A Bosnian-Dutch coproduced film "Take Me Somewhere Nice" won the best feature film at the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) on Thursday evening.

The film by Bosnian director Ena Sendijarevic is about a girl Alma leaving her mother’s home in the Netherlands, setting out on a journey to visit her sick father that she never met before in her native country Bosnia.

During the journey, she is faced with obstacles and difficulties but remains courageous enough to find her father. While searching for her father, Alma also learns to accept herself and know herself better.

From nine feature films running for the top award, the coproduction conquered the jury, chaired by Swedish film-maker Ruben Ostlund, whose film "The Square" won Cannes' Palme d'Or in 2017. Ostlund described it as beautifully photographed and surreal.

Overall, 53 other films competed in four different sections during the week-long festival, which had a special focus on South-East Europe.

In her Heart of Sarajevo award acceptance speech, Sendijarevic said she was overwhelmed. 

"I am attending the festival for the fifth time. I am dedicating the prize to SFF, it is the great part of my life," Sendijarevic said.

The Heart of Sarajevo for the best director went to Turkish Emin Alper, who directed "A Tale of Three Sisters."

"It is a great honor to receive this award. I am very grateful to the Sarajevo Film Festival, if they invite me again I will keep coming," Alper said.

Georgian actor Levan Galbakhiani was named the best actor for his role in "And Then We Danced", while Bulgarian actress Irini Jambonas won the best actress for her role in "Rounds."

Hollywood star Tim Roth and French actress Isabelle Huppert also received honorary awards.

The festival was launched in 1995, towards the end of the 1992-95 Bosnian war in the besieged Sarajevo, as an act of resistance.

SFF has made dealing with the recent past as a prerequisite to resolving the problems that still burden Western Balkan societies a particular theme.

(With inputs from Xinhua, Reuters.)