‘78 Days’ by Emilija Gašić crowned with Explore Award 2024

Every edition, Film Fest Gent engages a number of avid cinephiles between 18 and 26 years old to immerse themselves in the films with the Explore Zone tag, a selection of films that speak to the generation of youngsters. This youth jury carefully considers each film and hands out the Explore Award. This year's jury consisted of Beyza Çalışkan, Nona De Dier, Winde Goderis, Matan Grouper and Karlijn Harsevoort. They were joined by MNM reporter Imane Boudadi. In the end, the jury chose 78 Days as their winner of a competition with seventeen films, including Belgian features Julie Keeps Quiet (Leonardo van Dijl), Ana + yek (Zohra Benhammou, Romy Mana) and BXL (Monir Ait Hamou, Ish Ait Hamou).

78 Days is the feature debut of Serbian director Emilija Gašić. Starting from her own childhood memories during the Kosovo war, Gašić created a hybrid documentary, unique in its kind, about the conflict and its impact on an entire generation of Serbian citizens. The film consists solely of video camera footage made by three sisters, who record their daily life to keep their father at the front up to date. As the weeks go by, the line between documentation and enactment slowly fades.

De jury: “We’ve chosen one of the smaller films from the Explore Zone section, but one that left the biggest impression on each of us. Filming with a Hi8 camera, Emilija Gasic made us believe we were witnessing a collection of video tapes of three sisters in Serbia with the civil war in the background. Despite its intense subject matter and hyper-realistic atmosphere, 78 Days is perhaps the film that made us laugh the most, thanks in part to a stellar performance by Viktoria Vasiljevic, who plays the youngest sister.

78 Dayshas not yet found a distributor in Belgium. The Belgian distributor releasing the film is granted a media campaign worth €27,000 in newspaper De Morgen, magazine Knack Focus and on MNM.

Special mention for Crossing Istanbul by Levan Akin

The Explore Zone Jury decided to give a Special Mention to queer road movie Crossing Istanbul by Levan Akin. In his fourth feature film, the Turkish director follows the charming Lia who, in search of her estranged niece, ends up in Istanbul’s vibrant queer circles. Crossing Istanbul illuminates the lives and loves of a community that’s often left in the shadows.

The jury about their Special Mention: "Crossing Istanbul is stunning both visually and narratively. Levan Akin convinced us by illuminating the Turkish transgender community with great humanity and tenderness. Add to that a rock-solid mother-son dynamic, and you get an immersive film experience that deserves a special mention."