– Directed and partially filmed by Roman Ostrovskyi, a soldier with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the documentary incorporating his first-hand experiences is his debut feature
l-r: Roman Ostrovskyi, Tobias Römer, Iryna Kyporenko, Rebecca Heiler, Salomé Alexi, Klára Tasovská, Ruben Ghazaryan, Radek Lipka, Eszter Tompa and Gints Grūbe during the awards ceremony
The 26th goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film (21-27 April) concluded with a warm and atmospheric awards ceremony at the Caligari FilmBühne in Wiesbaden on Sunday evening, wrapping up another politically engaged and artistically diverse edition. Over the course of seven days, the festival screened 76 films and welcomed more than 120 international guests, while also marking its first year under the leadership of artistic director Rebecca Heiler, who took over from long-time head Heleen Gerritsen in June 2025.
The Golden Lily for Best Film, endowed with €10,000, was awarded to Roman Ostrovskyi’s Clouds Move with Great Speed from Ukraine, produced by Iryna Kyporenko. The international jury, presided over by Georgian filmmaker Salomé Alexi, and also leaning on the expertise of Czech documentary director Klára Tasovská, Polish festival organiser and curator Radek Lipka, Latvian producer and director Gints Grūbe, and Transylvanian actress Eszter Tompa, singled out the film’s urgency and ethical power, emphasising its importance in documenting Russian war crimes in Ukraine. They highlighted the filmmaker’s dual role as both director and soldier, praising the work as a testimony to “humanity under inhuman circumstances”, and a powerful act of responsibility and courage.
The Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director went to Ivana Mladenović for Sorella di clausura, a grotesque comedy that follows an educated but unemployed woman navigating life’s absurdities. The jury commended Mladenović’s “refreshing female gaze” and her skilful use of dark humour to interrogate the role of women on the margins of society, as well as her bold search for a distinct cinematic language.
The Best Documentary Film Award was presented to Outliving Shakespeare by Inna Sahakyan and Ruben Ghazaryan, set in an Armenian retirement home where elderly residents are rehearsing a play, thus sketching a tender and humane portrayal that challenges stereotypes around ageing. The film also received the FIPRESCI Award for Documentary Film, while the Fiction Feature Prize of the critics’ jury, composed of Mariola Wiktor from Poland, Silvia Bahl from Germany and Stojan Sinadinov from North Macedonia, went to Cat on My Mind by Latvian master Laila Pakalniņa for its poetic, essayistic approach built from found photographic negatives, and its reflection on memory and cinematic perception.
A Special Mention from the international jury went to the Polish documentary The Queen and the Smokehouse by Iga Lis, an intimate portrait of a seaside worker, which also won the €1,000 Audience Award, sponsored by the DFF Patrons’ Circle.
The €2,500 RheinMain Short Film Award was presented to Slovenia’s Kismet by Žiga Virc for its bold audiovisual language. Meanwhile, the 3sat Broadcast Selection went to The Beauty of the Donkey by Dea Gjinovci, a hybrid documentary interweaving personal and historical narratives connected to Kosovo’s past.
Finally, in the East-West Talent Lab, Trëndelina Halili from Kosovo won the Pitch-the-Doc Award for Dreams Covered in Chrome. The €3,500 Renovabis Research Grant went to I Only Pray to Sara Kali by Mihaela Drăgan from Romania, while Ukrainian filmmaker Kyrylo Naumko’s Round Glasses received a Special Mention.
Here is the full list of award winners:
Golden Lily for Best Film
Clouds Move with Great Speed – Roman Ostrovskyi (Ukraine)
Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director
Ivana Mladenović – Sorella di clausura (Italy/Romania/Serbia/Spain)
Special Mention of the International Jury
The Queen and the Smokehouse – Iga Lis (Poland)
goEast Award for Best Documentary Film
Outliving Shakespeare – Inna Sahakyan, Ruben Ghazaryan (Armenia/Netherlands)
FIPRESCI Award for Fiction Feature
Cat on My Mind – Laila Pakalniņa (Latvia)
FIPRESCI Award for Documentary Film
Outliving Shakespeare – Inna Sahakyan, Ruben Ghazaryan
RheinMain Short Film Award
Kismet – Žiga Virc (Slovenia/Croatia)
3sat Broadcast Selection
The Beauty of the Donkey – Dea Gjinovci (Czech Republic/Kosovo/France/USA)
East-West Talent Lab
Pitch-the-Doc Award
Dreams Covered in Chrome – Trëndelina Halili (Kosovo)
Renovabis Research Grant
I Only Pray to Sara Kali – Mihaela Drăgan (Romania)
Special Mention at the Project Market Pitch (East-West Talent Lab)
Round Glasses – Kyrylo Naumko (Ukraine)
