Movie News

Shooting of the short film “Krš” produced by Blank

Yet another short film has been shoot in Dalmatia. A featured film “Krš” from Blank movie factory has been produced by Žana Jukić, directed and written by Petar Vukičević.

The film “Krš” brings an important and emotional story, with a goal to stimulate deep reflections on masculinity and intergenerational relations. This meditative film explores the emotional conflicts and dynamics of the relationship between father Željko (Leon Lučev) and son Mislav (Stipe Jelaska), focusing on male identity and the struggle against traditional patterns of behavior.

Filming took place in authentic locations in Dalmatinska Zagora, from the 9.10. to 13.10.2024. The project was recognized and supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC), City of Zagreb and City of Zadar and it was co-produced with Kinoklub Split.

The artistic advisor for the short feature film Mario Kozina, explained that based on the results of the Public Call for encouraging audiovisual activities and creativity – the category of short feature film production, in which the short feature film Krš was among the selected. When choosing a proposal for co-financing, I took into account the refinement of the script, the believability of the director’s concept and motivation, and the level of preparation and feasibility of the project itself.

“The story of a young man in his late twenties who goes to his father in the province to heal his broken heart, while realizing that he is more similar to his father in some aspects than he would like to admit. An important role will also be played by the character of the bull Gara, the tragic hero of the local stories like this about wounded masculinity may not be unknown in cinematography, but they are rarely written in such a skillful and concise manner directed at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, he also has a documentary film on a similar topic behind him, and in the script he demonstrated knowledge of the environment, the local idiom, but also the emotional constellation of the characters, which gives this story freshness and authenticity.”

Making of the short film “Dobro je sve” directed by Rino Barbir has recently finished

The Blank association produced the short feature film “Dobro je sve” in Split, from July 8 – 13, 2024, co-written and directed by Rino Barbir. This existentialist drama explores male friendship and the process of growing up. The story is focused on Andro, who, during a brief stay in his hometown Split, begins to lose his sense of belonging to the people and environment he once considered integral to his identity.

This short film staring Paško Vukasović, Josip Lukić, Stipe Radoja, Snježana Sinovčić-Šiškov, and Spiro Jurić, truly shows how prominent scene Split is in the acting world.

Tin Ostrošić took on the role of the director of photography, while Šimun Šitum was the co-screenwriter and creative assistant. Sound recording was handled by Marko Grgić and Niko Gulam, with Marko Ferković as the editor and Borna Buljević as the sound designer.

Maja Golem and Luca Ninčević were responsible for set and costume design, while Ivana Lončar was the makeup artist. Josip Kraljević wrote the script. Sara Ivelić produced the film, with Lucian Mirdita as the executive producer.

This project was realized with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Center.

Filming of Anno Domini Completed in Split

From May 23rd to 28th, 2024, the short feature film Anno Domini was filmed in Split, produced by the Blank Association. Written and directed by Filip Antonio Lizatović, this social satire examines how different characters respond to the trend of mass tourism.

Filming Locations in Split

The film was shot at authentic Split locations such as Diocletian’s Palace and the iconic Kocka club, as well as in the neighbourhoods of Gripe, Bačvice, and Radunica. These locations provide a rich backdrop that enhances the film’s social commentary on tourism.

Renowned Cast and Crew

The cast includes numerous renowned and award-winning actors and film professionals, alongside dozens of extras from various backgrounds and nationalities. The main roles feature:

• Stojan Matavulj
• British-Italian actress Virginia Ruspini
• Mia Bujan
• Paško Vukasović
• Marin Klišmanić
• Filip Radoš
• Stipe Radoja
• Denis Tomić
• Petar Čakić
• Leon Macanović

Production Support

The project was realized in co-production with the Kino Klub Split, with support from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and the City of Split. This collaboration ensures high production quality and showcases local talent and locations.

Stay tuned to our website for more updates on the film Anno Domini and other projects by Filip Antonio Lizatović.

Photo Credit: Blank

Published: June 14,2024.

The 17th edition of FMFS is starting soon!

