This year’s Pula Film Festival to welcome directors and selectors of international festivals from Cannes and Berlin to Busan and Palm Springs, international distributers and sales agents, regional film centre directors, and foreign press and critics.
From Thursday, July 18 to Saturday, 20 July, Pula Film Festival will host the Croatian Film Focus - an international industry programme for audiovisual professionals. This year’s programme will welcome a number of prominent guests from the world of film with the goal of promotion of Croatian cinema, networking of Croatian filmmakers with key persons for the placing of films abroad, and discussing about the challenges of today’s audiovisual industry.
In the three days of the programme, the directors and selectors of international festivals, distributers and sales agents, regional film centre directors, and foreign press and critics will have the possibility to watch all this year’s Croatian feature films, and participate in an international round table on audience development and a panel discussion on professional valorisation of today’s Croatian cinema in the European and global context.
Based on last month’s decision of the Festival Council made after consultations with professional film associations, and considering their initiatives, issues and needs, and in order to find as high quality solutions as possible, there will be three events focused on the plans and development of Croatian cinema: on Thursday, 18 July at 7 p.m., a round table on the construction of a new film studio in Croatia; on Friday, 19 July at 7 p.m., an international round table on increasing the ratings of national and European film; and on Saturday, 21 July at 7 p.m., a panel discussion on Croatian films screened at the 66th Pula Film Festival, where the directors and selectors of international festivals, distributers and sales agents, regional film centre directors, and foreign press and critics will give their opinions on this year’s Croatian film production, followed by a discussion. All three events are open to representatives of the media and all interested film professionals.
The host of the Industry Programme of Pula Film Festival is producer Bruno Mustić. Confirmation of participation has already been received from Christian Jeune, Director of Film Department at Cannes Festival; Karin Hoffinger, Head of International Relations at Berlin International Film Festival; Barbara Wurm, selector for Central and Eastern Europe at Berlin International Film Festival; Jay Jeon, Director of the largest Asian festival - Busan International Film Festival; Alissa Simon, critic for Variety and Senior Programmer for Palm Springs Festival and Chicago Film Festival; Mirjana Van Blaricom, President of International Press Academy and Satellite Awards; Bernd Buder, Programme Director of Film Festival Cottbus; Agnieszka Oryl, selector at Warsaw Film Festival; Ewa Bojanowska, Festival Coordinator at New Europe Film Sales; Karina Korenblum, representative of Cercamon World Sales; Loic Magneron, President of Wide Management; and others.
Expected participants from the region include Jasmin Duraković, Director of Sarajevo Film Centre; Sehad Čehić, Director of Film Centre Montenegro; Jelka Stergel, Head of International Relations at Film Centre Slovenia; Miroljub Vučković, Head of International Cooperation at Film Centre Serbia; Nenad Dukić, Artistic Director of Palić Film Festival; Dubravka Lakić, film critic for Politika; Dragan Jovićević, film critic for Nin; Duško Dimitrovski, film critic for Oslobođenje; Dževdet Tuzlić from Radio-television of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and many others.
Other than the mentioned formal events, the Programme will also see the opening of the Festival Meeting Point. Every evening following the screening of Croatian film, it will be the place where Croatian and foreign professionals can meet for informal conversations and talks in a casual atmosphere.
Additional information can be obtained by e-mail bruno@pulafilmfestival.hr
Schedule of screenings and round tables of the Industry Programme
CROATIAN FILM FOCUS
Thursday, 18 July
Circolo – Festival Centre
7 p.m. Round table on the construction of a new film studio in Croatia
Arena
9.30 p.m. The Diary of Diana B. 88’
Friday, 19 July
Valli Cinema
10.30 a.m. Short Pula - live action short films 79'
12:00 p.m. All Alone 70'
---
2.15. p.m. Extracurricular
4 p.m. General
Circolo – Festival Centre
7 p.m. International round table on increasing the ratings of national and European film
Arena
9.30 p.m. My Grandpa Is an Alien, 75'
Saturday, 20 July
Valli Cinema
10 a.m. Showcase of new films from Croatia and the region (trailers, teasers, inserts)
12 p.m. The Last Serb in Croatia
2.15 p.m. F20
4 p.m. What a Country!
Croatian Chamber of Economy Pula, Carrarina 5
7 p.m. International panel on Croatian films screened at the 66th Pula FIlm Festival
