Part of the program open to the public: Lecture: Working in the Writer’s Room
Tuesday, July 14, 5 p.m., Archaeological Museum
The new three-day workshop programme will be held during the Festival and is dedicated to the process of writing screenplays for film and television projects, based on the collaborative creative concept of writers’ room. Authorial teams of at least two and no more than three members are invited to take part in the workshop – writer, director, and producer. The programme is aimed at Croatian projects, as well as at regional projects with distinct co-production potential with Croatia. The idea for the workshop follows from the assumption that creating film and television projects inherently requires teamwork in all phases of development and open exchange of ideas. This kind of work allows for different perspectives in developing ideas, characters, structure of the story, and continuous challenging of decisions. The mentors for the workshop are authors Goran Stanković and Vladimir Tagić (Morning Changes Everything, Operation Sabre).
WORKSHOP MENTORS
GORAN STANKOVIĆ
Goran Stanković graduated in film and TV directing from the Academy of Arts in Belgrade, and earned his master’s degree from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 2014. His thesis film Way in Rye was nominated for the Student Academy Award, while his films Who Guards the Guardians and Old Mountain were screened at more than 50 international festivals and won 17 awards. During his studies at the American Film Institute, Goran was awarded the Hollywood Foreign Press scholarship and the Franklin J. Schaffner Award for Directing. His debut feature documentary In the Dark, a story about Serbian miners, had its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. He is one of the creators and directors of the series Morning Changes Everything and the series Operation Sabre (in cooperation with Vladimir Tagić), which was awarded at Canneseries in 2024, and he also won the Primetime Killer Award in Brno. He directed five episodes of the series Bad Blood, and his first feature documentary Our Father premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2025.
Vladimir Tagić was born in Belgrade in 1986. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in film and TV directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, and is currently in a PhD programme at the same Faculty. In 2018, together with Goran Stanković, he was the creator, screenwriter, and director of the drama series Morning Changes Everything. In 2020, he co-wrote and directed five episodes of the TV series Mom and Dad Are Playing War. He directed five episodes of the series Children of Evil (2023), which premiered on HBO MAX. Together with Goran Stanković, he created, co-wrote, and directed the series Operation Sabre (2024) about the assassination of Serbian Prime
VLADIMIR TAGIĆ
Minister Zoran Đinđić. He is the co-writer and director of his first feature film Yugo Florida, which premiered at Sarajevo Film Festival in 2025 and won the award for Best Actor. The film won the award for Best Leading Actor at Montenegro Film Festival (2025), the award for Best Debut Director at Džada Film Festival (2025), and the award for Best Film at Cinedays Festival in Skopje (2025).
PROJECTS
King Arthur’s Night – Andrija Mardešić and Rea Rajčić
Growing Up – Espi Tomičić, Sara Grgurić, Karla Leko, and Dana Budisavljević
Land of Bulls – Petar Vukičević and Marta Bregeš
Good Enough – Lana Kosovac, Amanda Prenkaj, Matija Drniković
King Arthur’s Night – Andrija Mardešić and Rea Rajčić
After a year away, Blanka Buljević returns to Podstrana for the funeral of her former partner, carrying a replica of Excalibur over her shoulder. Once a chess prodigy, she now returns as a stranger in her own hometown, marked by her past and estranged from her eleven-year-old daughter Tereza, who has selective mutism. In that silence, Blanka recognizes her own failure, but also her last chance to make things right. In the background, a local project called The Night of King Arthur is taking shape, led by two best friends. Matko, a historian obsessed with proving that the legendary King Arthur is connected to Podstrana, and Dražen, an aspiring theatre director who sees the project as his big opportunity. Their initial idea gradually spirals out of control and, under the pressure of local interests, vanity, and the need for recognition, transforms into a kitschy tourist spectacle.
