Wednesday, 15th July, 10 – 11:30am, Kino Valli
Language: Croatian
The fourth edition of the pitching programme Script Your Hit is aimed at projects in the phase of development that successfully combine authorial and commercial sensibilities. For the second year in a row, the programme will also include a workshop for screenplay development, which will run in several models (in person in Zagreb on 18 and 19 April, and online during May and June, as well as during the Festival).
This programme was initiated to meet the need for projects that are equally attractive to festival, niche, and wider audiences. Applications for the pitching were open exclusively to Croatian majority productions with a focus on comedy, biographical, and children’s film genres that have not yet received approval for production funds from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre or other film funds. The selected applicants will be invited to participate in a preparation workshop for the pitching under the mentorship of producer Vanja Jambrović, and will go on to present their projects to a three-member jury. The best project will receive a prize of 10,000 EUR from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and the distribution company Blitz.
JURY
MARINA ANDREE ŠKOP
Marina Andree Škop is a Croatian director and creative producer dedicated to films and series for children and young audiences. She graduated in film editing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. Her documentary film Sevdah won the Audience Award at the 2009 Sarajevo Film Festival. Together with Dražen Žarković, she co-directed the children’s sci-fi feature film My Grandpa Is an Alien, which was distributed in 26 countries and received sixteen festival awards. She also directed the short films Blue Teddy Bear and Let’s Play a Story: The Ant and the Grasshopper.
IGOR ŠEREGI
Igor Šeregi is a Croatian film and television screenwriter and director. After graduating in film directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb, he began his career with acclaimed short films and directing television series for HRT. His feature debut ZG80 achieved cult status in Croatia. The Wedding is one of the most watched films in the history of Croatian cinemas and a major regional hit that has attracted more than 2.3 million viewers.
INES ŽULJEVIĆ
Ines Žuljević is a film distribution expert with over 25 years of experience in planning, evaluating, budgeting, and distribution of studio films from major industry players such as Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Studios, and the Walt Disney Company, as well as for the big independent production and distribution companies like MGM, LionsGate, Amblin, STX, and Studio Canal. During her career, together with her teams, she has achieved record results in film distribution, successfully launching numerous films that left their mark in regional cinemas. Among her latest successes, The Wedding stands out, a film that achieved historic results and became the most watched domestic film and the most watched film of all time on the Croatian market and in the region.
WORKSHOP MENTORS
Vinko Brešan
Vinko Brešan was born in Zagreb in 1964. His debut, low-budget feature How the War Started on My Island is the highest-grossing film in Croatia after independence. His films Marshal Tito’s Spirit and Witnesses received awards at festivals in Berlin and Karlovy Vary, and his fourth film Will Not Stop There won the FIPRESCI Prize at Karlovy Vary. The film The Priest’s Children is the most watched Croatian film in the 21st century, and was nominated for Best Comedy by the European Film Academy. The TV series Diary of the Great Perica, which he co-wrote and directed, won the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Comedy TV Series and the Heart of Europe for Best TV Series of Eastern Europe in 2021. He also directs for theatre.
Ljubica Luković
Ljubica Luković is a Cologne based writer from Serbia. She graduated in dramaturgy from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, and earned her master’s degree in serial storytelling from IFS in Cologne. The series Awake, which she co-authored, premiered at Canneseries in 2021, where it won the Audience Award. Her debut feature How I Learned to Fly premiered in February 2022 and went straight to the top of the domestic box office with an audience of more than 230,000. She also wrote for the series Blok 27 and Apsolutnih 100, and is currently developing film and series projects for several European markets.
Mitja Okorn
Mitja Okorn is a director of numerous award-winning commercials, music videos and feature films. In 2004 his debut feature film Here and There became a major hit in his home country of Slovenia. In 2008 he received the British Council’s International Young Film Entrepreneur of the Year Award (IYFEY). In the same year he directed the wildly popular TV series 39 and a Half for Polish network TVN and later, the hit romantic comedy Letters to Santa. His third film, Planet Single, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim and broke attendance records during its second week of release. In addition to his feature film work, Mitja has directed over 30 music videos. In 2020 Mitja directed the feature film Life in a Year starring Jaden Smith, Cara Delevingne and Cuba Gooding Jr. Shortly after, he made his producing debut with Netflix’s All My Friends Are Dead, written and directed by his long-time assistant Jan Belcl. Both films have had successful worldwide releases. In 2024, Mitja directed another Netflix film, a sports drama called Boxer, which he co-wrote with Ivan Bezmarević and Lucas Coleman.
