The 22nd Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival Awards Ceremony took place on Saturday, the 11th of July. The following awards were given:
HONORARY VICIOUS CAT FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF FANTASTIC CINEMA
The Honorary Vicious Cat was received by legendary actress Caroline Munro.
VICIOUS CAT for best feature film:
THE NIGHT / GAUA
Spain; 2025
Directed by: Paul Urkijo Alijo
Special mention:
THE ONES WHO GRIEVE / LES ÂMES EN PEINE
France; 2026
Directed by: Quarxx
NOISY CAT for best music documentary:
NO COMPROMISES, BELGRADE
Germany, Serbia; 2026
Directed by: Alexander Baptiste Kaiser
Special mention:
CELTIC UTOPIA
Sweden, Ireland; 2025
Directed by: Dennis Harvey, Lars Lovén
SLAK'S VICIOUS CAT for best short film:
KING OF NOTHING / KRALJ NIČEGA
Serbia; 2024
Directed by: Aleksa Gajić
MELIES D'ARGENT, the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation award for best European fantastic short film:
YOU MUST SEE IT / TENÉIS QUE VERLO
Spain; 2025
Directed by: Nacho Solana
AUDIENCE AWARD for best feature film:
NEVER AFTER DARK / NEBÂ AFUTÂ DÂKU
Japan; 2026
Directed by: Dave Boyle
VICIOUS CAT WINE CHAMPION for best wine:
YELLOW MUSCAT 2025 (Vina Polanec)
Jury motivations:
VICIOUS CAT
Jury: Caroline Munro, Tomaž Gorkič, Ana Jurc
Paul Urkijo Alijo, an old acquaintance of the festival, returns with a portrait of patriarchal violence and religious dogma nested in the Basque mountains. Through the prism of the 17th century, he addresses the issue of contemporary social structure between sexes. The legacy of the European fairy tales and mythology serves as the basis for exploration of the theme of female sexuality and identity; his expressionist game of shadows alludes to the foundations of classic European painting. We were also impressed by the extraordinary convincing visual and purposefully aestheticized historic image of the movie as a whole. Despite the brutality of the story, the director didn't resort to explicit scenes of violence, but rather chose to manifest the image of violence through the visual fairy-tale like narrative of the film.
Special mention:
Quarxx wrote a fascinating alternative history of France, where a mask of devout piety obscures sadistic fanatism which is, of course, inflicted upon the weakest members of society. The story shows a highly beliavable clash of traditional way of life and technological progress, where both use fanaticism as means to convince the people.
NOISY CAT
Jury: Igor Vidmar, Robert Jurak, Živa Jalovec
Music documentary No Compromises, Belgrade is an exceptional, up-to-date and relevant no-budget docu that effectively uses and edits digital technology to capture the spirit of participation of live music in a social protest movement. It captures the dichotomy between current reality and music underground, and documents the inspiring message: "Do not despair."
Special mention:
Special mention goes to Celtic Utopia, which vividly, even shockingly, documents the musical language of rebellion and affirmation, survival and inter-generational connection through the original, Gaelic language and culture.
SLAK'S VICIOUS CAT
Jury: Julian Richards, Vasja Rovšnik, Ana Marija Grbić
From a terrific selection of shorts, and after some deliberation, the jury agreed to present the Slak's Vicious Cat award to King of Nothing by Serbian director Aleksa Gajić for its hilariously sardonic celebration of male mid-life crisis. The poetic pessimism of the dialogue was more than matched by the strikingly dark comic book visuals which depict a pre-apocalyptic Belgrade through the mind of its jaded protagonist.
MELIES D'ARGENT
Jury: Julian Richards, Vasja Rovšnik, Ana Marija Grbić
The jury unanimously decided to award this year's prize to You Must See It, screened in the Méliès d' argent competition. Through its meticulous construction of a haunting atmosphere, the film exposes, ironizes, and satirizes the false ideals and expectations often associated with parenthood. Using a restrained and economical cinematic language, the director skillfully overcomes the limitations of a modest production, crafting an intimate and claustrophobic family drama. By leaving room for multiple interpretations in its final moments, the film continues to resonate beyond the screen and invites the audience into an active dialogue with its themes.
