Pula Film Festival nearing the finale, we examine the price of passion and anxiously wait for the jury decisions!
CONVERSATION WITH THE FILLM CREW OF SWEET SIMONA
Sweet Simona, directed by Igor Mirković, was screened at the Istrian National Theatre, and the director, together with Ivan Zadro, director of photography, and actresses Tina Keserović and Nela Kocsis, attended the conversation about the film. Igor Mirković said he found inspiration for the film in real life. “What intrigued me was to try and explain to myself what happens in the mind of a man who really gets into it,” said Mirković, emphasising that it is almost always about completely normal people with ordinary lives. When asked about the explicit nature of the film, he said he wanted to make a film immersed in sex, but to have only a small part be seen, as it goes against the nature of the film to exploit sexuality. The main driver for the characters’ bad decisions is loneliness, and Tina Keserović says she based her character on the cult film Paradise: Love. “As an actress, I tried to hide Jana’s loneliness, because those who are lonely want to hide it at all costs. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be as lonely,” she said. Actress Nela Kocsis emphasised the positive atmosphere on set, as well as the beautiful locations in Austria and Croatia. Director of photography Ivan Zadro revealed that the initial idea wasn’t for the film to be a winter film, but that the idea prevailed in the conversations, and so the film is permeated by the atmosphere of the night.
CONVERSATION WITH THE FILM CREW OF THE WRATH OF GOD
After the world premiere at the Arena, The Wrath of God, the film based on the novel of the same name by Josip Mlakić, was presented at the Festival Centre by producer Slaven Knezović, actress Martina Mandek, and actors Ivo Krešić, Domagoj Mrkonjić, Marko Cindrić, and Ivo Skoko. “This is an anti-war film that really talks about the suffering of people because of a piece of fabric,” said producer Knezović, who himself was a member of HVO (Croatian Defence Council). Lead actor Ivo Krešić, who portrays Ilija, a soldier of HVO in Central Bosnia sometime in late 1993, describes the film as “universally anti-revenge”, focusing on interpersonal relationships, and sees the characters as acquaintances from his childhood. The producer emphasised the fact that they had to shoot at three different times due to the pandemic, and praised his crew for really giving their all. Actor Domagoj Mrkonjić said he was surrounded by wonderful people. “Milić’s set truly is one big family”, said actor Marko Cindrić about director Kristijan Milić. “When we needed snow, it snowed. When we needed rain, it rained. Then we needed sunshine, there was sunshine out of nowhere,” said Domagoj Mrkonjić jokingly, and added that the film could have been called ‘The Mercy of God’.
HIGH NOON
The third critics’ duel HIGH NOON of the 71st Pula Film Festival, held at the Festival Centre on Tuesday 16 July, and focusing on the films Sweet Simona, directed by Igor Mirković and The Wrath of God, directed by Kristijan Milić, brought together film critics Silvestar Mileta and Mića Vučković.
AUDIENCE SCORES
CRITICS’ SCORES
AWARD OF THE CROATIAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA NETWORK
The Croatian Independent Cinemas Network Award, established last year at Pula Film Festival, presented by the representatives of independent cinemas to the best Croatian film, is significant also as contribution to the discussion of the potential of the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network.This year, the same jury will present the award to a film in the international programme as well. The awarded films will receive prizes in the form of advertising space provided by Telegram and Tportal, and a minimal number of cinemas in the first week of distribution. With this cooperation with the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network, Pula Film Festival seeks to contribute to quality communication and cooperation between cinemas and distributers and provide a concrete example to impact further positive practices in film distribution.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS AND AWARD CEREMONY
On Wednesday 17 July at 6 p.m. at the Festival Centre, the winners of the Pula PRO programme will be announced and the awards of the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network will be presented. The ceremony of announcing the winners and presenting the Golden Arena Awards will start at 7 p.m. at the Istrian National Theatre, and the winners will bow to the audience at the Arena at 9.30 p.m. Later, the Cannes winner The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, directed by Nebojša Slijepčević, and Tuesday, directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusić will be screened at the Arena.
ROUND TABLE ON DISTRIBUTION AND CINEMA EXHIBITING
At the round table on distribution and cinema exhibiting in Croatia, representatives of the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network, Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), CineStar, and distributers of domestic and independent projects spoke about a number of issues, with the key one being the issue of the continuity in the distribution strategies of films that in and of themselves are not automatically commercial blockbusters. These are films that saw success at festivals, art-house and niche films, but that are often lacking in time slots and screens, especially in Zagreb, where, following the loss of Europa Cinema, there is a lack of repertoire cinemas or specialised cinema theatres. In that context, the way to make us of the potential of the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network, which brings together some fifty independent cinema exhibitors, as the participants discussed, is the recent reevaluation of the public call for funding for promoting complementary operations, which includes distribution and cinema exhibiting. The reevaluation should set up clear criteria for the assessment of the members of the Croatian Independent Cinemas Network and award the most successful members, further motivating them in their work. It is necessary to distinguish commercial film from film that is culture, the participants concluded, and to work on educating new generations of audiences of Croatian and independent film, for which there is no successful distribution strategy in Croatia without continued cooperation of producers, distributers, and cinema exhibitors. The same goes for the issue of the lack of screens in Zagreb – there can be no solution without constant cooperation of HAVC, CineStar, as the largest multiplex with cinemas in Zagreb, and independent distributers who have films they want to screen and achieve continuity and prolong the life of their film. The participants of the round table Is there life after the premiere? were Ivan Cvitković, head of programming at CineStar, Nataša Šimunov, head of Valli Cinema in Pula, Ines Žuljević, director of theatrical distribution at Blitz, Christopher P. Marcich, Chief Executive Officer at HAVC, Tina Tišljar, producer at Eclectica from Zagreb, Alen Munitić, artistic director, distribution Kino Mediteran, and producer Vanja Jambrović.