MENTOR FOR PITCHING PREPARATION
Vanja Jambrović
Vanja Jambrović graduated in Comparative Literature and Philosophy from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb and in Production from the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb. Since 2009, she has been producing films at Restart. The films she has produced were shortlisted for the European Film Awards three times: Fiume o morte! by Igor Bezinović (2026), Valerija by Sara Jurinčić (2024) and Srbenka by Nebojša Slijepčević (2019). Fiume o morte! went on to win the European Film Award for Best European Documentary in 2026 and also received the Tiger Award and the FIPRESCI Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Among other major achievements are three Heart of Sarajevo awards for Best Documentary Film: for Valerija (2024) by Sara Jurinčić, Museum of the Revolution by Srđan Keča (2022) and Srbenka (2018), as well as the Doc Alliance Award for Srbenka, presented by the network of leading European documentary film festivals. Her projects have been supported by numerous international institutions, including Eurimages and the Sundance Institute. She teaches at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb and has served as a mentor at international programmes and workshops including Documentary Campus Masterschool, Eurodoc, Ex Oriente, BDC Discoveries, Slow Pitch ZagrebDox and Circle Women Doc Accelerator.
PROJECTS
Chubby – Luka Galešić
Luma – Rona Žulj
Luna and Bruna – Gloria Dubelj and Iva Šimić Šakoranja
Heroes – Ante Marin
Nativity in Bura – Đurđica Čilić and Srđan Ćesić
Holy Sinners – Nina Mitrović and Hrvoje Osvadić
CHUBBY, Luka Galešić
Fifteen-year-old Lada is convinced that her biggest problem is being “fat.” After a humiliating incident, she decides to completely transform her life by the end of the summer: lose weight, earn money, and become a new person. Spending the summer in Zagreb, she obsessively tries to control her body and the people around her, while friendships and first loves evolve, and the death of someone close to her exposes the real challenges of life. In the end, Lada realizes that changing her body can bring neither happiness nor a new identity.
Luka Galešić was born in Zadar, Croatia, in 1991. After studying Journalism at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb (2010), and Dramaturgy at the Academy of Dramatic Art (2012), he enrolled in the Film and Television Directing program at the same academy in 2016, graduating in 2023 with a specialization in Fiction Film Directing. During his journalism studies, he was active at Student Television (Televizija Student). As a dramaturgy student, he received the University of Zagreb Rector’s Award for his work on the regional project Pravda (Justice). He contributed to the screenplay of the feature film Lada Kamenski, directed by Sara Hribar and Marko Šantić, which won the Golden Arena Award for Best Screenplay at the Pula Film Festival. He also collaborates with Croatian Radio.For the past nine years, Galešić has worked extensively as an assistant director on Croatian and international feature films
and television series. He is currently developing his debut feature film, Viktorija, which has been selected in the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) screenplay and project development programs, TorinoFilmLab Next, the Belgrade March Debut Workshop at the Martovski Festival, the My First Screenplay program at the Zagreb Film Festival, the Split Script workshop with Razvan Radulescu, and the Valencia Film Afers – Mediterranean Co-production Forum. Since 2026, he has been leading the Screenwriting Laboratory at KinoKlub Zagreb.
LUMA, Rona Žulj
Deep within the forest lies Lampyridae, a place where fireflies live in silence, harmony, and constant fear that “wild” light might set the forest ablaze. Luma, a young firefly on the brink of adulthood, shines with precisely that kind of light: flashing in every color, beyond the prescribed choreographies and rigid rules of
her community. Convinced that she will only ruin the fireflies’ debut performance at the Festival of Light, Luma leaves Lampyridae and follows the glow of the city, hoping her own light will go unnoticed there. But when she encounters a community of artists living in the Butterfly House, she discovers that her light can become a source of freedom—and of new dangers.
