The 18th Annual South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) in Los Angeles, California came to a close with the world premiere of the documentary from Ukraine, “KING LEAR: How We Looked for Love During the War,” by Dmytro Hreshko. Taking a step back from the frontlines, the film focuses on internally displaced people in a small town who are transformed into Shakespeare’s characters which in turn gives a new meaning and purpose to their shattered lives.
Prior to the screening, the festival handed out the awards with Men of Deeds By Paul Negoescu winning Best Feature and Scenes With My Father, by Biserka Šuran winning Best Documentary. Men of Deeds also received the Audience Award for Best Feature Film and Lights Of Sarajevo directed by Srdjan Perkić won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.
Additionally, Irina Maleeva (star of Peacock’s Paul T Goldman, Six Feet Under, The Gilmore Girls), SeeFest’s Honorary Chairwoman, accepted the MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award for The Good Driver, on behalf of director Tonislav Hristov, a Bulgarian filmmaker who works in Finland and Bulgaria. The film is a Finnish-Swedish-Bulgarian production.
Complete list of winners of 2023 South East European Film Festival (SEEfest)
BEST FEATURE
MEN OF DEEDS by Paul Negoescu
Honorable Mention: SONNE by Kurdwin Ayub
BEST DOCUMENTARY
SCENES WITH MY FATHER, by Biserka Šuran
Honorable Mentions: JUVENILE by Jovan Todorović
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN FEATURE FILM
Cinematographer Giorgos Karvelas, SILENCE 6-9
Honorable Mention: Cinematographer Orlin Ruevski, THE GOOD DRIVER
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN DOCUMENTARY FILM
Cinematographer Hirotoshi Takeoka, ADAMIANI
Honorable Mention: Cinematographers Stefan Đorđević and Jovan Todorović, JUVENILE
SHORT ANIMATION
GRANNY’S SEXUAL LIFE by Urška Djukić and Émilie Pigeard
Honorable Mentions:
THE LEGEND OF GOLDHORN by Lea Vučko
MONEY AND HAPPINESS by Ana Nedeljković and Nikola Majdak Jr
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
THE SCORE by Aleksandra Bilić
BEST SHORT FICTION
CHIATURA by Toby Andris
Special Jury Mentions:
ON XERXES’ THRONE by Evi Kalogiropoulou
THE EAGLE’S NEST by Milija Šćepanović
Additional Awards:
MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award
THE GOOD DRIVER by Tonislav Hristov
Honorable Mention: THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD by Teona Strugar-Mitevska
Barco HDR Master LightSteering Color Grade Prize
Audience Awards
Feature Film: MEN OF DEEDS, by Paul Negoescu
Documentary Film: LIGHTS OF SARAJEVO, by Srdjan Perkić