Winners of the 20th JOAKIMFEST

Oct 13, 2025

Jury decision of the 20th JOAKIMFEST

The Grand Prix “Joakim Vujić” for the best overall performance is unanimously awarded to the play “My Theatre” directed by Boris Liješević, produced by Atelier 212. This gentle and courageous play reminds us of the necessity of taking responsibility for how we use the theater space. “My Theatre” is not just a play about theatre, but a vulnerable encounter with ourselves. Special sensitivity and attentiveness to the significance of the story are the reason for its creation. The director’s sharing of his own experience served as the starting point of a vulnerable collective act that opens up space for individual questioning of all of us. The play is devoid of conclusions about what motivates the theatrical encounter and the creation of the play in general. The character of Dar, embodied through the younger generation director, Nina Rajić Kranjac, points to a new sensibility within the theater, recognizing the need for new voices and making space for young artists.

The Special Award of the City of Kragujevac, awarded by an expert jury, is unanimously awarded to the ensemble of the play “My Theatre”: Branka Šelić, Ana Mandić, Nebojša Ilić, Bojan Žirović, Vojin Ćetković and Boris Liješević. The value of their performance is that they do not imitate or interpret the characters, but rather put themselves at the service of the story, through the unpretentious solidarity of the performers. The ensemble of this play, of which the director is also a part, establishes an atmosphere of ease of storytelling. Together they build an authentic atmosphere with a strong stage presence, with performers who have relieved themselves of the pressures of interpreting characters and relationships, and with attention to the real personalities who motivated the creation of this play.

The three member jury:

Tara Manić, theatre director

Dragana Purković Macan, set designer

Ivana Vuković, actress

In Kragujevac,
October 12, 2025