The long-awaited moment is finally here! Our favorite cultural event, the 17th Mediterranean Film Festival Split, kicks off, bringing 107 films from 41 countries across six different programs. Besides the well-known locations like the Bačvice Summer Cinema, Gripe Fortress, and Zlatna Vrata Cinematheque, the festival will introduce its third free cinema near the monument to Gregory of Nin.

In the feature-length Mediterranean program, which showcases Croatian premieres, directors Omar Hilal (Egypt), Miguel Faus (Spain), Enrico Maria Artale (Italy), and Ardit Sadiku (Albania) will personally present their films to the audience.

“Voy Voy Voy,” a comedy based on an unbelievable true story directed by Omar Hilal, tells the tale of Hassan, a poor man who, in his bid to flee abroad, joins a soccer team for the blind and pretends to be one of them. This film was a box office hit in Egypt and was their submission for the Oscars.

Also in the lineup is Albania’s Oscar contender, “Alexander,” a brilliant documentary by Ardit Sadiku about Alexander Gruda, who, during the fall of communism in 1990, plotted to hijack a warship to escape the country with a group of friends.

The Italian film “Paradise,” a dynamic family drama about the complex relationship between a mother and son, earned Enrico Maria Artale the Best Screenplay award in Venice. The film also won accolades for Best Lead Actress and the Youth Jury Award.

The brilliant Isabelle Huppert returns to FMFS in “Sidonie in Japan,” where she portrays a French writer invited to Japan to reissue her book. This excellent humorous drama offers an intriguing look at Japanese culture and its differences.

The Palestinian documentary “The Only Country,” awarded at the Berlinale by both the jury and the audience, follows a Palestinian activist documenting the destruction of his community by Israel. He forms a strong alliance with an Israeli journalist, resulting in a prolonged fight for truth.

“The Heir” is a gripping psychological thriller by award-winning director Xavier Legrand. It follows the artistic director of a major Parisian fashion house who uncovers a significant secret after his father’s death.

“Enea,” an atypical gangster drama, skillfully blends tension with melancholy. The young director and screenwriter Pietro Castellitto also stars as a young man who, driven by a thirst for adventure, accepts an offer from a mafia boss to sell a large amount of cocaine.

“Crossroads” is a Turkish, Swedish, and French co-production. It is an emotional road movie in which two strangers overcome ideological and emotional barriers to unite in a common mission.

The intense and realistic drama “Amal,” starring Lubna Azabal, known to the Split audience from the FMFS-winning film “Life Suits Me Well,” earned her an award in Tallinn for her new role. Interestingly, Azabal chaired the jury for the short film program at Cannes, which awarded Nebojša Slijepčević the “Palme d’Or.”

The domestic documentary “The Ship” by Pula director Elvis Lenić will be screened out of competition. Lenić will personally present his film about the Uljanik shipyard, which has become an abandoned graveyard of workshops, cranes, and wrecks.

It has already been announced that FMFS’s feature-length program will open with “The Quiet Maid,” a dynamic and refreshing satirical drama. Director Miguel Faus will discuss the film with the audience at the Bačvice Summer Cinema. The closing film is the Italian hit of the year, “There’s Always Tomorrow,” starring the renowned actress Paola Cortellesi.

For all information, program details, and tickets, visit https://fmfs.hr/novosti/.

Published: June 12, 2024.

American aircraft manufacturer Cirrus selected Croatia for their marketing material production

The American aircraft manufacturer Cirrus has selected Bol as the perfect backdrop for creating new high-quality marketing materials to promote its products. Paul Schmutzler, the lead producer of the in-house media team, introduces the company and shares insights from the set

„Cirrus is the recognized global leader in personal aviation and the manufacturer of the best- selling SR Series piston aircraft and the Vision Jet®, the world’s first single-engine Personal Jet™.

The Cirrus in-house media team is tasked with enabling the sales team with the highest quality media assets of our products and customers’ lifestyles. We accomplish this by creating marketing content that combines beautiful places, people, and planes. This year, we were asked to update our European marketing content from a shoot we executed in Switzerland back in 2021.

