John Trengove’s apartheid-era drama and Dragana Jurišić’s documentary about the legacy of the Yugoslav wars have won the festival’s major competition prizes.

South African director John Trengove’s The Smell of Apples and Croatian filmmaker Dragana Jurišić’s The Balkan Cowboy have claimed the top prizes at the 2026 Adelaide Film Festival, winning the Feature Fiction and Feature Documentary competitions respectively.

The awards come as the festival approaches a record number of tickets sold, prompting organisers to announce a series of encore screenings under the banner Best of the Fest.

Set in apartheid-era South Africa, The Smell of Apples follows an 11-year-old boy whose seemingly idyllic childhood is shattered by his growing awareness of violence, inequality and the secrets within his family.

The film marks Trengove’s third feature following The Wound (2017), which premiered at Sundance and Berlin and was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Manodrome (2023), which competed at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Co-written with Christopher Ciancimino, The Smell of Apples impressed the Adelaide jury with its visual storytelling and unflinching examination of childhood innocence.

“For its devastating story of family, secrets and violence seen through the unblinking eyes of a child, the jury awards the Feature Fiction Competition Prize to The Smell of Apples,” the jury said.

Trengove welcomed the recognition, describing the production as a labour of love.

“To see our film resonate with audiences far and wide is immensely gratifying,” he said. “Thank you to the Adelaide Film Festival for this recognition, it is deeply appreciated.”

The Feature Documentary Competition prize went to The Balkan Cowboy, a deeply personal exploration of cinema, memory and the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars.

Directed by Dublin-based Croatian artist and filmmaker Dragana Jurišić, the documentary investigates the mysterious figure of Hari Džekson, a filmmaker who created Westerns in the former Yugoslavia. What begins as a nostalgic investigation into a childhood fascination develops into a broader examination of the region’s violent history and enduring divisions.

The jury praised the film’s inventive approach, describing it as “archival, innovative, and often unexpectedly funny.”

“With wit, humanity, and a keen eye for the absurd, the film reminds us that confronting the past may open new ways of understanding one another,” the jury said.

Jurišić, who attended the festival, said she was grateful for the recognition.

“The documentary was inspired by a film lover and a dreamer who brought people together through the process of filmmaking and I hope it will continue to do that as it goes on to screen to audiences around the world,” she said.

Special mentions were awarded to Aung Phyoe’s Fruit Gathering, a drama about forbidden love in a Myanmar textile factory, and Afsaneh Salari’s documentary Tehran, Under My Skin, which examines the complex culture surrounding cosmetic surgery among Iranian women.

The 2026 competition jury comprised Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey, Australian actor Xavier Samuel, Malaysian filmmaker Sandeep Ray, actor and filmmaker Tilda Cobham-Hervey and producer Anna Vincent.

Both major competition prizes were supported by the Nunn Dimos Foundation.

With ticket sales approaching a festival record, organisers have also announced an extended Best of the Fest program, giving audiences another opportunity to see some of the event’s most popular titles.

Encore screenings will include the festival’s opening night film Wild Horse Nine, closing night selection Hell Has No Fire Escape, The Man I Love, South Australian documentary Kumarangk: Sacred Women’s Business, How to Feed a Dictatorand All of a Sudden.

The encore program begins October 26, with screenings continuing through October 29.

Both The Smell of Apples and The Balkan Cowboy will receive additional screenings on Saturday, October 24, while Fruit Gathering and Tehran, Under My Skin will also screen during the festival’s final days.

Further information and screening details are available at adelaidefilmfestival.org.