The annual editions of our international ASTERFEST Film Festival (since 2005, founded by its artistic director Goran Trenchovski are dedicated to the professional short & documentary film culture and emphasise its affirmation, popularization and valorization towards the audience.
It is about the AsterFest, a film festival focusing on fiction, documentary and fiction short works of film authors who are coming from or living in the Euro-Atlantic region and other world meridians.
We present the festival programme in the categories: AsterShorts, Merry-Diones, and Tributes.
In previous years we have chosen around 1000 films from 50 countries in the competition, together with a few special programs and several student films.
The main awards for AsterFest film competition are GOLDEN HORSESHOE, SILVER HORSESHOE, BRONZE HORSESHOE, ACO ALEKSOV Award for Best Film Auteur and GJORGI ABADZIEV Award for Best Screenplay.
Former festival mottoes are: Discovering new cinematical spaces, Capture of multicinematical spaces, Boundless film views, Southeastern stories, Euro-Atlantic film signpost, Strumica – openness – creation, Odyssey 2012, Behind the ninth screen, New & old, One film everywhere, everyone at AsterFest, Brief stories - great wisdom., Between fact and fiction, Short cuts, Moves. Paths, New motivations, Aster lights, With new experiences...
It is about the AsterFest, a film festival focusing on fiction, documentary and fiction short works of film authors who are coming from or living in the Euro-Atlantic region and other world meridians.
We present the festival programme in the categories: AsterShorts, Merry-Diones, and Tributes.
In previous years we have chosen around 1000 films from 50 countries in the competition, together with a few special programs and several student films.
The main awards for AsterFest film competition are GOLDEN HORSESHOE, SILVER HORSESHOE, BRONZE HORSESHOE, ACO ALEKSOV Award for Best Film Auteur and GJORGI ABADZIEV Award for Best Screenplay.
Former festival mottoes are: Discovering new cinematical spaces, Capture of multicinematical spaces, Boundless film views, Southeastern stories, Euro-Atlantic film signpost, Strumica – openness – creation, Odyssey 2012, Behind the ninth screen, New & old, One film everywhere, everyone at AsterFest, Brief stories - great wisdom., Between fact and fiction, Short cuts, Moves. Paths, New motivations, Aster lights, With new experiences...
GOLDEN HORSESHOE IVALU by Anders Walter, Pipaluk K. Jørgensen (DNK)
SILVER HORSESHOE HEDGEHOG by D. Mitry (USA)
BRONZE HORSESHOE PINCH by Aimee Patmore, Anna Dvorak (AUS)
ACO ALEKSOV Award TASK by Deyan Angelov (BGR)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award THE SCRIPT by Aleksandra Kardalevska (MKD)
Special Jury MENTIONs AN IRISH GOODBYE by Tom Berkeley, Ross White (UK), TALE AND CORONA by Tomislav Aleksov (MKD),
LUKA by Ice Viranov (MKD)
Best Macedonian Short THE SOUND OF SILENCE by Anastasija Lazarova Pilling (MKD)
Best Student Short THE NEW BEGINNING by Tanja Simonovska (MKD)
Official jury
Goce Ristovski, Drita M. Fazlia, Mili Cumic
SILVER HORSESHOE HEDGEHOG by D. Mitry (USA)
BRONZE HORSESHOE PINCH by Aimee Patmore, Anna Dvorak (AUS)
ACO ALEKSOV Award TASK by Deyan Angelov (BGR)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award THE SCRIPT by Aleksandra Kardalevska (MKD)
Special Jury MENTIONs AN IRISH GOODBYE by Tom Berkeley, Ross White (UK), TALE AND CORONA by Tomislav Aleksov (MKD),
LUKA by Ice Viranov (MKD)
Best Macedonian Short THE SOUND OF SILENCE by Anastasija Lazarova Pilling (MKD)
Best Student Short THE NEW BEGINNING by Tanja Simonovska (MKD)
Official jury
Goce Ristovski, Drita M. Fazlia, Mili Cumic
