Two world premieres of Croatian films open 71st Pula Film Festival
The world premiere of Rajko Grlić’s romantic thriller It All Ends Here opened the 71st edition of Pula Film Festival on Thursday 11 July at the Arena. The first day of the Festival also saw the world premiere of Nevio Marasović’s film This Is Not a Love Song at the Istrian National Theatre at 7 p.m.
It was 1964. Most of us weren’t even born yet, and a kid, a film amateur, was very lucky to win an award at a festival. The award was a seven-day stay at Pula. The kid entered the Arena, where great films were screened that year. It was possibly one of the most successful film years, with Krsto Papić, Aleksandar Petrović, Dušan Makavejev, Žika Pavlović, Vatroslav Mimica, and Puriša Đorđević in attendance, and the kid got infected with film there. That kid is standing before you, albeit a bit older, and is here to tell you that Pula Film Festival is now open. Congratulations!”, said director Rajko Grlić and opened the 71st Pula Film Festival in front of the full Arena. This edition of the Festival marks 50 years from his first feature film screened in Pula Whichever Way the Ball Bounces.
Tanja Miličić, director of Pula Film Festival, emphasised that the Festival is being opened on a Thursday instead of Saturday. “As always, we will go to work tomorrow; and not just us, but everyone. It is a wonderful thing to honour tradition, but it is equally as important to be open to change. This year we did an experiment, and as far as I can see, it succeeded, because you are here with us,” said Miličić and thanked those who helped make the Festival as successful as possible.
Looking at the full Arena and any of the full cinemas, just like three hours ago at the Istrian National Theatre, is one of the most beautiful sights a filmmaker can ever witness after working on their film for so long, and thank you for that. Thank you for being here, and please stay with Croatian films and with Pula Film Festival this week”, said artistic director Danijel Pek.
22 FILMS IN COMPETITION FOR THE ARENAS
This year’s Festival will see 22 films competing for the main awards – of which 11 minority co-productions and 11 Croatian films, and the abundant film programme was presented at the Arena with videos in four key themes: “We Feel Through Film”, “We Grow Up Through Film”, “We Imagine Through Film”, and “We Remember Through Film”. The key themes were presented by actress Lana Barić and actor Janko Popović Volarić, who are in the lead roles in the film This Is Not a Love Song, with Popović Volarić also in Grlić’s film It All Ends Here; actress Areta Ćurković, who is in the lead role in the film The Woman With the Rubber Gloves; composer Alen Sinkauz, who has worked on several films in this year’s main programme with his brother; director and screenwriter Zrinko Ogresta; makeup designer and special effects master for film and TV Ana Bulajić Črček, daughter of the great director Veljko Bulajić; and actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović.
The opening ceremony was directed by Patrik Lazić and hosted by Ida Prester, who spoke about this edition of the Festival happening in the year of momentum and historical success of Croatian film at one of the most important film festivals in the world. The Festival is being held under the high patronage of Zoran Milanović, the President of the Republic of Croatia, and the opening was attended by Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek, state secretary Krešimir Partl, Pula mayor Filip Zoričić, and a number of guests from cultural and social life. Sergej Božić, with Slađana Čolović on guitar, performed the Croatian national anthem and the Istrian anthem, as well as songs Samo jednom se ljubi and Sretan ti put in memory of deceased filmmakers.
THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG AT ISTRIAN NATIONAL THEATRE
Before the opening at the Arena, the world premiere of the film This Is Not a Love Song, directed by Nevio Marasović, was held at the newly renovated Istrian Theatre.
“Last year we also screened a film directed by Nevio here, and I jokingly asked him to make another one for next year and that it would be great if he could make it 71 minutes as that would be the 71st edition of the Festival. And here we have This Is Not a Love Song, 71 minutes long. And seeing how he has this great pace going, I will now ask him to break the world record and that next year we screen another of his films at Pula, which would make it three films in a row,” said Danijel Pek at the Istrian National Theatre.
