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Up-and-coming Slovenian actress Nina Ivanisin has won the best actress award at the Mostra Festival of Mediterranean Film in Valencia for her role in the Damjan Kozole feature "Slovenka" (Slovenian Girl).

Slovenka was the only Slovenian film in the competition section at the festival which ran from 16-24 October. The 25-year-old Ivanisin was selected among actresses in 12 films.

 

The award caps off a series of favourable reviews for the actress and the film as a whole since its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August.

 

Variety recently described Ivanisin's performance as "one of the most coolly calculating antiheroines to grace the silver screen" as "the strongest selling point" of the film.

 

Screen Daily, which hails Ivanisin's performance, praises the film's "clever metaphor for the dubious values of capitalism and personal gain that have spread fast through the new Europe".

 

Meanwhile, the Film Dose has predicted a bright future for Ivanisin: "If the Gods are smiling on this actress, she might well become a big international star. She is definitely one of many reasons to see this remarkable film."

 

Ivanisin plays 23-year-old student Aleksandra who turns to prostitution in a bid to raise money. Having to hide her secret from friends and loved ones, Aleksandra's life gets even more complicated when one of her client dies while with her.

 

Slovenka is a Slovenian-German-Croatian-Serbian co-production. It features legendary Slovenian actor Peter Musevski, a regular of Kozole's films, as well as Primoz Pirnat, Marusa Kink, Uros Fuerst, Aljosa Kovacic, Dejan Spasic in other key roles.

 

After its world premiere in Sarajevo, Slovenka was also screened at festivals in Toronto, Reykjavik, Bitola, London, Pusan and Warsaw. Its Slovenian premiere was at the Festival of Slovenian Film on 1 October.

 

This is not the first success for a Kozole feature in Valencia. The 45-year-old won the Grand Prix for best film and the Best Director Award at the 2006 Mostra for "Delo osvobaja" (Labour Equals Freedom).

 

 

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