Tonight, the National Theater in Mostar hosted an award ceremony, and this year's 22nd edition of the International Comedy Festival "Mostarska Liska" was officially declared closed by the President of the City Council of the City of Mostar, Mr. Đani Rahimić.
"I want to praise the work of the National Theater in Mostar and thank them for preserving, I would say, this spirit of Mostar. So, a humor that we in Mostar are proud of. We are, of course, also proud of the word, so this name of the festival really has a long tradition that we are all proud of. That's why I thank them for keeping this festival alive all these years," Rahimić pointed out.
The director of the National Theater in Mostar, Emir Spahić, thanked everyone who, with their efforts and commitment, contributed to the realization of another successful edition of the festival.
"22 editions, nothing special, a number, let's move on... Of course not. 22 editions, 22 years in which Mostar laughed together, 22 years of applause, laughter, work, sweat. That means much more than a number. I want to thank all the actors who left a part of themselves on stage, the directors who dared to work, the producers who made it all possible, and of course the technical and administrative staff who brought it all together in one place on the stage of the National Theater Mostar. They say that we will close the festival tonight, but I would rather say that we will only take a short break until next year, when we will return even braver and better. Let's protect what we have built through these 22 editions and 34 years of existence," Spahić emphasized.
The expert jury at this year's edition of the festival "Mostarska liska" was composed of Admir Glamočak, Tanja Miletić Oručević and Jelena Kordić, and the Velika liska - Grand Prix of the festival - awarded the prize for the best play as a whole to the play "Broken Jug" of the National Theater of the Republic of Srpska.
"On behalf of the National Theatre of the RS and on my own behalf, I would like to first thank the National Theatre Mostar for the warm welcome. We are not actually guests here, we are colleagues here and we often stay here, but after 2009, it is truly a pleasure for me to be able to bring back the Grand Prix from Mostar – the award for the best performance of the festival. I would like to thank the Expert Jury for recognizing the quality and effort of the National Theatre of the RS. I wish the National Theatre Mostar that this kind of festival, which cherishes laughter like few other festivals in the region, will last, that it will somehow resist all challenges, we are here together on a difficult path in circumstances that, I hope, will one day be much easier," emphasized Dijana
Grbić, director of the National Theatre of Republika Srpska.
The Grand Liska, the award for best direction, and the Ahmet Obradović plaque were awarded by the expert jury to Andras Urban for the play "The Peasant Opera" by the Sarajevo National Theatre. The Grand Liska, the award for best actress of the festival, was won by Anja Šovagović – Despot, an actress from the Planet Art Theatre in Zagreb, while the Grand Liska, the award for best actor of the festival, was won by Mario Drmać, an actor from the Sarajevo Youth Theatre.
"When I was going from Sarajevo to Mostar, I tried to count all those coots, small and large, and I think this is the ninth or tenth coot that I have won here. A large number indeed and somehow I already feel like a tradition, so I hope that this tradition will last. I would like to express my great praise to the members of the Expert Jury who are my friends and colleagues, and especially to the president of the jury, Professor Admir Glamočak. He is the only one who is responsible for why I do this job and all his indications, his transferred knowledge, even the criticisms if I may say so, although he insulted us when we mention criticizing someone, somehow they are my students every time I go on stage," emphasized the actor of the Sarajevo Youth Theatre Mario Drmać.
The media jury, which consisted of Mladenka Krilić, Mirjana Topić Landek and Dragan Radovanović Čali, awarded the Big Liska Award for the best play as chosen by the media to the play "A Fairy Tale about the Theater" by the National Theater in Mostar.
After counting the votes of the audience, the audience jury, which consisted of Nada Dalipagić, Edna Isić Balić and Enila Dugalić, awarded the Great Coot, the prize for the best performance as chosen by the audience to the play "Tere and Luce" of the Planet Art Theater from Zagreb.
"I would like to thank the Mostar National Theatre with all my heart for yet another wonderful welcome. Then, to the Mostar audience with whom the Planet Art Theatre clearly has a special chemistry, because this is the third time we have come to the festival and this is the second audience award, in addition to the others we have won. There really is that chemistry that we felt yesterday in this hall at this performance. We are a small theatre on wheels, as they say, and for us, this kind of recognition that we receive in communities with which we are just establishing contact is the best sign that we are on the right track and that our art can truly unite and connect. Thank you for the wonderful reception that says that art is exactly what unites us."
and that there should be more of them and let the "Mostarska liska" live as long as possible, pointed out Marko Torjanac, director of the Planet Art Theatre from Zagreb.
After the awards ceremony, the audience had the opportunity to enjoy a concert by the Filmmusicorkestar trio from Zagreb, which was held in honor of the awardees.
The patrons of the festival are the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Government of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, the Assembly of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, the City of Mostar and the Foundation for Music, Performing Arts and Fine Arts.
Sponsors of the festival are BH Telecom, UniCredit Bank, BH Pošta, HNK Tourist Board, Imperial Vineyards Winery Mostar, Jurišić Dental Clinic and Threading bar. Media partners of the festival are mostarski.ba, bljesak.info, RSG and Radio MIX.
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