Tabor New Frame Film Festival 2025

Grand Prix of the Tabor New Frame Film Festival
awarded to the Portuguese-French film
“The Hunters” by David Pinheiro Vicente

With the ceremonial awards presentation for the best film achievements, this year’s edition of the Tabor New Frame Film Festival concluded tonight at Veliki Tabor Castle. Over the past two days, visitors had the opportunity to watch 49 short films of all genres from 32 countries, presented in three competition categories — International, Croatian, and Student. All films were made by authors up to the age of 35, including four world premieres, one international premiere, and 22 Croatian premieres.

The announcement of the winners began with the Student Competition. The professional jury composed of Sabina Krešić, Mladen Stanić, and Maruška Aras awarded a Special Mention to the Croatian documentary Yet Another One by director Karla Jelić, which deals with the case and consequences of sexual harassment at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb.

The jury decided to give special recognition to this film as support and appreciation for the courage to address such a sensitive yet important topic. Although several years have passed since the event itself, the situation within the system and society remains unchanged, and the struggle continues, the jury stated in its explanation.

The Grand Prix, in the form of the mythological Melusine, the double-tailed mermaid who, according to legend, lives in Veliki Tabor, was awarded by the jury to the Croatian fiction film Blue Weasel by director Luka Vukorepa. The film had its world premiere at the festival and is an ambitious crime story following Đoko, an arms dealer who agrees to kill the police chief in order to leave his criminal life behind, only to soon face the consequences of his decisions.

“Genre films at this level are rarely seen in Croatian cinema. Skillfully directed, visually striking, and very well acted, it leaves the impression of a top-level professional production, further strengthened by outstanding sound design that even works of incomparably higher budgets could envy,” the jury stated.

In the Croatian Competition, the international jury composed of Abhishek Verma, Mário Macedo, and Lev Slivnik awarded the main festival prize, the Melusine, to the fiction film Greek Apricots by director Jan Krevatin, which explores the quiet connection between two lonely people during a summer night shift at a gas station.

“It is a gentle and intimate story that feels both nostalgic and real, opening space for subtle emotions conveyed through fresh, spontaneous, and natural acting. A simple gift — Greek apricots — becomes a touching reminder that, despite everything, we are all human at the end of the day, regardless of our nationality,” the jury explained.

A Special Mention in the International Competition was awarded to the Portuguese-German animated film It Shouldn't Rain Tomorrow (Amanhã Não Dão Chuva) by director Maria Trigo Teixeira, which speaks about the fragility of the relationship between a mother and daughter. The metaphor of water and the hypnotic blue color, representing the emotional landscape of their relationship, left a strong impression on the jury. Special praise was given to “the animation style that visibly preserves traces of previous frames, perfectly reflecting the film’s central theme — memory and the way every moment leaves its mark.”

The Grand Prix Melusine for Best Film in the International Competition went to the Portuguese-French fiction film The Hunters (Os Caçadores) by director David Pinheiro Vicente. The story takes place in a rural villa in the 1970s, where adolescents from a bourgeois family face collective hysteria that escalates with the arrival of an outsider.

“The winning film begins with a mystical game and immediately draws us into an absurdist critique of patriarchy and an exploitative class system. The director masterfully handles mise-en-scène, giving equal attention to a wide range of characters. Through a game of hide-and-seek, the film skillfully reflects the larger game we all play — the one called reality,” the jury stated.

The Audience Award Melusine went to the Serbian fiction film August by director Dan Grabnar, which had its Croatian premiere at the festival. The film follows Petar, a young man who feels trapped in the monotony of rural life.

TABOR

NEW FRAME FILM

After more than two decades of the cult Tabor Film Festival, a new chapter begins. Tabor New Frame Film Festival is an international celebration of short film, spotlighting bold filmmakers under the age of 35. Set in the spectacular surroundings of Veliki Tabor Castle, all film programs, workshops, and concerts are free of charge for all visitors.

TABOR

NEW FRAME FILM

After more than two decades of the cult Tabor Film Festival, a new chapter begins. Tabor New Frame Film Festival is an international celebration of short film, spotlighting bold filmmakers under the age of 35. Set in the spectacular surroundings of Veliki Tabor Castle, all film programs, workshops, and concerts are free of charge for all visitors.

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