Andrija Mardešić (Split, 1985) is a film and television director and screenwriter. He graduated in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. Throughout his career, he has worked on numerous fiction, documentary and television projects, including the series Rose of the Winds (Ruža vjetrova), Don’t Tell Anyone (#Nemoj nikome reći), Generation Y (Generacija Y) and Godparents (Kumovi). He is the author of several award-winning short films, including The Two of Us (Nas dva) and Steppe Fox (Stepska lisica). His debut feature film The Uncle (Stric, 2022), co-written and co-directed with David Kapac, screened at more than 50 international festivals, including Karlovy Vary, Pula, Zagreb Film Festival and Cottbus.
Rea Rajčić (Split, 1989) graduated in Film Production from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, where she currently works as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Production. As a producer, she works through her own production company Eclectica, developing feature fiction films and television projects. She has participated in numerous international training and industry programmes, including EAVE Marketing Workshop, Rotterdam Lab, Emerging Producers (Ji.hlava) and Berlinale Talents 2024. She has received several awards at film markets and pitching forums, including the Eurimages Award at CineMart in Rotterdam and the Producers Network Prize in Cannes. She has produced numerous short films, while her first feature film Celebration (Proslava, dir. Bruno Anković) premiered in the main competition programme of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film at the Pula Film Festival. The film Chickpeas (Koke, dir. Igor Jelinović) premiered in the Bright Future programme of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. She is currently developing several feature projects, including The Night of King Arthur (Noć kralja Arthura). As an author, she is also developing her own projects, including the documentary series Collages About Lies (Kolaži o laži) and the short film One Thousand and One Nights (1001 noć), screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
GROWING UP, Espi Tomičić, Sara Grgurić, Karla Leko & Dana Budisavljević
Growing Up is a drama series about a generation of Croatian millennials raised on the belief that real life happens somewhere else—in Western European cities, secure jobs, and the promise of “making it abroad.” A group of former high school friends from Zagreb travel to the Austrian ski resort of Tux to visit their friend Šimun (30), convinced that he has achieved exactly that kind of life.
For years, Kiara, Janko, Iva and Luka have listened to Šimun’s stories about working in a luxury hotel, earning a good salary, and building a successful life in Austria. They organize the trip as a nostalgic reunion, hoping to reconnect after years of careers, relationships and living apart. Through social media, Kiara gets in touch with Šimun’s girlfriend Lejla (24) to arrange a birthday surprise. In Trieste, they are joined by Megi (30), Šimun’s former girlfriend.
Espi Tomičić (1995) is a dramaturge, playwright and screenwriter. He graduated in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He is the recipient of three Marin Držić Awards presented by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, as well as the Fadil Hadžić Award for his play You Are the First Brave One (Ti si prvi hrabar). His plays have been widely produced in Croatia and abroad, including You Are the First Brave One, Your Love Is King, and Always Be Like a Dragon (Budi uvijek kao zmaj). His publications include Your Love Is King, Four Plays, How We Grieve, and Morning Brings the End. His work has been translated into English, Polish, Catalan, Spanish, French and Macedonian. He is a member of the Arbajt collective and a columnist for the literary portal Booksa.
Sara Grgurić (born in Rijeka, Croatia, 1998) graduated in Film and Television Directing (Fiction) from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2024. She is the writer, director and producer of several award-winning short films, most notably In the Woods (U šumi). The film screened at more than 40 national and international festivals, including San Sebastián, Sarajevo Film Festival and Zagreb Film Festival, winning 14 awards, among them the NEST Award at San Sebastián and the Golden Pram for Best Croatian Short Film. It was also selected for Vimeo Staff Picks. In 2022, she participated in the Talent Academy at the Linz International Short Film Festival with her project Panic!. She is currently developing the documentary series #Trending, the fiction short Wild Boar (Divlja svinja), and her debut feature Ciča zima, which received script development funding from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) in 2025. She also works as an assistant director on Croatian and international productions and was selected for Talents Sarajevo (Directors Summit) in 2024. Alongside filmmaking, she is active as a photographer.
