On Monday, July 28, 2025, the first edition of the international “Seven Issues Film Festival” (7IFF) was held at Kino Edison in Karlovac. This one-day festival presented a total of 28 short films from 20 different countries in a morning and an afternoon screening. The festival is conceptually divided into seven categories under which authors aged 18 to 30 submitted their films: Discrimination, Environment, Health, Poverty, Violence, Women’s Rights, and Youth Empowerment. The first edition of the festival proved to be a great success, as 28 finalists were selected from nearly 3,000 submitted films.
The festival concluded with a festive award ceremony, during which the young international jury presented seven prizes—one for each of the seven categories. The awards went to winners from the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Iran, South Africa, and Serbia. The South African film The Passage received the award for best film in the “Violence” category and was also honored with the Audience Award. Meanwhile, the Serbian film by 18-year-old director Lazar Jovanović not only won in the “Youth Empowerment” category but also received the festival’s Golden Grand Prix.
Tamara Perković, jury member and president of Kinoklub Karlovac, explained why this particular film was chosen for the Grand Prix:
“The film Breaking Point by young author Lazar Jovanović carries an exceptionally powerful and timely message connected to current events in Serbia. The film provoked a chain of emotions in the audience, especially among those from the region who closely follow what is happening in neighboring Serbia. Choosing this film as the flagship of the festival is both a gesture of support and an effort to empower young people who persist together in the hope and idea of achieving something for their future. Compared to the other 27 competing films, Breaking Point fully embodied the festival’s mission—to raise awareness, encourage reflection, and inspire action. We congratulate the young author on his courage and persistence and wish him success in his further creative work.”
Alongside Tamara Perković, the jury included professor and graphic designer Ana Vine, Kino Edison program associate and Kinoklub Karlovac vice-president Ksenija Sanković, as well as festival organizers Antonio Britvar and Rebeka Čuljak.
In addition to screenings and the award ceremony, young jury members actively participated in the accompanying program, which featured workshops on documentary filmmaking and acting/working with actors in film, a panel discussion with representatives of Croatian NGOs addressing global issues, and a guest evening screening of the French film The Virgin by director Catherine Breillat.
The “Seven Issues Film Festival” is a traveling event, with its second edition set to take place next summer in the heart of France—Paris.
Official festival catalogue is available here: https://bit.ly/7IFF25book
The project was co-funded by the European Solidarity Corps of the European Union, the City of Karlovac, the Agency for Electronic Media, and Europe Direct Karlovac.
