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AFA Award Nominations (Adriatic Film Awards) 2026 Announced
The second edition of the AFA Awards, taking place from 23 to 25 October in Porto Montenegro, Tivat
The Film and TV Academy of the Adriatic Region, founded by the members of the Adriatic Region Festival Network: Sarajevo Film Festival, Auteur Film Festival Belgrade, and Zagreb Film Festival, announces the nominations for this year's AFA (Adriatic Film and TV Awards) winners. Through these awards, the Academy honors the most significant film achievements and TV series from the region.
The nominations were decided by electronic vote of more than 800 members of the Academy, film and television professionals from various countries and professions within the film industry. They will now also decide on the winners of the AFA Awards.
The second edition of the AFA Awards, taking place from 23 to 25 October in Porto Montenegro, Tivat, Montenegro, will bring together film and television creators and professionals from across the region. The opening of the second edition of the Adriatic Film and TV Awards will be held at the Kotor–Lovćen cable car, while a three-day program in Porto Montenegro will include the gala ceremony awarding ten prizes to film and television works and their creators.
The AFA Awards 2026 for the best works and individuals will be presented at a ceremony on Saturday, 24 October, in Porto Montenegro, Tivat, the event's main partner.
Producers and rights holders of feature and documentary films, as well as TV series, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia were eligible to submit entries for the AFA Awards.
The 2026 AFA Awards for film and TV series are presented in 10 categories. The film category comprises seven awards: Best Film, Best Lead Actress, Best Lead Actor, Rising Star, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Debut Film. The TV series category comprises three awards: Best TV Series, Best Lead Actress, and Best Lead Actor.
This year, the AFA Outstanding Box Office Achievement Award will be presented for the first time.
Free screenings of the nominated works will also be part of the AFA weekend.
2026 AFA Award Nominees:
I. BEST FILM
DJ AHMET (North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia); directed by: Georgi M. Unkovski; producers: Ivan Unkovski, Ivana Shekutkoska
GOD WILL NOT HELP / BOG NEĆE POMOĆI (Croatia, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Slovenia); directed by: Hana Jušić; producer: Ankica Jurić Tilić
MOTHER / MAJKA (Belgium, North Macedonia, Denmark, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina); directed by: Teona Strugar Mitevska; producer: Labina Mitevska
WIND, TALK TO ME / VETRE, PRIČAJ SA MNOM (Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia); directed by: Stefan Đorđević; producer: Dragana Jovović
YUGO FLORIDA (Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro); directed by: Vladimir Tagić; producer: Marija Stojanović
II. BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Jasna Diklić – "The Pavilion" / “Paviljon”
Manuela Martelli – "God Will Not Help" / “Bog neće pomoći”
Noomi Rapace – "Mother" / “Majka”
Hana Selimović – "Yugo Florida"
Dora Akan Zlatanova – "DJ Ahmet"
III. BEST LEAD ACTOR
Stefan Đorđević – "Wind, Talk to Me" / “Vetre, pričaj sa mnom”
Filip Đurić – "How Come It's All Green Out Here?" / “Kako je ovdje tako zeleno?”
Arif Jakup – "DJ Ahmet"
Andrija Kuzmanović – "Yugo Florida"
Nikola Ristanovski – "Mother" / “Majka”
IV. RISING STAR
Marko Grabež – "The Wedding" / “Svadba”
Arif Jakup – "DJ Ahmet"
Jana Milosavljević – "Yugo Florida"
Lamija Salihović – "Komar", “The Hollow” / "Kotlina"
Ana Marija Veselčić – "God Will Not Help" / “Bog neće pomoći”
V. BEST DIRECTOR
Stefan Đorđević – "Wind, Talk to Me" / “Vetre, pričaj sa mnom”
Hana Jušić – "God Will Not Help" / “Bog neće pomoći”
Teona Strugar Mitevska – "Mother" / “Majka”
Vladimir Tagić – "Yugo Florida"
Georgi M. Unkovski – "DJ Ahmet"
VI. BEST SCREENPLAY
Stefan Đorđević – "Wind, Talk to Me" / “Vetre, pričaj sa mnom”
Hana Jušić – "God Will Not Help" / “Bog neće pomoći”
Nikola Ležaić – "How Come It's All Green Out Here?" / “Kako je ovdje tako zeleno?”
Goce Smilevski, Elma Tataragić and Teona Strugar Mitevska – "Mother" / “Majka”
Georgi M. Unkovski – "DJ Ahmet"
VII. BEST DEBUT FILM
Katarina Bogdanović (Kukla) – "Fantasy"
Stefan Đorđević – "Wind, Talk to Me" / “Vetre, pričaj sa mnom”
Ester Ivakič – "Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song" / “Ida, ki je pela tako grdo, da so še mrtvi vstali od mrtvih in zapeli z njo”
Vladimir Tagić – "Yugo Florida"
Georgi M. Unkovski – "DJ Ahmet"
TV SERIES
VIII. BEST TV SERIES
"Black Sun" / “Senke nad Balkanom” (Serbia)
“Komar" (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
"Shame" / “Sram” (Croatia)
"The Monster Behind The Iron Curtain" / “Pošast za železno zaveso” (Slovenia)
“The Hollow" / “Kotlina” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
IX. BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES
Lejla Hakalović – "Komar"
Jana Jakopović – "Shame" / “Sram”
Nina Janković – "Black Sun" / “Senke nad Balkanom”
Nataša Ninković – "Black Sun" / “Senke nad Balkanom”
Snežana Vidović – "The Hollow " / “Kotlina”
X. BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TV SERIES
Dragan Bjelogrlić – "Black Sun" / “Senke nad Balkanom”
Boris Ler – "The Hollow" / “Kotlina”
Igor Skvarica – "Komar"
Borna Šimunek – "Shame" / “Sram”
Feđa Štukan – "The Hollow" / “Kotlina”
* This label does not prejudge the status of Kosovo and is in accordance with Resolution 1244 and the opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo's declaration of independence.