2006
Official jury
Branko Gapo, Burbuqe Berisha, Manuel Zimmer
GOLDEN Horseshoe
SHUFFLE – POLITICS, BULLSHIT & ROCK’N’ROLL by Ylber Mehmedaliu & Edon Rizvanolli (XKX)
SILVER Horseshoe
SEVDAH – THE BRIDGE THAT SURVIVED by Mira Erdevicki (BIH / GBR)
BRONZE Horseshoe
NEW ELDORADO by Tibor Kocsis (HUN)
gOLDen Projector
COLOURS IN TIME by Stefan Shashkov (MKD)
2007
Official jury
Rada Sesic, Veton Nurkollari, Zoran Stefanovic
GOLDEN Horseshoe
GRANDMOTHERS OF REVOLUTION by Petra Seliskar (SVN/CUB/MKD/NLD)
SILVER Horseshoe
SUGARTOWN: THE BRIDEGROOMS by Kimon Tsakiris (GRC/DEU)
BRONZE Horseshoe
WITH EXTREME CRUELTY by Rossen Elezov (BGR)
gOLDen Projector
THE GIRL AND HER ACCORDION by Biljana Garvanlieva (DEU)
Jury of critics
Blagoja Kunovski, Vlatko Galevski, Ilindenka Petruseva
MOVIELAND Award
ABANDONED EDEN by Eno Milkani (ALB)
2008
Official jury
Antonio Mitrikeski, Lordan Zafranovic, Ilir Harxhi
GOLDEN Horseshoe
THE MOSQUITO PROBLEM AND OTHER STORIES by Andrey Paounov (BGR)
SILVER Horseshoe
HOME by Gjorce Stavreski (MKD/HRV)
BRONZE Horseshoe
SERBIAN NAILS by Dimitar Anakiev (SVN)
gOLDen Projector
SINKING VILLAGE by Marton Szirmai (HUN)
Jury MENTION
ACE SLASH by newcomer Frosina Naumovska (MKD)
HOME cinematographed by Dimo Popov (MKD) & Josip Ivancic (HRV)
Special jury
Ilindenka Petruseva, Ljupco Stojanovski, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
WAVES by Adrian Sitary (ROM)
BEST SHORT
SICK by Mike Rymer (GBR)
2009
Official jury
Slobodan Despotovski, Milan Nikodijevic, Dimitar Anakiev
GOLDEN Horseshoe
THIS WAY UP by Georgi Lazarevski (FRA)
SILVER Horseshoe
INTERROGATION by Namik Kabil (BIH)
BRONZE Horseshoe
RENE by Helena Trestikova (CZE)
gOLDen Projector
BERRIES FROM BROD by Erik Fusco (NLD)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
AT DAYBREAK by Gjorce Stavreski (MKD)
Jury MENTION
CHILD by Aljosa Simjanovski (MKD)
Special jury
Stefan Sidovski, Jagoda Mihajlovska-Georgieva, Jani Bojadzi, Marija Dzidzeva, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
THE BR(E)AKING POINT by Igor Toholj (SRB)
BEST SHORT
2 BIRDS by Runar Runarsson (ISL)
Special Jury MENTION
HELIUM by Giuseppe Schettino (ITA/SRB)
ONE by Vardan Tozija (MKD)
2010
Official jury
Boro Draskovic, Marija Perovic, Karpo Godina
GOLDEN Horseshoe
COUNTRYSIDE by Evgeny Solomin (RUS)
SILVER Horseshoe
GOODBYE, HOW ARE YOU? by Boris Mitic (SRB)
BRONZE Horseshoe
LOOK AT THE LIFE THROUGH MY EYES by Marija Dzidzeva (MKD/HRV)
gOLDen Projector
ALBERT’S WINTER by Andreas Koefoed (DNK)
BEST SHORT
LOVE CHILD by Daniel Wirtberg (SWE)
Special jury
Suncica Unevska, Gena Teodosievska, Vlatko Galevski
ACO ALEKSOV Award
TOBACCO GIRL by Biljana Garvanlieva (DEU)
MOVIELAND Award
CLOUD CATHER by Miha Knific (SVN)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
SADUJ: HIS CONFESSION by Juan José Surace (ESP)
Special Jury MENTION
INSIDE by Ivan Ivanovski (MKD)
THE END OF THE WORLD by Jani Bojadzi (MKD)
2011
Official jury
Sonja Henrici, Kimon Tsakiris, Sasko Nasev
GOLDEN Horseshoe
THE SEAMSTRESSES by Biljana Garvanlieva (DEU/MKD)
SILVER Horseshoe
OUT OF LOVE by Birgitte Staermose (DNK)
BRONZE Horseshoe
PANDORA by Virgil Vernier (FRA)
gOLDen Projector
TICKLAND by Isabelle Tollenaere (BEL)
BEST SHORT
THE CAGE by Adrian Sitary (ROU)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
THE SEAMSTRESSES by Biljana Garvanlieva (DEU/MKD)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
HOMELAND by Juan de Dios Marfil (CZE/ESP)
Jury MENTION
GLOW by Tomislav Aleksov (MKD)
HANSEL AND GRETEL by Goce Cvetanovski (MKD)
Special jury
Stojan Sinadinov, Risto Tasev, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
YELLOW MOON by Zvonimir Juric (HRV)
