31st edition with a newly introduced award

City of Kosice / 20. – 27. june 2025 / 8 days / 17 sections / 58 countries / 135 films / 169 projections / 22 914 visitors

Photogallery

© Copyright IFF ART FILM, photo authors: Peter Stas, Lukáš Klimek, Marek Vavruš, Marek Eštočin, Miroslav Maťo, Waldemar Švábenský and others.

Final Press Release

The 31st edition (2025) of IFF Art Film, the largest and oldest film festival in Slovakia, expanded once again this year. The winning films were awarded the prestigious Blue Angel Awards. In addition to the three established competition sections—the International Competition of Feature Films, the International Competition of Short Films, and the International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe—this year also introduced the Blue Angel – FIPRESCI Award, presented by the distinguished jury of the International Federation of Film Critics. The juries also recognized the best acting performances, directing, and presented several special mentions. During the festival, honorary awards were also presented—for the first time, the Milan Lasica Award was introduced, with Ivan Mistrík becoming its first laureate; the Actor’s Mission Award was presented by the organizers to Milan Ondrík and Daniela Kolářová; and the Golden Camera Award was presented to Martin Štrba.

The honorary Golden Camera Award for outstanding contribution to cinematography was presented to Martin Štrba, a four-time recipient of the Czech Lion Award and three-time recipient of the Sun in a Net Award, an exceptional cinematographer and filmmaker. The award was presented by director Iveta Grófová. Another honorary award—the Actor’s Mission Award for extraordinary contribution to the art of acting in film—was granted to actress Daniela Kolářová, who was unable to attend the festival due to health reasons. The Actor’s Mission Award was received during the opening ceremony at Kunsthalle Košice by Milan Ondrík, presented by actress Jana Oľhová and director Marko Škop.

Through the honorary Milan Lasica Award, the organizers aim to permanently commemorate the memory of the festival’s first and only president. The award is presented in memoriam to outstanding figures of Slovak cinematography. Hana Lasicová, together with her daughters Stela and Ester, presented the award to the family of the legendary Ivan Mistrík, whose 90th birth anniversary is commemorated in 2025.

As every year, the audience of IFF Art Film selected the best film. The JOJ Cinema Award for Best Audience Film went to Lioness, directed by Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo from Estonia.

The professional jury of the International Competition of Short Films consisted of Hungarian film producer Timea Huszár, Slovak director Alica Bednáriková, and director Zornitsa Dimitrova, originally from Bulgaria. They decided to award the Blue Angel for Best Short Film, together with a financial prize of €500, to the Slovak short film Confession (2024), directed by Rebeka Bizubová. “This is a cinematic work that strikes the viewer like a punch. Here we see the very essence of filmmaking laid bare—a raw and honest story told in a powerful yet simple way. The courage and mastery required to tell such a deeply personal story are more than remarkable. Hats off,” stated the jury. In addition to the main award, the jury also presented two Special Mentions. The first went to O (2024), directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson, praised for its sincere approach to a challenging subject: “An authentic and delicate, yet heartbreaking work that does not hesitate to show addiction in all its rawness. Masterfully handled.” Another Special Mention went to Funeral Service for You (2024), directed by María Slafranca: “A truly refreshing and absurd cinematic piece. It moves between comedy, documentary, and advertising. An absolute joy to watch.”

The professional jury of the International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe consisted of FIPRESCI Vice-President, Ukrainian director, journalist and film critic Elena Rubashevska, international talent agent from France André Raphaël Ivanov, and Swedish multimedia critic and artist Anders E. Larsson. They awarded the Blue Angel for Best Film in this category to the time-lapse documentary I Was Born a Servant (2025), directed by Attila Moharos, which follows the difficult lives of two brothers in Transylvania, Romania. According to the jury: “Born in the harsh and stressful conditions of Hungarian-speaking rural areas of Transylvania in central Romania, experienced filmmaker Attila Moharos follows in his documentary the complex life of a farmhand and shepherd over the course of 23 years. Using a simple yet effective aesthetic technique interweaving past and present events, he brings us a deeply human story—marked by alcoholism and abuse—about a form of slavery most people have never even heard of.” Along with the Blue Angel Award, the film’s producers received a financial prize of €1,500.