Rona Žulj (Zagreb, 1985) graduated in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. She writes screenplays, plays, and prose. She co-wrote the screenplay for the animated feature Cricket & Antoinette (Cvrčak i mravica), which won the Golden Arena for Best Screenplay and the Audience Award at the 2023 Pula Film Festival. She also wrote the screenplay for Lora Wears Black (Lora nosi crno), which received the Best Screenplay Award at the 2021 Beeston Film Festival. In theatre, Žulj works as a dramaturge and writer on contemporary productions, including Victims of Geography (Žrtve zemljopisa), The Piano Teacher (Pijanistica), Irina’s Soul Is Like an Expensive Piano (Irinina duša je kao skupocjeni klavir), Fury Revolution Revival Tour, Crisis Headquarters (Krizni stožer), Trending, King Ubu (Kralj Ubu), and others.
LUNA AND BRUNA, Gloria Dubelj and Iva Šimić Šakoranja
In a sunny neighbourhood in Zagreb, inseparable neighbours Luna and Bruna live as mothers and self-appointed guardians of their community. When one of their children’s classmates gets divorced, they launch a charitable campaign to “help” her—without her knowledge. At the same time, both women enter the race for the position of president of the school council, and their rivalry with an unexpected candidate, Maja, grows into an obsession that begins to undermine their friendship, marriages, and family lives. After a series of absurd conflicts and the complete breakdown of their relationships, Luna and Bruna realize that only together can they achieve what they want. This satire on contemporary parenting and social status reveals how behind the image of a perfect life often lie insecurity, vanity, and a need for recognition.
Gloria Dubelj (Dubrovnik, 1994) is a Croatian theatre and television actress. She graduated in Acting from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2017, in the class of professors Krešimir Dolenčić and Ozren Boban. She has performed in more than thirty theatre productions across Croatia, including at the Gavella Drama Theatre, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and Šibenik, the Marin Držić Theatre, Teatar &TD, Kerekesh Theatre, and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. On screen, she has appeared in the television series Novine (The Paper) as well as the films and series The Last Serb in Croatia, Only When I Laugh, Silence, Masters, and Minus and Plus. Since 2024, together with Iva Šimić Šakoronja, she has been developing the
digital project Iva and Gloria, which in 2025 was adapted into a theatre production of the same name—one of the most shows in Croatia and a recipient of more than ten awards. Together with Šimić Šakoronja, she also co-authored her first television screenplay for the Croatian Radiotelevision programme Zlatni Studio .
Iva Šimić Šakoronja (1994) is a Croatian actress. She graduated in Acting from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2017. She has performed in numerous theatre productions at KNAP, the Kerempuh Satirical Theatre, the Gavella Drama Theatre, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and Šibenik, Moruzgva Theatre, Kerekesh Theatre, and Mala scena. On television and film, she has appeared in the children’s programme JUHUHU, the series Don’t Tell Anyone, The Kumovi, and In Good and Bad, the short film I’m Not Saying Anything to You, I’m Just Saying, and the feature film The Staffroom directed by Sonja Tarokić. As an author and co-author, she has participated in the theatre productions Three Sisters on Instagram and Aut. Since 2024, together with Gloria Dubelj, she has been developing the digital project Iva and Gloria, which in 2025 was adapted into a theatre production of the same name, one of the most-watched in Croatia and a recipient of more than ten awards. Together with Dubelj, she also co-authored her first television screenplay for the Croatian Radiotelevision programme Zlatni Studio.
HEROES, Ante Marin
Every summer on a Dalmatian island, a group of children called the Heroes gathers in a hidden cove, where they create their own world. Their small paradise is disrupted by the arrival of the Sea Wolves, a rival group of children claiming the same territory. The conflict between the two groups escalates into a “war” for dominance over the cove. When investors appear with plans to build a luxury resort, the cove the children share may soon disappear forever. In order to save it, the Heroes and the Sea Wolves are forced to join forces and learn to cooperate. Through a series of adventures, tricks, and children’s strategies, they try to outsmart the adult world and preserve their hidden paradise, discovering along the way that true heroism does not lie in defeating others, but in unity.
Ante Marin (Split, 1985) is a screenwriter and filmmaker. He holds an MA in History from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb and an MA in Film Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art. He works as a screenwriter on film and television projects in various stages of development and has participated in the creation of numerous short films screened at national festivals as a screenwriter, director, actor, and producer. He has taken part in numerous workshops and professional training programs, including the Palunko workshops, Kino Klub Split, Nova TV Sitcom Media Pro, the Days of Croatian Film, the Omnibus workshop of Blank Film Incubator, MIDPOINT Feature Launch, the ZagrebDox pitching forum, and the EAVE Producers Workshop, where he participated as a screenwriter. He is the recipient of several pitching awards, including for the projects Humurva and Dead Angle(Mrtvi kut) . He is one of the founders and lecturers of the Palunko Screenwriting School of the Croatian Film Association. He is a member of Kino Klub Split, Blank Film Incubator, and the Association of Screenwriters and Playwrights, as well as the founder and president of an organization focused on projects with children and young people, for which he has received an award for social innovation and multiple recognitions for volunteer work.
