WorldFest-Houston 2026 (April 24 to May 3) is recognized as one of the oldest independent film festivals in the world, and the inclusion of the film "Obraz" in the very finale of the festival, which every year brings a cross-section of successful world projects, is a significant step for this film and for Montenegrin cinema as a whole. As a friend of the production, the award was received by a Montenegrin actress temporarily working in America - Gordana Pajović Aviv, who also had a Q&A with the audience after the screening of the film.
"Selections in such an environment are a precious opportunity to share our story of universal human values and ethical postulates again with the professional public and audience in the USA. The honor of closing the 59th edition of this American festival and - especially - the award for our colleague Stanislav Nikičević, whose work continues to live on - make us proud," the production team emphasizes.
International success and regional cooperation
This is already the fifth American festival for "Obraz" (after its success in Palm Springs), and the 21st award in total on the festival route that has included 31 international festivals so far. Let us remind you that "Obraz" is also this year's Montenegrin candidate for the Oscar and brings together an impressive regional team. Along with Montenegrin actors: Aleksandar Radulović, Branimir Popović, Ana Vučković and the legendary Zef Bat Dedivanović in his last role, the main role is played by Edon Rizvanoll (awarded with three international awards for this film), and he is accompanied by Nikola Ristanovski, Igor Benčina, Alban Ukaj, Selman Jusufi, Xhejlane Terbunja, while a special touch to the film was given by children selected after months of casting: Elez Adžović, Vuk Bulajić, Merisa Adžović and Hana Pavlović. The film was made over eight long years, and behind the film's visual identity is the director of photography Đorđe Stojiljković, who has already been awarded four international awards for his work on this project. The script is written by Ana Vujadinović and Melina Pota, with the cooperation of director Vukčević. The team also includes set designer Stanislav Nikičević, costume designer Lidija Jovanović, composer Dušan Maksimovski, as well as vocal artists Sara and Milica Vujadinović, editor Olga Toni, sound designers Igor Vujović and Dario Domitrović, and visual effects master Djuro Mihaljević. The producers are Milorad Radenović and Nikola Vukčević (Galileo production Montenegro), Nevena Savić and Ivica Vidanović (Cinnamon Films, Serbia), Dario Domitrović (Embrio, Croatia), with associate producers Christoph Thoke (Mogador Film, Germany) and Boris Raonić on behalf of RTCG. The executive producers are Milorad Radenović and Jelena Filipović. The film was realized with the support of the Film Center of Montenegro, the Film Center of Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Center, the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, RTCG and CEKUM. It is particularly worth noting that at the co-production competition of the Film Center of Serbia in November 2020, Obraz came in first place among about fifty projects, winning support in the amount of around 60,000 euros. The reputable American film magazine Variety described OBRAZ as A powerful historical drama, captivating, moving, meticulously detailed, that truly resonates in our contemporary moment..
