. I hope that the change within them is then externalized and manifested in the real world.”

Accomplices trusts you to do the work, offering activation rather than catharsis or moral clarity. The film guides you through your own emotional and moral terrain, but only if you allow it. Are you willing to do the uncomfortable work of sitting with what the film reveals about complicity and examining your own choices?

About Winter Film Festival

Winter Film Festival is an all-volunteer women and minority-run organization as part of Winter Film Awards Inc, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2011 to celebrate emerging talent in local and international filmmaking.

The 14th Annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026 includes a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC’s REGAL Union Square, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 22 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.

Winter Film Festival programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.

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The feature film “Accomplices”, directed by Marko Novaković and produced by Zillion Film, began its theatrical journey with gala premieres in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Užice. Following its international festival screening at the “Arpa Film Festival” in Los Angeles, the film was presented to domestic audiences.

The Belgrade premiere was held on January 14 at Cineplexx Galerija, attended by the film’s creative and acting team, collaborators, representatives of the film industry, and numerous guests. The screening took place in a festive atmosphere, and audience reactions confirmed that the film has been recognized as a powerful psychological drama with elements of a thriller.

The film’s director, Marko Novaković, stated:
“Accomplices speaks about responsibility that is often not direct, yet equally heavy. The film raises the question of where personal guilt ends and where collective responsibility begins.“

Premiere in Belgrade, Photo: Marko Simić

A day later, on January 15, the film had its Novi Sad premiere at Arena Cineplex.

The lead actress, Nevena Nerandžić, told Blic that her character, Sofija, constantly reflects on how the entire situation has affected other people, and least of all on how it affects herself.

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Following the Novi Sad premiere, the film was screened on January 16 in Užice, where it carried special emotional significance, as parts of the film were shot in this city. The screening was held in a packed theater, and due to great audience interest, an additional screening was organized.

Premiere in Užice, Photo: Dragan Karadarević

The film was then shown in countries of minority co-productions – on February 12 in Republika Srpska, and on February 18 in North Macedonia, thus completing the regional cycle of premiere screenings. The atmosphere at the Skopje’s premiere can be viewed at the following link: Instagram

After its premieres in Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, “Accomplices” continues its international journey. A screening is planned for February at the “Winter Film Festival” in New York, giving this domestic psychological drama the opportunity to be presented to American audiences and to continue its festival and distribution life beyond Serbia.

Gallery

Premiere in Belgrade, Photo: Marko Simić

Premiere in Belgrade, Photo: Marko Simić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Novi Sad, Photo: Milan Babić

Premiere in Užice, Photo: Dragan Karadarević

Premiere in Užice, Photo: Dragan Karadarević

Premiere in Užice, Photo: Dragan Karadarević

Premiere in Užice, Photo: Dragan Karadarević

Premiere in Republika Srpska

Premiere in Republika Srpska

The post After its domestic premiere, the film “Accomplices” heads to New York appeared first on Zillion Film.

In its official statement, the i-Fest international jury highlighted the following:

“An actor who has left a profound mark on European cinema, capable of turning every role into a passage toward the complexity of the human soul and its contradictions. Lazar Ristovski, an actor, director, and producer of international renown-has moved through genres, eras, and cinematic languages with rare acting power, bringing to life characters that remain memorable not only for their stage presence but also for the emotional and moral depth they embody. From the major successes that brought him international recognition-above all Emir Kusturica’s “Underground”- to auteur films, theatre, and his own directorial work, Ristovski has forged a path in which the art of acting becomes a radical exploration of identity, history, and the wounds of the contemporary age. His work is a continual reflection on the power of gesture, voice, and gaze: on cinema’s ability to be both mirror and memory, a collective ritual and a personal confession. In every role, Ristovski carries with him an understanding of acting that unites instinct and discipline, experience and risk, tradition and reinvention. His stage presence-magnetic, restless, and profoundly human has contributed to redefining the Balkan cinematic imagination, demonstrating how pain, irony, nostalgia, and life vitality can coexist in a singular, powerful narrative vibration. His career bears witness to cinema as a medium of emotion, reflection, and universal dialogue. For these reasons, the i-FEST International Film Festival awards Lazar Ristovski the i-FEST Award 2025″

The post Lazar Ristovski Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the i-Fest Festival in Palermo appeared first on Zillion Film.

The film was produced by Zillion Film in Belgrade, with the participation of minority co- producers Interfilm (Croatia) and Partysans (North Macedonia). The producer is Lazar Ristovski, and the screenplay was written by Ognjen Obradović.

The creative team includes director of photography Bojan Rakić, editor Petar Šumonja, production designer Irena Marjanov, costume designer Snežana Karl, composer Vladimir Pejković, and sound designers Velibor Hajduković and Nebojša Zorić.

The lead roles are played by Nevena Nerandžić and Radovan Vujović, with notable performances by Anica Dobra, Danica Ristovski, Zoran Cvijanović, Milica Janevski, Zlatan Vidović, Anita Ognjanović, Jovan Belobrković, as well as regional actors: Stojan Matavulj, Hana Japundžić, Sara Klimoska, Faketa Salihbegović-Avdagić, and Petar Novaković.

“Accomplices” is a psychological and social drama with elements of a thriller. The storyfollows Sofija and Branko, whose seemingly stable life is shattered after a traffic accidentthey are involved in. The project was supported by the Film Center of Serbia, as well as theCroatian Audiovisual Centre and the Film Agency of North Macedonia. It was realized withsignificant contributions from AP Vojvodina, Telekom Serbia, and MTEL of Republika Srpska,along with the generous support of the cities of Užice and Novi Sad.

The Los Angeles screening received an excellent response from audiences, and following the premiere, a Q&A session was held with director Marko Novaković and director of photography Bojan Rakić, during which the creators discussed the making of the film, their inspirations, and production challenges.

The photographs were taken by @donqhannahphotography, capturing the atmosphere and highlights of the premiere.
After a successful world premiere, the film is set to continue its festival run, and the date for its premiere in Serbia will be announced soon.

The post World Premiere of the Film “Accomplices” Held in Los Angeles appeared first on Zillion Film.

In the settlement of Sakule, by the Tamiš River, the filming of the second season of Mind Tunnel is in full swing, led by directors Petar Ristovski, Miloš Avramović, and Nemanja Ćipranić.

Through 12 new episodes, Tunnel continues to follow the work of specialized police negotiation teams in hostage situations, inspired by real events and police reports.

The post Filming the Second Season of “Mind Tunnel” series in Sakule appeared first on Zillion Film.

At the Balkan and Mediterranean Film Festival “Across the Lake”, held from August 7 to 12 in Dojran, actor Lazar Ristovski was presented with the “Meto Jovanovski” Award for outstanding acting achievements in the art of film.

Meto Jovanovski

As festival director and film director Jani Bojadži pointed out, this recognition is being awarded for only the second time and is intended for great actors from the Balkans and the Mediterranean:

“Lazar is a true ambassador of Balkan and Mediterranean cinematography. He has acted in more than seventy films, in all types of roles, and in almost all the languages of this archipelago. The Macedonian audience remembers him for his roles in the films The Necklace and Goodbye, 20th Century!”

Upon receiving the award, Ristovski expressed that he was especially moved by the fact that the recognition bears the name of his colleague:

“I didn’t have the opportunity to share the screen with Meto Jovanovski, but we often met at festivals. This award has special value because it is international, it bears the name of a great actor, and it is being presented for only the second time.”

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