“Honeymoons” won in Valladolid

At the recently concluded 54th international film festival in the Spanish town of Valladolid, HONEYMOONS, director Goran Paskaljevic’s latest film, captured the highest prize, the “GOLDEN Spike,” as well as the FIPRESCI Award, the international jury of film critics.

Under strong competition between the newest works of Paul Schrader, Steven Soderbergh, Theo Angelopulos, and other well-known filmmakers from around the world, Paskaljevic’s film stood out, according to the president of the jury, renowned Italian director Ettore Scola, “by its force of cinematographic expression and strong emotional impact in an involved motion picture story from the Balkans.”

Paskaljevic has won this prominent festival’s prestigious award twice for his films “SOMEONE ELSE’S AMERICA” (1995) and “THE OPTIMISTS” three years ago. Roberto Rossellini and the British film director Ken Loach have each won the GOLDEN Spike twice, but the honor goes to Goran Paskaljevic who has become the only filmmaker to have been awarded this highest recognition three times at Spain’s most prominent, along with San Sebastian, film festival.

The awards will be accepted by HONEYMOONS’ Albanian co-producer and co-scenarist, Genc Permeti, since our director is currently at the film festival in Sao Paolo, where he is presiding as president of the international jury. In a short press communiqué from Brazil, Paskaljevic thanked the jury and the festival at Valladolid emphasizing that he is especially proud that the decision was made by a competent jury led by the greatest living Italian director, Ettore Scola, as well as legendary Mexican director Arturo Ripstein, producer Antonio Saura, and others.

The Belgrade premier of HONEYMOONS is scheduled for November 24th at Sava Centar, then three days later in Tirana, whereas the film’s premiere in Paris and Madrid is set for just before the end-of-the-year holidays.