Neum, a Mediterranean Stage for Underwater Art: 5th Neum Underwater Film Festival Announces Winners

The 5th edition of the Neum Underwater Film Festival, held from August 28 to 30, once again transformed Neum into a hub for underwater cinema, ecology, art, and cultural tourism. 

Over 1,000 films from more than 100 countries were submitted to the international Neum Underwater Film Festival, with 36 underwater films selected for the official competition and screened over two festival evenings, 26 of which had their premiere. The program for young authors, Fest&Val, as well as accompanying and off-program screenings, featured an additional 15 outstanding films. 

The festival was organized into three thematic days: Film Day, Ecology and Art Day, and Education and Community Day. 

Awards were presented in several categories: 

• Grand Prix (Best Underwater Film): Magic of the Macroverse, directed by Alfred Schaschl (Austria) 

• Best BH Underwater Film: The Blue Pulse, Aldvin Torlaković (BiH) 

• Best Eco Film: I Feel You, Giannandrea Carpanzano (Italy) 

• Best Music: The Flood, Eduardo de la Cerda (Canada) 

• Best Cinematography: The Cosmos Beneath, Lucas Lengagne (France) 

• Audience Award: unWRECKed, directed by Bingqian Gao (UK) 

"This year, we received more than a thousand films from a hundred countries. There was material enough for six festival days. Many excellent films were also submitted that were not underwater films, i.e., they did not meet our festival criteria. In the official competition, we screened 36 short films and 15 works by young authors. Our winners are not only laureates but also ambassadors of the message that the sea is not a boundary, but a bridge connecting people, art, and ecology. The Neum Underwater Film Festival is an important driver of sustainable tourism, showing how culture and care for the sea and water can jointly build the future," said Ivo Mikulić, festival founder and director. 

The “Sea and People” panel aimed to highlight the importance of connecting politics, business, communications, and media in preserving the cultural identity and resources of seas, rivers, and lakes. Meanwhile, the panel and educational workshop “Underwater World” brought together media professionals and experts in design and film. A standout event was the “Creative Europe for Festivals” workshop, which provided attendees and viewers via live stream with an important insight into available European funding and strategic networking opportunities. 

The festival confirmed its mission: connecting film, art, ecology, sustainable cultural tourism, and the economy. Jury members noted that choosing the best among so many artistic works, with underwater films submitted literally “from Argentina to China,” was both challenging and a privilege. 

Gratitude from participants to the organizers - the Association for the Support of Promoting Quality Standards “Standard” - fostered a sense of community and professional pride.