JSFF Feature Film Winners: Japanese & Serbian Cinema Shine at the 12th Annual Edition

From contemporary Japanese storytelling to groundbreaking Serbian debut voices — discover the feature-film winners of JSFF.

Audiences searching for Japanese films, new Japanese cinema, or the latest highlights from Serbian auteur filmmaking found an exceptional lineup at the 12th Japanese-Serbian Film Festival (JSFF). This year’s feature program brought together powerful narratives, cross-cultural collaborations and standout directorial visions from Japan and Serbia. With growing global interest in Japanese independent cinema and Southeast European storytelling, JSFF continues to position Belgrade as a key meeting point for East-West film culture. Here are the official winners of the festival’s feature-film competition.

JSFF GRAND PRIX

Wind, Talk to Me

(Stefan Djordjevic, Serbia, 2024)

The wind blowing on the screen brushed against my own skin. And it carried a sensation I felt I had encountered somewhere in my past. To move my heart, that single shot was more than enough.

Statement: Masahiro Saito (Director), Saki Haruo (Director)

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NIKOLA STOJANOVIC LEGACY AWARD

Yukiko a.k.a

(Naoya Kusaba, Japan, 2024)

Yukiko a.k.a is a film that portrays, with great care, the struggle of a person who continues to seek connection with others while carrying inner wounds. The story moves with a steady, rhythmic beat, and the dialogue strikes the audience with the force of powerful punchlines.

Statement: Jadran Malkovich (Actor, Producer)