NATIVITY IN BURA, Đurđica Čilić and Srđan Ćesić
On an Advent morning in the small Lika town of Bura, preparations for the first televised live nativity scene reveal a web of suppressed conflicts, corruption, and fears. When Marija, the mayor’s fiancée, and the baby Jesus are left out of the casting, and the new parish priest, Father Ivo, hides a migrant with a child in the church, the Christmas performance escalates into a clash of faith, hypocrisy, and mercy. As some see their private interests and political calculations threatened, while others are offered the possibility of a different life, the locals must decide whether the nativity will remain mere spectacle or become an act of community that transforms them.
Đurđica Čilić (1975) works at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. She translates from Polish. She is the author of the monograph on contemporary Polish poetry Three Faces of the Author (Tri lica autora) and the theoretical and critical essays on Polish literature The Joy of Interpretation (Ra
dost tumačenja). She has written two works of fiction, Fafarikul and New End (Novi kraj), which inspired the stage adaptation Fafarikul at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. She was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and lives in Croatia.
Srđan Ćešić (1969) is a screenwriter and creator of political and advocacy campaigns in Serbia and the region. He is the author of several television programs broadcast in Serbia, including Never Apologize (Nikad izvini), For Unknown Reasons (Iz nepoznatih razloga), and Oops! (Ups!). He is the screenwriter of the television series The Embrace of the Black Hand (Zagrljaj Crne ruke) and the feature film Wine Roads (Putevi vina). He was born in Serbia and lives in Croatia.
HOLY SINNERS, Nina Mitrović and Hrvoje Osvadić
On a remote Adriatic island, a small group of priests is serving penance for their sins. Their monotonous routine is disrupted when the sea washes a package of cocaine up to the doorstep of their monastery. Greedy, incompetent, yet harmless, they decide to sell the drugs at an international polo tournament, which puts them in the crosshairs of corrupt local authorities and a Montenegrin drug cartel. Unexpected help arrives from within the police force, but after they accidentally eliminate a fake Orthodox priest, hell on earth breaks loose for the sinful brothers.
Nina Mitrović (Slavonski Brod, 1978) is a screenwriter, playwright, dramaturg, and theatre director. She holds an MA in Screenwriting from the London Film School (2007) and an MA in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb (2005). She is the author of numerous plays, including Komšiluk naglavačke, Kad se mi mrtvi pokoljemo, Ovaj krevet je prekratak ili samo fragmenti, Susret, and Sretni ljudi, which have been performed in national theatres in Croatia and the region, as well as in numerous European and international theatres. She has received several awards, including Zlatni smijeh, Marul, and the Marin Držić Award, and her work has been nominated at international festivals such as Berliner Festspiele Theater treffen Stückemarkt. As a director, she made her debut with the play Susret at Teatar Exit and has directed productions at HNK Split and other theatres. She also writes for children’s and puppet theatre, including the award-winning Flekavac . She writes radio dramas and documentaries broadcast on Croatian Radio and presented at international festivals, and received a special jury mention at Prix Italia for Tko ne umre, nije čovjek. Her works have been performed across Europe and worldwide, including at festivals in Sibiu, London, and New York. She has published two collections of plays: Komšiluk naglavačke i Ovaj krevet je prekratak ili samo fragmenti (2006) and Drame (2016).
Hrvoje Osvadić with 25 years of experience in production, Hrvoje Osvadić has successfully produced around 30 documentary and feature films, most of which have won awards. He has also worked in television production on more than 700 programs across various formats. Since 2009, he has been co-owner and director of the production company Petnaesta umjetnost, where he continues to work as a producer on all projects. He is currently the president of the Croatian Producers Association (HRUP) and a member of the European Film Academy (EFA). The feature documentary Paviljon 6, produced by Osvadić and directed by Goran Dević, was the first Croatian film acquired by the BBC.