Karla Leko (Split, Croatia, 1997) is a dramaturge, playwright and screenwriter. She holds an MA in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. She has worked as a dramaturge on numerous productions in institutional theatres and on the independent scene, including Carmina Burana, Acid / Kiselina, Werther, Julius Caesar, and Marx Brothers Soup. Together with Patrik Gregurec, she received the Marul Award for Best Dramaturgy for Masks at the 34th Marulić Days Festival. She is the author of the plays Score of Silence, In a Flat Without Water I Think About the Sea, and Running Through Painted Forests, as well as the children’s play We Will Build the House Again and the opera libretto Voice from Silence. She received script development funding from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) for her debut feature project, currently developed under the working title Lito koje traje zauvik. She is a member of the Croatian Screenwriters and Performing Arts Writers Guild and the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association.
Dana Budisavljević (Zagreb, Croatia, 1975) is a film director, producer and editor. She graduated in Film and Television Editing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. She made her directing debut with the documentary All Five! (Sve 5!, 2004), followed by the acclaimed documentary Family Meals Don’t Come with a Recipe (Nije ti život pjesma Havaja, 2012). As a producer, she has worked on numerous documentary projects, including the series Concrete Sleepers (Betonski spavači) and the films I’m Fine, Thanks for Asking(Lijepo mi je s tobom, znaš) and Then I See Tanja (Onda vidim Tanju). Her first feature film, The Diary of Diana B. (Dnevnik Diane Budisavljević, 2019), premiered at the Pula Film Festival, where it won six Golden Arena Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. The film also received major international awards, including Best Debut Feature at the Cottbus Film Festival and Best Film at the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival. Budisavljević is the recipient of the City of Zagreb Award and the Vladimir Nazor Award, Croatia’s highest state honour for artistic achievement.
LAND OF BULLS, Petar Vukičević & Marta Bregeš
In an abandoned village in the Dalmatian hinterland, Mislav is searching for peace. After years of living in the city, he retreats to his father’s old house, where his only companions are chickens, his dog Brundo, and his bull Garo. The land he inherited represents a connection to his family history and a symbol of pride. One morning, Garo disappears from the stable. Mislav finds him dead on the road, but when he returns with the police, the body is gone. He immediately suspects Jozo, a local power broker and slaughterhouse owner who has long been trying to buy his land. The police dismiss the case, attributing it to illness and an unfortunate accident, while the villagers remain silent. Knowing that their livelihoods depend on Jozo, they refuse to risk the fragile balance that keeps them afloat. Even Nikola, Mislav’s friend, advises him not to challenge someone more powerful. Mislav, however, cannot accept silence. His pride pushes him forward, while his naive belief that the world is fairer than it really is blinds him to reality. He believes that the truth must be something that can be proven.
Petar Vukičević was born in Split in 1995, where he completed secondary school and became a member of Kino Klub Split. Since 2014, he has been based primarily in Zagreb, where he first studied Geophysics at the Faculty of Science before pursuing Film and Television Directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art. He graduated with an MA in Film and Television Directing in September 2023. He works as a screenwriter and director across television, media and film productions. He is the creator of the TV series Dogs on Duty (Psi na zadatku), broadcast on Croatian Radiotelevision. His films have screened at numerous national and international festivals, including Zagreb Film Festival, ZagrebDox, Sarajevo Film Festival, Mediterranean Film Festival Split, FeKK, Sofia Film Festival, Herceg Novi Film Festival, Tabor Film Festival and Betina Film Festival, where they have also received several awards.
Marta Bregeš (born in 2000) graduated in Film Editing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2024. She began her filmmaking practice at Foto Kino Video Klub Zaprešić, creating authorial animated, documentary and experimental films. She is the recipient of the Dean’s Award (2021) and the Rector’s Award (2022). As an editor, she works on fiction, documentary and experimental films screened at festivals including Locarno, Rotterdam, Oberhausen, DocsLisboa, Beldocs, ZagrebDox and Zagreb Film Festival. Her recent editing credits include Peninsula (Poluotok), Low Grass (Niska trava) and The Grove (Šumica) by David Gašo, Loosely (Rahlo) and Severina’s Dog (Severinin pas) by Jozo Schmuch, Slowly Nowhere (Polako nikuda) by Damir Čučić, Forests, Forests (Šume, šume) by Renata Poljak, the omnibus Eight Chapters (Osam poglavlja) and Humidity(Sparina) by Petar Vukičević. She has also edited television projects including Dogs on Duty (seasons 1 and 2) and SRAM(seasons 2 and 3). Alongside editing, she works as an editing assistant, post-production coordinator and post-production supervisor on Croatian and international projects. She has collaborated with production company Kinorama since 2020 and completed the international APost Lab training programme for post-production supervisors in 2023. She is a member of the Croatian Editors’ Guild and the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association.