Nevio Marasović thanked the audience that filled the Istrian National Theatre: “When we were making this film, I said it was a little thought about love, of course, romantic love, but also about love for this work that many of us here do, and that I do – the love of film. It is a film about love, romantic love, love for film, but also a nice chance to start this edition of Pula Film Festival with a feelings of love.
FIVE-MEMBER JURY TO DECIDE ON AWARD WINNERS
A five-member jury will decide on the winners of the Golden Arenas: Goran Marković, theatre, television and film actor known for his roles in feature films Safe Place, Aleksi, The High Sun, and I Believe in Angels; Mirta Puhovski, producer and screenwriter, whose debut documentary film Bigger Than Trauma was the first documentary film to win the Golden Arena for Best Film at Pula Film Festival; Nebojša Slijepčević, film director and winner of the Palme d’Or for his film The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent; Nina Velnić, editor who has worked on eight short films and a number of television film and series in her long career; and Nina Violić, actress, but also director who has seen great success with her many acting awards, but also in her work as director with her first feature film Kick and Scream. Nina Violić is the president of the jury.
Pula Film Festival will run until 18 July, and more than 100 films will be screened across five locations.
FRIDAY AT THE FESTIVAL – 12 JULY
10 a.m. • PULICA • Who Are You , Mama Moo, 2023, directed by Christian Ryltenius • Valli Cinema
10 a.m. • CONVERSATION WITH THE FILM CREW • This Is Not a Love Song, 2024, directed by Nevio Marasović • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
10.30 a.m. • CONVERSATION WITH THE FILM CREW • It All Ends Here, 2024, directed by Rajko Grlić • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
11 a.m. • BOOK PROMOTION • Croatian Film in the 21st Century, 2023, Zlatko Vidačković and Iva Rosanda Žigo • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
11 a.m. • MAIN PROGRAMME: CROATIAN FILM • Lost Country, 2023, directed by Vladimir Perišić • Istrian National Theatre
12 p.m. • HIGH NOON – critics’ duel • This Is Not a Love Song, 2024, directed by Nevio Marasović + It All Ends Here 2024, directed by Rajko Grlić • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
1.30 p.m. • AWARD CEREMONY for the Award presented by the Filmmakers Association of Croatia • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
2 p.m. • RERUN • This Is Not a Love Song, 2024, directed by Nevio Marasović • Istrian National Theatre
4 p.m. • RERUN • It All Ends Here, 2024, directed by Rajko Grlić • Istrian National Theatre
4 p.m. • MAIN PROGRAMME: MINORITY CO-PRODUCTIONS • Shooting Blanks, 2023, directed by Žiga Virc • Valli Cinema
6 p.m. • TIME MACHINE • “Whichever Way, 1974, directed by Rajko Grlić • Valli Cinema
7 p.m. • MAIN PROGRAMME: CROATIAN FILM • Our Children, 2024, directed by Silvestar Kolbas • Istrian National Theatre
8 p.m. • GREATER ADRIA • Veni vidi vici, 2024, directed by Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann • Valli Cinema
8 p.m. • EXHIBITION OPENING • Cinemaniac > Think Film 2024 Stéphan Crasneanscki, What We Leave Behind – From Jean-Luc Godard’s Archive • Novo Gallery
9.30 p.m. • MAIN PROGRAMME: CROATIAN FILM • Celebration, 2024, directed by Bruno Anković • Arena
9.30 p.m • RERUN • It All Ends Here, 2024, directed by Rajko Grlić • Brijuni Islands
9.30 p.m • AMBRELA BEACH • 72 Days, 2010, directed by Danilo Šerbedžija • Ambrela Beach
10 p.m • RERUN • Lost Country, 2023, directed by Vladimir Perišić • Valli Cinema
11 p.m. • CONCERT • Buč Kesidi • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
11.20 p.m. • POPULAR PULA • The Count of Monte Cristo, 2024, directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière • Arena
