Film director and Oscar winner Edward Berger has received the honorary Maverick Award, which the Cinehill festival bestows on filmmakers who fearlessly push boundaries and cultivate a distinctive cinematic voice. The ceremony took place in the unique setting of the Damside Theatre in Fužine, where the audience gave the laureate a warm welcome against the backdrop of a cool Gorski Kotar evening. Accepting the award, Edward Berger thanked those gathered for their warm reception and support.
“Thank you for coming – I am very happy to be here. For me, every new film is a completely new experience. When I make a film, I learn from my crew and from people all around the world. I learned a great deal from the boys you will have the chance to see tonight in my film Jack”, said Berger.
The award was presented to this year’s laureate by celebrated director Goran Marković, himself a Maverick Award recipient in 2013.
“This is a very unique festival and I like it very much. The Berlin Film Festival has the Golden Bear, and I suggested to director Igor Mirković that he should introduce an award called the White Bear – because it is truly remarkable that people here endure such low temperatures. They clearly love film and they love this festival. In fact, what matters is not how big the audience is at the screening, but how well they know film”, said Marković.
Picking up on the remark about the Gorski Kotar climate with a smile, Cinehill Director Igor Mirković, added that the people of Gorski Kotar are exceptionally resilient and that all of us have a great deal to learn from them.
The awards ceremony was followed by the screening of Berger’s acclaimed social drama Jack from 2014. Alongside this, his most celebrated films All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave have also screened in Fužine as part of a mini-retrospective. Over the course of his career, Edward Berger has directed festival art-house hits, major productions, one of the most successful European series of this century, and has recently ventured into directing a groundbreaking VR film.
Festival audiences will have the opportunity to get to know the work and thinking of this year’s Maverick Award recipient up close, on Saturday, at 17:00 in Rakov Jarak, where selector and film critic Jurica Pavičić will be in conversation with Edward Berger.
