Competition Results
THE SOUL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
Sponsored by
AVITEH
The expert jury has completed the evaluation of the photographs submitted to the international student photography competition The Soul of the Mediterranean and selected 15 photographs to be presented at the MIC – Vis 2026 exhibition.
We sincerely thank all the students who participated in the competition and shared their creativity, talent, and unique interpretations of the Mediterranean with us.
Award-Winning Photographs
1. Pomalo – Vanja Mihajlov, Arts Academy in Split
2. Jadrija 100 – Leonarda Prpić, VERN’ University, Zagreb
3. The Legacy of the Sea – Lara Kružić, University of Donja Gorica, Tivat
The authors of the three highest-ranked photographs will receive special prizes provided by AVITEH, the sponsor of the exhibition.
Photographs Selected for the Exhibition
Pomalo – Vanja Mihajlov, Arts Academy in Split
Jadrija 100 – Leonarda Prpić, VERN’ University, Zagreb
The Legacy of the Sea – Lara Kružić, University of Donja Gorica, Tivat
Fjaka – Vanja Mihajlov, Arts Academy in Split
Ruins – Zak Veličković, Faculty of Law, Belgrade
My Seagull – Leonarda Prpić, VERN’ University, Zagreb
Ember Earth – Marija Neralić, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb
Iva – Vanja Mihajlov, Arts Academy in Split
Gerakini, Greece. September 2025 – Anastasija Ristić, Faculty of Contemporary Arts, Belgrade
The Blue – Leonarda Prpić, VERN’ University, Zagreb
11. misec (November) – Meloni Pinjušić, Arts Academy in Split
Uljanik Shipyard – Nikola Stipić, Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek
Where the Sails Carry Dreams – Lara Kružić, University of Donja Gorica, Tivat
To Be – Mia Mašić, University of Arts in Belgrade
Trag u beskraj (A Trace in Infinity) – Meloni Pinjušić, Arts Academy in Split
Congratulations to the award winners and to all the students whose photographs have been selected for the exhibition!
The exhibition will open on 16 September 2026 at 20:00 in Vis, as part of the opening programme of the 6th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference MIC – Vis 2026.
We look forward to presenting these inspiring interpretations of the colours, light, atmosphere, and soul of the Mediterranean.
EXPERT JURY
JASENKO RASOL
Born in 1969 in Zagreb, where he lives and works as a freelance videographer/photographer. Graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts «Film and TV Recording».
From 1992-1996, he worked as a "stuff-cameraman" for Reuters-TV. Since 1997, he has been working on documentary, reportage and news projects for TV companies: BBC, NBC, NTV, FUJI-TV, CCN, HTV, ORF, ZDF, ARTE. Since 2000, he has been working on feature, documentary, experimental and dance films in Croatia. From 1990-2020, in addition to his photography profession, he was present on the contemporary photography scene; continuously exhibits (about 50 individual, about 30 collective) in the country and abroad (Magazzini del sale - Venice; Association le Pount Neuf - Paris; Kunstmuseum - Bochum; Kunsthalle - Wien; Pordenone arte contemporanea - Pordenone; Musee de Normandie - Cean ; Cite internationale des Arts - Budapest; Triennial Tampere - Glasgow).
Produces 5 photographic "artist's-books". His photos are in museum collections (Museum of Contemporary Art - Zagreb; Gallery of Artists - Split; Museum of Modern Art - Dubrovnik, etc.). and private collections. He is a member of these professional associations: HDLU-Zagreb, HZSU, h.f.s.a. For doc. film: "Neighbors" director: T. Žaje in 2019 received awards: "Best cinematography in documentary film" at the "South East European Film Festival" in Los Angeles, and "Award for the best photography" at the "Liburnija film- festival".
For the film "Murine" (HTV, Sons of the Storm) he received the 1st prize for directing in Rome in 1998.
SARA HORVATIĆ FINEK
Sara is a film and TV director and producer based in Zagreb, Croatia.
She was work as a freelancer on various projects and positions. At this moment, she working full time as a producer in Moglo - production house in Zagreb. She developing documentary movie „2,44“ and documentary serial "SNOVI", for which she got supported by the Society of Croatian Film Directors.
Sara is an author of photo exhibitions „Nestvarnost istine“ 2017. and „Dnevnik tišine“ 2021. Film “Keep it quiet” is a part of her master work at MA Film and TV directing and producing and her film won the award for Best International Short Film in Turkey in March 2024.
ZOYA MITROFAFANOVA
Zoya Mitrofanova moved from Moscow, her hometown, to Zagreb at the age of 10. In Zagreb she completed primary and secondary school during which she developed love for cinematography. She completed her undergraduate studies in Film, Television and Multimedia Design at VERN’ University and continued on to graduate studies in Film and Television Directing and Production. She took her first steps on student film sets, most often in the production, but also in the camera sector. She started with photography in high school and continued through the college. Her final undergraduate project was photography. She is currently working with two colleagues and friends on a photography project on social media, focusing on photographing portraits in the studio.