2012
Official jury
Vladimir Blazevski, Srdja Penezic, Aleksandar Stiglic
GOLDEN Horseshoe
CUTTING LOOSE by Finlay Pretsell & Adrian McDowall (GBR)
SILVER Horseshoe
FRAMING THE OTHER by Ilja Kok & Willem Timmers (NLD)
BRONZE Horseshoe
CLAES by Martina Carlstedt (SWE)
gOLDen Projector
LEONID’S STORY by Rainer Ludwigs (DEU/UKR)
BEST SHORT
BARDO by Marija Apcevska (MKD)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
BARDO by Marija Apcevska (MKD)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
THE PIANO by Levon Minasian (ARM/FRA)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
THE LOST TOWN OF SWITEZ by Kamil Polak (POL)
Jury MENTION
INFIRMITY by Seçkin Yalın, Yiğit Pehlivan, Dilan Sarı, Fulya Tokaoğlu (TUR)
TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF A COCK by Vladimir Perovic (MNE)
Special jury
Ferid Muhic, Aco Gogov, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
I WILL FORGET THIS DAY by Alina Rudnitskaya (RUS)
2013
Official jury
Tomislav Aleksov, Youlia Kantcheva, Lefteris Fylaktos
GOLDEN Horseshoe
TOMORROW WE WILL LIVE AGAIN by Corinna Giesen (DEU)
SILVER Horseshoe
I WILL CARRY YOU TO THE SEASIDE by Manca Filak (SVN)
BRONZE Horseshoe
THE KINGDOM by Bartosz Kruhlik (POL)
gOLDen Projector
DEATH OF A SHADOW by Tom Van Avermaet (BEL)
BEST SHORT
TO GUARD A MOUNTAIN by Izer Aliu (MKD/NOR)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
MACEDONIANS IN ISTANBUL by Elizabeta Koneska (MKD)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
ALL OF THAT by Branislav Milatovic (MNE)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
BODY MEMORY by Ullo Pikov (EST)
Jury MENTION
KING JOHN, ACT IV, SCENE I by Jonnie Hurn & John Last (GBR)
SECRETS AND DOUBTS by Zelimir Gvardiol (SRB)
ROUND TRIP by Zarko Ivanov (MKD)
Special jury
Darijan Pejovski, Ice Viranov, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
THE USER’S MANUAL by Jana Minarikova (SVK)
2014
Official jury
Birgit Stauber, Zelimir Gvardiol, Stefan Shashkov
GOLDEN Horseshoe
POOP ON POVERTY by Vijay S. Jodha (ZAF/IND/DNK)
SILVER Horseshoe
THE KALUSZ I THOUGHT I KNEW by Bernard Dichek (ISR/UKR)
BRONZE Horseshoe
SKY by Dinno Kasalo (BIH)
gOLDen Projector
BIRDIE by Ewa Kochanska (POL)
BEST SHORT
HELIUM by Anders Walter (DNK)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
GOOD TIME TO DIE by Senad Abduli (MKD)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
AMEL by More Raca (XKX)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
MR. HUBLOT by Laurent Witz (FRA/LUX)
Jury MENTION
SOUNDS FOR MAZIN by Ingrid Kamerling (NLD)
THE HEAT by Bartosz Kruhlik (POL)
THE LITERARY HOAXES by Joris Clerté (FRA)
Special jury
Ivo Jankov, Toni Dimkov, Vlatko Galevski
MOVIELAND Award
FIRST SIGHT by Juliana Neuhuber (AUT)
SOUNDLESS by Siegmund Skalar (AUT)
2015
Official jury
Janko Baljak, Boris Missirkov, Atanas Chuposki
GOLDEN Horseshoe
AS YOU LIKE IT by Paula Onet (ROU)
SILVER Horseshoe
NOTHING LEFT UNSAID by Anne-Marieke Graafmans (NLD)
BRONZE Horseshoe
LIVE, SOLDIER, LIVE by Kirsten Gaynet (RUS)
gOLDen PROJECTOR
THE CAVE by Ahmed Ghoneimy (EGY/MKD)
BEST SHORT
BY ACCIDENT by Zhora Kryzhovnikov (RUS)
ACO ALEKSOV Award:
THE PHONE CALL by Mat Kirkby (GBR)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
MORE THAN TWO HOURS by Ali Asgari (IRN)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
SWEET COCOON by Matéo Bernard, Matthias Bruget, Jonathan Duret, Manon Marco and Quentin Puiraveau (FRA)
Jury MENTIONS
DUB PLAY by Nemanja Lazic (SRB), THE HEN by Vasil Bedoshvili (RUS), UNCLE by Pero Kovancaliev (MKD)
Special jury
Dina Duma, Vasko Magleshov, Aleksandar Filev
MOVIELAND Award
LOSING COLORS by Ozan Gönen (TUR)
