Heartstone, an Icelandic drama film directed by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, was voted best film of the 16th CineDays Festival of European Cinema that took place on Nov. 9-19 in Skopje.
"The coming-of-age film is a heartfelt, deep insight into the problems facing teenagers," the 3-member jury said in its elaboration of the decision to pick Heartsone out of eight movies.
György Kristóf for his work on Out (Slovakia-France-Hungary-Czech Republic co-production) won the best director award.
Amerika Square, written by Vangelis Mourikis, Yannis Sakaridis, Yannis Tsirbas, scooped best screenplay.
Out of the CineBalkan official selection, which included six films, Daybreak by Albanian director Gentian Koçi was named best film.
This year's CineDays festival was closed Sunday evening with the Macedonian premiere of The Secret Ingredient.
The film, directed by Macedonian up-and-coming director Gjorce Stavreski, had its world premiere last week at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, where it received an audience award.
The film's cast and crew received a standing ovation while getting on the stage after its premiere screening.
The Secret Ingredient is the first ever Macedonian-Greek co-production (Fragment Film productions and GRAAL S.A.).
"The film in Greece was very well received. It was a kind of a bridge between the two cultures. I believe in fact we only have a political issue," Stavreski said.
The Secret Ingredient is now in movie theaters in Skopje.
