29.09.2024

The seventh edition of the International Serial Killer Festival of TV and Web Series, which focuses on quality European series production, once again presented the award to the best TV series of Central and Eastern Europe. The best short-form series was awarded as well.

The international jury selected from five titles. This year’s winner and winner of the Primetime Killer Award is the series Operation Sabre by the writing, producing and directing duo of Serbian filmmakers Goran Stanković and Vladimir Tagić from This and That Productions. The jury highlighted the excellent craftsmanship of the series – both technically and emotionally. It noted that the script, cinematography, editing and sound were truly exceptional.

The jury also decided to award two special mentions this year – for the Czech series Daughter of the Nation, they awarded exceptional set design and for the title I Know Your Soul from Bosnia and Herzegovina, they awarded an honourable mention for a complex script that gave equal weight to the story and the characters.

It was the creator of the latter title, Bosnian director, screenwriter and producer Jasmila Žbanić, who took home the Progressive Killer 2024 Award for outstanding TV personality from the CEE region at this year’s festival. Žbanić is also known to audiences as the director of the Oscar-nominated film Quo Vadis, Aida? or the sixth episode entitled The Family from the successful series The Last of Us.

This year, the Quick Killer Award for best short-form series went to the Polish-Belarusian webseries Processes by Andrei Kashpersky, from the jury and world expert in this category Joël Bassaget.

The title is a political satire on the current Belarusian regime with elements of the grotesque, absurdity and black humour. Due to overcrowded prisons, law enforcement officers are forced to take some political prisoners home – which turns out to be a good idea in the end, as they can vacuum, clean and entertain children, all for free… The dystopian series is an artistic reflection on today’s Belarus and its future.

The eighth edition of the international Serial Killer festival will take place next year in Brno from 23–28 September 2025.