The Gopo Awards Gala
The 19th edition of the Gopo Awards Gala was held in Bucharest, an annual event that celebrates and rewards the most important achievements in Romanian cinema.
Mihai Pelin, 30.04.2025, 13:50
The film “The New Year That Never Came” was the big winner, Tuesday evening, at the 2025 Gopo Awards Gala. The film won ten awards, including for direction, best actor, best actress, sets, sound or screenplay. The most important, however, was the award for best feature film, handed to director Bogdan Mureşanu by actress Rodica Mandache, winner of an award for lifetime achievement in the 2024 edition. Bogdan Mureşanu : “I am very nervous but I’m glad I am, because that means I’m flooded with immense joy, as I didn’t expect to end up here in any way. No one, of those who make films, launch into this madness with the thought that they will end up somewhere, someday, speaking in front of an audience like this. You think that enjoying it is, itself, a big thing.” Adrian Văncică was designated best actor in a lead role for his performance in the film “The New Year That Never Came”. Nicoleta Hâncu was nominated for best actress in a lead role, for her performance in the same film. “It’s important that we can do our job freely, I think that’s the most important thing!” she said on stage.
Directed, written and produced by Bogdan Mureşanu, the feature film won numerous awards at international festivals. It is a tragicomedy that captures the lives of six characters whose destinies intersect in a single day, around the anti-communist Revolution. The action takes place on the evening of December 20, 1989, shortly before the fall of the Ceausescu dictatorship, when a 9-year-old child reveals to his parents the contents of the letter he had sent to “Moș Gerilă” (Father Frost), and they realize that it includes a very dangerous message for everyone’s safety.
Also at the Gopo Awards Gala, Alina Berzunțeanu won the award for best supporting actress for her role in “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” (directed by Emanuel Pârvu), and Ciprian Chiricheș was named best supporting actor for his performance in “Săptămăna Mare” (Holy Week), directed by Andrei Cohn.
Director Dan Pița received an award for lifetime achievement. A prominent figure in Romanian cinema and the generation of the 1970s, he introduced an original style since his debut. His talent was also recognized internationally, with awards at the Berlin and Venice film festivals. “For me, it was a fulfilled destiny. I am what I am because I debuted under his baton,” said actor Claudiu Bleonţ in the Laudatio. A similar award was also given to actress Ioana Pavelescu, who recalled those who marked her career: Sergiu Nicolaescu, Amza Pellea, Alexandru Tatos, Gheorghe Dinică. “I love my job to the point of despair,” said the actress. Last but not least, Florin Mihăilescu, one of the most talented and prolific cinematographers in Romanian cinema, was also honored with an award for lifetime achievement. The award honors his vital contribution to defining the aesthetics of some emblematic films. (EE)