NIKOLA TANHOFER AWARD PRESENTED
The Croatian Cinematographers Society presented the Nikola Tanhofer Award for the 11th time, the award named after the distinguished cinematographer Nikola Tanhofer. As the Society’s president Mario Sablić said, this year saw the strongest competition, with 27 submitted projects. The jury consisting of Mario Sablić, Bojan Mećava, and Branko Linta decided to present the award for short film to Frane Pamić for Dobro je, lijepo je; for TV series to Danko Vučinović for Silence (season 2); and for feature film to Filip Tot for The Holy Family.
REPRODUCTION OF STORYBOARD OF KAYA! PRESENTED
The reproduction of the storyboard of Kaya!, directed by Vatroslav Mimica, was presented at Pula Film Festival. It is the original storyboard, full of interventions, illustrations, and collages, giving an insight into the author’s creative process about one of the outstanding achievements of European modern film and one of the most memorable achievements of director Vatroslav Mimica, which was at first disputed and booed. The book was presented by editor Mladen Burić, and Nataša Mišković, PhD, author of the extensive interview with Lordan Zafranović. Other than the original storyboard, revealing the process of making the film, the book also includes texts by Marina Vujić and Mario Kozina about the perception of the film, both from a personal perspective and in the context of the work of Vatroslav Mimica in the framework of Croatian film.
ANNOUNCING: THE PRICE OF PASSION
On Wednesday 17 July at 2.30 p.m. at the Festival Centre, the discussion titled “The price of passion”, organised by the Croatian Filmmakers and Producers Guild (DHFR), will take place. How does passion for film, that we as authors are inevitably ‘infected with’, impact our mental health and existence, and consequently our creative expression and filmmaking as such? A review of Jaka Primorac’s study “Portrait of Croatian Film Industry”. A comparison of working conditions in the film industries of other EU countries. Is it possible to ensure the existence of authors and other right holders through collective management of copyright, and what are the common problems that colleagues from similar organisations in the region are facing? What is the price of passion for filmmaking, how can we improve the position and working conditions of authors, and at the same time strengthen the Croatian film industry so that it can compete on equal terms on the European market?
First panel: The price of passion; moderator: Jasna Nanut (DHFR); participants: Judita Gamulin (DHFR), Andrija Mardešić (DHFR), Hrvoje Osvadić (HRUP)
Second panel: Key challenges; moderator: Hrvoje Hribar (DHFR); participants: Miljenka Čogelja (HRUP), Nevio Marasović (DHFR), Hrvoje Osvadić (HRUP)
Third panel: Copyright; moderator: Danilo Šerbedžija (DHFR); participants: Hrvoje Hribar (DHFR), Darko Bajić (UFUS AFA), Gregor Štibernik (AIPA)
WEDNESDAY AT THE FESTIVAL – 17 July
10 a.m. • PULA PRO • TV HIT • Valli Cinema
10 a.m. • CONVERSATION WITH THE FILM CREW • Bosnian Pot, 2023, directed by Pavo Marinković • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
10.30 a.m. • CONVERSATION WITH THE FILM CREW • Summer Teeth, 2024, directed by Dražen Žarković • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
11 a.m. • RERUN • Bosnian Pot, 2023, directed by Pavo Marinković • Istrian National Theatre
12 p.m. • HIGH NOON – critics’ duel • Bosnian Pot, 2023, directed by Pavo Marinković + Summer Teeth, 2024, directed by Dražen Žarković • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
12 p.m. • PULA PRO • Make the Scene! • Valli Cinema
1 p.m. • RERUN • Summer Teeth, 2024, directed by Dražen Žarković • Istrian National Theatre
2 p.m. • STUDENT PROGRAMME • In Transit, directed by Lucija Brkić | Creepy Crawlies, directed by Filip Zadro | We Have Almost Talked to Each Other, directed by Sanja Merćep | Behind the Scenes, directed by Monika Mohr | Ferry Solo, directed by Marija Mratinić | When the MIGs fly, directed by Philip Găicean | Juvies, directed by Jure Štern • Valli Cinema
2.30 p.m. • FORUM • The price of passion • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
4 p.m. • STUDENT PROGRAMME • Pop Snappers, directed by Matej Matijević | Thank You, Mother, directed by Izidor Bistrović | Chicks, directed by Petra Pavetić Kranjčec | The Night Practice, directed by Bogdan Alecsandru | Mount Stuff, directed by Toni Jelenić | Apollo, directed by Jan Predojević • Valli Cinema
6 p.m. • RERUN • Housekeeping for Beginners, 2023, directed by Goran Stolevski • Valli Cinema
6 p.m. • AWARD CEREMONY • Awards of Pula PRO and the Croatian Independent Cinema Network • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
7 p.m. • AWARD CEREMONY – GOLDEN ARENAS • Istrian National Theatre
8 p.m. • GREATER ADRIA • Monster, 2023, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda • Istrian National Theatre
9.30 p.m. • CLOSING FILMS • The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, 2024, directed by Nebojša Slijepčević + Tuesday, 2023, directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusić • Arena
9 p.m. • RERUN • Summer Teeth, 2024, directed by Dražen Žarković • Brijuni Islands
9.30 p.m. • AMBRELA BEACH • Cinema 15+ • Ambrela Beach
10 p.m. • RERUN • Sirin, 2023, directed by Senad Šahmanović • Valli Cinema
11 p.m. • [CONCERT] • DJ Stanko Bondža • Festival Centre – Home of Croatian Veterans
