The film The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, directed by Nebojsa Slijepcevic and produced by Katarina Prpic and Danijel Pek, has won the European Film Award in the Best Short Film category, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) announced on Saturday.

The category included five nominees from across Europe, and the award ceremony was held in the Swiss city of Lucerne on Saturday evening.

Director Nebojsa Slijepcevic expressed his disbelief at receiving two major awards in a single year.

This award is particularly special because it comes from industry professionals, he said, adding that European voters recognised and rewarded a film about a man whose humanity and solidarity with others transcended national or religious boundaries.

Producers Katarina Prpic and Danijel Pek said they were proud of Nebojsa, Goran, and the entire film crew, and expressed their gratitude to the co-producers, funding bodies, and especially HAVC for supporting the film, as well as to the European Film Academy.

They noted that, following its success at Cannes, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has been seen by tens of thousands of people in Croatia and around the world.

The film is the first Croatian production to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes and one of five short films nominated for the European Film Award, which is presented annually by the European Film Academy.

HAVC director Chris Marcich said this was a huge achievement. He congratulated Nebojsa Slijepcevic, the production company Antitalent, their production partners, and the entire film crew on this historic success.

Winning both the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the European Film Award is an extraordinary feat and means a great deal to the film crew, the entire filmmaking community, and Croatian culture as a whole.

Thanks to its Cannes Palme d’Or, the Grand Prix won at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and its inclusion in the Manhattan Short Film Festival selection, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has also qualified for consideration for an Academy Award nomination by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, according to HAVC.

The film is also on the shortlist for a nomination for the César Award, granted by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques.

The production was spearheaded by Antitalent, with producers Katarina Prpic and Danijel Pek. The co-producers were Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films, Bulgaria), Noëlle Lévénez (Les Films Norfolk, France), and Boštjan Virc (Studio Virc, Slovenia).