2016
Official jury
Rusomir Bogdanovski, Narcisa Darijevic Markovic, Nicolas Neuhold
GOLDEN Horseshoe
UPSTAIR’S NEIGHBOUR by Pooya Badkoobeh (IRN)
SILVER Horseshoe
SHINING DARKNESS by Arsim Fazlia (MKD)
BRONZE Horseshoe
STUTTERER by Benjamin Cleary (IRL)
gOLDen PROJECTOR
ROUND TRIP: MARY by Zarko Ivanov (MKD)
BEST SHORT
THE SEED by Barney Frydman (BEL/FRA)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
CIRCUS DEBERE BERHAN by Lukas Berger (PRT/DEU)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
SON by Phillip Sotnychenko (UKR)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
BEAR STORY by Gabriel Osorio Vargas (CHL)
Jury MENTIONS
CHAMP DE POSSIBLES by Christina Picchi (CAN/SWE/ITA), CHICKENPOX by Fulvio Risuleo (ITA), BOBO’S METAMORPHOSES by Daria Kopiec (POL), RUPESTRE by Enrique Diego (ESP)
Special jury
Kole Malinov, Zoja Buzalkovska, Nikola Sarajlija
MOVIELAND Award
DEAR GOD by Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv (ISR)
2017
Official jury
Natalja Althauser, Elena Melloncelli, Srdjan Fink
GOLDEN Horeshoe
JOE'S VIOLIN by Kahane Cooperman (USA)
S ILVER Horseshoe
WOMEN by Anastasia Kouzyakova (RUS)
BRONZE Horseshoe
THE VISITORS by Theo Papadoulakis (GRC)
gOLDen PROJECTOR
THE DRUNKARD'S WALK by Pol Armengol (ESP)
BEST SHORT FICTION FILM
LIVE by Elena Piskareva (RUS)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
FACES by Hanis Bagashov (MKD)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
SING by Kristof Deak (HUN)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
THE AIRPLANE by Jesus Martinez Nota (ESP)
Jury MENTIONs
MESS by Ilya Zheltyakov (RUS), THE WALKER by Thibault Chollet (FRA), INTERMEZZO by Dusan Zoric (SRB)
2019
Official jury
Danco Cevreski, Ed Godsell, Ginka Andreeva, Andrej Kosak
GOLDEN Horseshoe
THE MONK by Zarko Ivanov (MKD)
SILVER Horseshoe
THE LAST STORM by Liam Saint-Pierre (GBR)
BRONZE Horseshoe
TRUST by Juliana Neuhuber (AUT)
gOLDen Projector
EXODUS 20. by Jana Nedzvetskaya (RUS)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
PET-MAN by Marziyeh Abrar Paidar (IRN)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
ONE SMALL STEP by Bobby Pontillas and Andrew Chesworth (CHN/USA)
Jury MENTIONs
THE WATER by Kiril Karakash & Svetislav Podleshanov (MKD), MARQUET PLACE by Annick Christiaens (BEL)
2020
Official jury
Marian Tutui, Eleni Chandrinou, Goran Radovanovic
GOLDEN Horseshoe
MARIE by Panayotis Kravvaris (GRC)
SILVER Horseshoe
ORIGIN OF MAN by Pjotr Sapegin (NOR/SWE)
BRONZE Horseshoe
ZOMBIES by Baloji (BEL/COD)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
PHONE DUTY by Elnar Kamalov (RUS)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
ONE OF MANY by Petra Zlonoga (HRV)
2021
Official jury
Panayotis Kravvaris, Eno Milkani, Julija Milkova
GOLDEN Horseshoe
THE SAVERINI WIDOW by Loic Gaillard (FRA)
SILVER Horseshoe
THE BEST CITY IS NO CITY AT ALL by Christoph Schwartz (AUT)
BRONZE Horseshoe
THE PASSERBY by Pieter Coudyzer (BEL)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
OUR LADY’S PEACE by Vladimir Perovic (MNE)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
HE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS by Konstantin Bronzit (RUS)
2022
Official jury
Mimi Gjorgoska-Ilievska, Vladimir Perovic, Mimoza Reyl, Stole Angelov
GOLDEN Horseshoe
WITNESS by Ali Asgari (IRN)
SILVER Horseshoe
RAINBOW by Aleksandar Vujovic (MNE)
BRONZE Horseshoe
ON MY MIND by Martin Strange-Hansen (DNK)
ACO ALEKSOV Award
MY UNCLE TUDOR by Olga Lucovnicova (MDA)
GJORGI ABADZIEV Award
THE HANGMAN AT HOME by Uri & Michelle Kranot (FRA)
Special Jury MENTION DISPLACED by Samir Karahoda (XKX)
Graphic design: Luka Trenchovski