We knew we wanted a different look than the Alpine views we had in Gstaad, so we started looking high and low. After perusing options in Scotland, Spain, France, Switzerland, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Finland, England, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Italy, we settled on the little island of Brač in Croatia.

The planning took several months of coordination between our media team in Knoxville, Tennessee, and local production assistance in Croatia. We partnered with Film Rentals for large equipment to use on sets like lights, stands, generators, and DIT equipment. Croatian Creative Casting provided us with talent and on-set talent management services. Ivana Loncar and Andrea Bošković provided hair and makeup while Marcela Vrcek and Ira Rumora took care of wardrobe styling for all twelve talents.

The travel and arrival to Croatia were lengthy from the US, but it was all straightforward and manageable. We transited through Amsterdam and arrived at Split Airport to pick up our three rental vehicles for personnel and gear. Film Rentals sent a driver to Split to deliver our gear directly to us upon landing in Split. From there, we drove to the ferry port and boarded the ship to Supetar.

Arriving on Brač was surreal as this was our first time laying eyes on places we had only been seeing in photos and videos up to that point. The drive over the mountains to our home base in Bol was magnificent with stunning views of the Adriatic and the mountains on mainland Croatia. Once we arrived in Bol and started seeing the surrounding terrain and village, we knew we had made the right choice to capture a unique European destination to highlight for our customers.

During our stay in Bol, we spent two days scouting and prepping and four days shooting. The local businesses that allowed us to utilize their properties were wonderful and accommodating, and we made some good friends by spending time with them. The town administrator Kristian Bačić helped us secure permission to shoot in many places throughout the town, and we had no problems getting wherever we wanted to shoot in public spots.
 
After our days shooting in Bol, we repositioned to the Brač Airport and shot our talent with the aircraft for two days. The manager, Petra Bonačić-Sargo, helped us secure permission to utilize the terminal building and ramp space required for our cast and crew of around 30 people. The entire staff of the airport was incredibly helpful and allowed us to work uninhibited while maintaining a safe and secure environment. Bol-based restaurant Mali Raj provided us with on-set craft services during our airport days as well.

Overall, we successfully ended our shooting in Croatia and returned with about 5 terabytes of photo and video content. Over the coming weeks, we’ll organize the content and begin our post-production processes to utilize these assets later this year.

“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” – The First Croatian Film Awarded the Palme d’Or

The Croatian film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” won the award for Best Short Film, outshining ten nominated films (and more than 4,200 submissions) competing at this year’s 77th Cannes Film Festival!

Thus, the film directed and written by Nebojša Slijepčević became the first Croatian film to be awarded the Palme d’Or since the country’s independence.

“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” is a thirteen-minute drama based on a true event – the Štrpci massacre (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 1993, where members of the Army of Republika Srpska kidnapped, tortured, and then executed 19 civilians from a passenger train traveling from Belgrade to Bar. The only one among the five hundred passengers who decided to stand up to them was a retired JNA officer, Tomo Buzov (Goran Bogdan) – the titular man who could not stay silent, who was also killed for his brave act.

Along with Slijepčević, the historical success was also credited to editor Tomislav Stojanović, director of photography Gregor Božić, sound designer Ivan Andreev, producers Katarina Prpić and Danijel Pek (production company Antitalent), and co-producers Boštjan Virc (Studio Virc, Slovenia), Katya Trichkova (Contrast Films, Bulgaria), and Noëlle Lévénez (Les Films Norfolk, France).

In addition to Bogdan, the cast also includes Dragan Mićanović, Silvio Mumelaš, Alexis Manenti, Lara Nekić, Priska Ugrina, Dušan Gojić, Nebojša Pop Tasić, Mijo Pavelko, Martin Kuhar, Jakov Zovko, and Robert Ugrina.

The movie was shot with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Center. The Croatian premiere will happen on June 18th at the Open Air Cinema Bačvice within The Mediterranean Film Festival Split.

Congratulations!

Source: HAVC
May, 2024.