The Vedran Šamanović Award of the 64th Pula Film Festival was presented yesterday at the Arena to Irena Jukić Pranjić for the film Gamer Girl. The award was presented by Sanja Šamanović, film author and Vedran Šamanonvić’s wife.

The award is presented by five founding associations: Croatian Society of Film Workers, Croatian Cinematographers Society, Croatian Film Directors’ Guild, Croatian Film Critics’ Association, and Croatian Film Association.

The Vedran Šamanović Award is presented in honour of the Croatian cinematographer and director Vedran Šamanović, who passed away too soon. It is presented as the highest annual acknowledgment in film to a film artist who has expanded the boundaries of film expression in Croatian film with their innovative approach, in any kind of film, during the current year.

This year’s jury, which consisted of Ivona Juka (Croatian Film Directors’ Guild), Silvestar Mileta (Croatian Film Critics’ Association), and Diana Nenadić (Croatian Film Association) said that “The author has used the heavily reduced animation means of the game of retro-poetics and stop motion to find not only ways to make everyday tasks fun with humorous details, but also the tools of a deeper account of the pathology of love”.

The film Gamer Girl was screened as part of the Short Pula Programme at the Istrian National Theatre on the first day of the Festival.