Good Enough – Lana Kosovac, Amanda Prenkaj, Matija Drniković
After her mother’s death, thirty-five-year-old actress Roberta decides to finally pursue her dream – to succeed as an actress and become a film star. Although she has no steady job, income, or stable relationship, she believes her big break is just around the corner. She goes to auditions, records self-tapes, and tries to create a “new version” of herself, but the right opportunity never comes. After Boris leaves her because of her chaotic nature and obsession with success, Roberta, in a fit of anger, smashes the rear-view mirror of his car. Facing a costly compensation claim, she unexpectedly lands a role in a commercial for Koki sausages. Her brief moment of fame quickly disappears when a scandal erupts after children become ill from the product, leaving Roberta without work and publicly humiliated. Throughout it all, she is followed by the Ghost of her mother, who is both her harshest critic and her strongest connection to the past. Trying to escape her failures, Roberta travels to a small town where her father lives and discovers that a foreign film is being shot there. Convinced that this is her final great opportunity, she accepts even a background role. On set, she idealizes the film world and the people around her, until she realizes that the production is far from the glamorous world she imagined. The foreign actor she admired turns out to be a fading star struggling with drug addiction, and the film itself is barely holding together. During this time, she reconnects with Nikola, a biologist fighting to protect the forests. Unlike everyone else, he sees Roberta as a real person rather than through the lens of her ambitions and failures. Their relationship gives her the chance to see herself without illusions for the first time. After an unexpected performance at an open mic night, Roberta discovers an unexpected talent for comedy. Trying once again to impress others, she fails because she realizes she is still playing a role. Only when she stops trying to become someone else does she find her own voice. In her first true stand-up performance, Roberta confronts everyone who has shaped her life – her mother, former partners, her family, and herself. Instead of presenting herself as a future star, she finally reveals her vulnerable and imperfect self. The audience embraces her precisely because of that honesty. Her mother’s Ghost finally sees her differently – not as a project to be completed, but as a person who has found peace in her own imperfections. Roberta does not become what she imagined she would be, but for the first time, she becomes who she truly is.
Lana Kosovac graduated in Political Science from the Faculty of Political Science and in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. Her short fiction and documentary films have been screened at national and international festivals. Her documentary Park of Love (Park ljubavi, 2013) received the Audience Award at Liburnia Film Festival, while her short fiction film I Hate You (Mrzim te, 2013) won Best Film at Tabor Film Festival. Her debut feature documentary Confusions (Pomutnje, 2016) was screened at the Pula Film Festival. She directed the documentary series The One and Only (Jedna jedina, HRT, 2022) and the award-winning documentary Line of Life (Linija života).
Amanda Prenkaj graduated in Acting and Puppetry from the Academy of Arts in Osijek and in Comparative Literature and Phonetics from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has performed in numerous theatre productions and is a permanent member of the ensemble at Žar ptica Theatre for Children. She is the co-author of the play Actresses, and Then Some (Glumice i to), for which she was nominated for the Croatian Theatre Award for Best Actress under the age of 28. The production also received the Croatian Theatre Award for Outstanding Theatre Achievement (playwriting, directing, set design, costume design and acting).
Matija Drniković graduated in Film Production from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He has been professionally involved in film since the beginning of his studies, working across various production roles. He has participated in numerous international training programmes, including EAVE Marketing, Ties That Bind, Screen Leaders, Ex Oriente, Midpoint, MAIA and Sarajevo Talents. He is the recipient of two first prizes for business plans and project pitches in the fields of virtual reality and video games. He worked at Nukleus Film and Nanobit, and currently works as a producer at Wolfgang&Dolly while developing film and transmedia projects through his own company Mirage. His producing credits include the feature film Pelican(Pelikan), premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, as well as short films and the feature documentary FUNK YU.