In the International Competition of Feature Films, the jury consisted of American director Alexandre O. Philippe, Slovak director and producer Marko Škop, and Hungarian director Glória Halász. The Blue Angel for Best Feature Film was awarded to the Macedonian drama DJ Ahmet (2025). Jury member Alexandre O. Philippe explained the decision: “The award for Best Film goes to a work that boldly tells a story about the power of love. It shows us that if we follow the rhythm within ourselves and express our individuality without fear or shame, we all have the ability to free ourselves from the oppressive forces of the world around us. With great pride, we award the Blue Angel for Best Film to DJ Ahmet.” Along with the award, the producers received a financial prize of €2,000.

The Blue Angel for Best Director was also awarded to Georgi M. Unkovski for DJ Ahmet (2025). “The Blue Angel for Best Director goes to an exceptional storyteller who created a whimsical and magical world and, with an incredibly fluid, simple, and clear vision, delivered a heartbreaking and perfectly original story of star-crossed lovers in rural Macedonia. For casting the film with precision and directing it with great care and emotion,” added Glória Halász.

In addition to directing and Best Film, the international jury also recognized acting performances. The Blue Angel for Best Actress was awarded by Marko Škop and the Director of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund Vladimír Burianek jointly to Vesta Matulytė and Ieva Rupeikaitė for their performances in the Lithuanian film Toxic (2024). “The award for Best Actress goes to a dual performance by two young actresses of remarkable determination portraying teenage girls dreaming of a better life in harsh and unforgiving conditions. We were deeply moved by the authenticity of their dynamic, and in our opinion both deserve to share the Blue Angel for Best Actress.”

The jury also recognized Best Actor, awarding the Blue Angel to Arif Jakup for his convincing and authentic performance in DJ Ahmet (2025). “The award for Best Actor goes to a young and promising actor who demonstrates complete mastery of his craft, stands out with charm and sincerity, and fully convinces us of the transformative power and potential of love in a cynical world,” said Glória Halász, announcing the winner together with Zlatica Vargová, Administrator of the SPP Foundation.

The jury also decided to present a Special Mention to Slovak actress Rebeka Poláková for her performance in the Austrian-Slovak film Perla (2025). The decision was announced by Alexandre O. Philippe: “For a fascinating performance portraying a character haunted by conflicting desires in the complex environment of the Cold War period.”

The FIPRESCI Award was also presented by members of the International Federation of Film Critics—Slovak film theorist and critic Mária Ferenčuhová, British professor of film theory and critic Jonathan Murray, and Swiss film critic Malik Berkati. They chose to award the Austrian-Slovak film Perla (2024), which tells the story of an emigrant and impulsive painter returning from Vienna to communist Czechoslovakia to repay an old debt. “Our winner is an ambitious and penetrating work that avoids the false certainties of retrospective reflection and resists quick judgments. It illuminates both the politically charged past and present of Europe through themes of individual and collective exile, trauma, and systemic violence against women that persists to this day. Its dramaturgy and cinematography are united in their attempt to capture the complex and shifting nature of human identity. The visual style and narrative structure together create compositions reminiscent of paintings—subtle metaphors and reflections of the protagonist, her multilayered identity and past,” the international jury stated.

Catalog, Program and Brochure

News & Press Releases

Festival Newspaper

Festival television

Press Conferences

Hercova misia – Milan Ondrík
Actor’s Mission Milan Ondrík

Tlačová konferencia pred začatím 31. ročníka
Press Conference prior to 31. IFF Art Film

Interviews

Hercova misia – Milan Ondrík
Actor’s Mission

Zlatá kamera – Martin Štrba
Golden Camera – Martin Štrba

Martin Šulík a Marek Leščák
Záhrada | The Garden

Celeste Buckingham
Speváčka | Singer

Malik Berkati
Porota FIPRESCI | FIPRESCI Jury

Mária Ferenčuhová
Porota FIPRESCI | FIPRESCI Jury

Jonathan Murray
Porota FIPRESCI | FIPRESCI Jury

Alexandre O. Phillipe
Porota Medzinárodnej súťaže hraných filmov | International Competition of Feature Films Jury

Glória Halász
Porota Medzinárodnej súťaže hraných filmov | International Competition of Feature Films Jury

Marko Škop
Porota Medzinárodnej súťaže hraných filmov | International Competition of Feature Films Jury

Anders E. Larsson
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže filmov strednej a východnej Európy | Jury member of the International competition of films from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe

André Raphaël Ivanov
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže filmov strednej a východnej Európy | Jury member of the International competition of films from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe

Elena Rubashevska
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže filmov strednej a východnej Európy | Jury member of the International competition of films from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe

Alica Bednarikova
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže krátkych filmov | Jury member of the International Competition of Short Films

Timea Huszár
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže krátkych filmov | Jury member of the International Competition of Short Films

Zornitsa Dimitrova
Porota medzinárodnej súťaže krátkych filmov | Jury member of the International Competition of Short Films

Hana Lasicová
Miša v Košiciach | Miša in Košice

Ján Novák
Miša v Košiciach | Miša in Košice

Zuzana Mistríková
Producentka | Producer

Rastislav Boroš
Kronika večných snílkov | Chronicle of Eternal Dreamers

Marie-Camille Loutan
Toubab | Toubab

Rebeka Bizubová
Spoveď | Confession

Ľubomír Slivka
Cukrkandl | Sugar Candy

Dominik Kalivoda
Veľké finále PSO | The Grand Finale of PSO

Jakub Kroner
Televízna miniséria MIKI | Television miniseries MIKI

Marko Škop
Nech je svetlo | Let There Be Light

Lucia Kovaľová
Letopis | Chronicle

Juraj Čurný
Hovorca IFF ART FILM 2025 | Spokesperson of IFF ART FILM 2025

Martin Kollár
Letopis | Chronicle

Peter Poch
Nie som zlý človek | I’m Not a Bad Man

Štefánia Lovasová
Venuša v retrográde | Venus in Retrograde

Branislava Hronská
TV Jojko | TV Jojko

Dušan Trančík
Akcia Monaco | Operation Monaco

Alexandre O. Philippe
Chain Reactions

Martin Ciel
Akcia Monaco | Operation Monaco

Pavel Berčík
Tieň víťazstva | Shadow of Victory

Peter Harum
Akcia Monaco | Operation Monaco

Bård Breien
Tieň víťazstva | Shadow of Victory

Milan Kolcún
Moderátor talkshow Bez šepkára | Host of the talk show Bez šepkára

Eske Troelstrup
Tieň víťazstva | Shadow of Victory

Tibor Búza
NEPELA | NEPELA

Milan Cyroň & Tomáš Uher
Lesja | Lesja

100. výročie FIPRESCI | 100th anniversary of FIPRESCI
Hostia | Guests: Anders E. Larsson, Elena Rubashevska, Malik Berkati, Jonathan Murray, Mára Ferenčuhová

Kristína Kúdeľová
Filmová novinárka a členka asociácie Golden Globes | Film journalist and member of the Golden Globes association

Rebeka Poláková
Perla

Tomáš Krupa
Perla

Noël Czuczor
Perla

Jakub Červenka
NEPELA | NEPELA

Peter Pavlík
DVOiKA OUCE | SCHEEP TOO

Zhanna Ozirna
Medové týždne | Honeymoon

Rifat Erkek
Náhradné dievča | Surrogate Girl

Maria Zbąska
Toto nie je môj film | It’s Not My Film

Martin Palúch
Umelecký riaditeľ IFF Art Film | Artistic director of IFF Art Film

Marek Vaňous
Joe the First | Joe the First

Branko Cap
Joe the First | Joe the First

Wu Yixuan
Členka delegácie čínskych filmov | Chinese film delegation

Jiahao Guo
Ľudia | People

Sylvia Huszár
Divadelná teoretička, prekladateľka a manažérka | Theatre theorist, translator, and manager

Peter Harum
AF INDUSTRY: UI v dokumentárnom filme | AF INDUSTRY: UI in a documentary film

Martin Novosad
AF INDUSTRY: Možnosti koprodukcií zahraničných projektov v Českej televízii | AF INDUSTRY: Opportunities for Co-Producing International Projects at Czech Television

Thom Palmen
Zostavovateľ sekcie Nová nádej v súčasnej čínskej kinematografii | Curator of the section New Hope in Contemporary Chinese Cinema

Martin Polerecký
AF INDUSTRY: Dôležitosť gradingu vo filme | AF INDUSTRY: The Importance of Grading in Film

Adrián Čarný
AF INDUSTRY: Streaming | AF INDUSTRY: Streaming

Festival Dailies

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 1

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 2

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 3

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 4

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 5

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 6

IFF ART FILM 2025
day 7

More videos can be found on our YouTube channel…

Jury

Jury of the International Competition of Feature Films

Jury of the International Competition of Short Films

FIPRESCI Jury