Beldocs Industry Days 2023 Awards

Beldocs Pitching Forum, the pitching section of Beldocs Industry Days (10-15 May), handed out its awards on Saturday 13th of May 2023. during a ceremony presented by the head of Beldocs Industry, Andrijana Sofranić Šućur. The program is part of the 16th Belgrade International Documentary Film Festival Beldocs, which is still ongoing and runs from 10-17 May.

The jury members (Dimitra Kouzi, filmmaker; Rene Kubašek, head of festival’s international relations of Jihlava IDFF; and Vassilis Economou, public relations officer, senior writer, and industry reporter of Cineuropa) handed the main awards by Al Jazeera Balkans, accompanied by €2,000 in cash, to the Serbian project At The Door Of The House Who Will Come Knocking, directed by Maja Novaković. The same project received Forgrade Post-production Award. According to the jury, the projects received both awards for “its authentic and artistic approach. Expect a captivating cinematic voyage exploring the depth of intimate psychological realms and the rugged beauty of natural landscapes.”

The Networking Award from the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival was handed to project Bitter Sugar by Georgian director Ana Barjadze, for “being a sensitive and intimate story brought to life by a promising emerging filmmaker.”

The DAE – Documentary Association of Europe Talent Encouragement Award went to the Slovenian project Where Do Butterflies Sleep by Simona Jerala, for “its moving and introspective portrayal of a gradual dissolution of a father-daughter bond presented through a deeply personal and poetic narrative. Light and profound.”

The Pitch the Doc Award was given to by Serbian director Dragana Latinović for the project Colors in My Eye, while special mention went to Ukrainian project Divia by director Dmytro Hreshko.

The East Silver Caravan Award was bestowed upon the Georgian project Heart Don’t be Afraid by director Ana Kvichidze.

Finally, the first Dok Leipzig XR award went to the project I Am a Cavern Of Blood In The Shape Of a Mind by Croatian director Gaia Radić.

The full list of Beldocs Pitching Forum award winners is as follows:

Al Jazeera Balkans Award
At The Door Of The House Who Will Come Knocking – Maja Novaković (Serbia)
Producer: Maja Novaković (Cineseedlings)

Forgrade Post-production Award
At The Door Of The House Who Will Come Knocking – Maja Novaković (Serbia)
Producer: Maja Novaković (Cineseedlings)

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Award
Bitter Sugar – Ana Barjadze (Georgia)
Producer: Irina Gelashvili (Radium Films)

DAE – Documentary Association of Europe Talent Encouragement Award
Where Do Butterflies Sleep – Simona Jerala (Slovenia)

Pitch the Doc Award
Colors in My Eye – Dragana Latinović (Serbia)
Producer: Duška Latas (Zid Production)

Pitch the Doc Award – special mention
Divia – Dmytro Hreshko (Ukraine)
Producer: Polina Herman, Anastasia Pugach (UP UA STUDIO)

East Silver Caravan Award
Heart Don’t Be Afraid – (Georgia)
Producer: Mariam Bitsadze (17/07 Productions)

Dok Leipzig XR Award
I Am a Cavern Of Blood In The Shape Of a Mind – Gaia Radić (Croatia)