The MIOB New Vision Award 2025 was presented during the 22nd edition of the Crossing Europe Film Festival (Linz) to director Iva Radivojević for her film “Kada Je Zazvonio Telefon”(When the Phone Rang), a work that “stood out for its imaginative power, stylistic courage and ability to stimulate deep reflections.” The jury composed of Marta Bałaga, Annina Wettstein, and Neil Young, who praised the film for its originality and narrative sensitivity, awarded the win.
The film opens on a spring Friday in 1992. The young protagonist, 11 years old, answers a phone call that will change everything: that call represents the moment of fracture, in which not only the reality of the little girl, but also that of an entire country, already on the verge of being overwhelmed by war, crumbles. The war remains in the background, but the echo of that phone call will continue to resonate in the protagonist’s memory for decades.
Kada Je Zazvonio Telefon, which had its Italian premiere during the 36th edition of the Trieste Film Festival, was presented within the Wild Roses section, dedicated this year to female directors from Serbia and curated by Stefan Ivančić.
The MIOB New Vision Award recognition highlights the talent of an authorial voice capable of addressing universal issues through a personal and deeply empathetic gaze.
Here is the film’s fact sheet: https://triestefilmfestival.it/film/kada-je-zazvonio-telefon/
