The short fiction film Anno Domini, directed by Filip Antonio Lizatović and produced by Maja Gros and Žana Jukić, will have its world premiere at the 17th edition of the San Jose International Short Film Festival, taking place from October 16 to 19, 2025, in California.
The film is scheduled to screen on October 19, 2025, as part of the World Cinema category. This is an Oscar®-qualifying festival and one of the most prestigious American festivals dedicated to short-form cinema, known for its highly selective programming and exceptional production standards. The selection of a Croatian film in the competition program is a significant achievement, as few films from the region make it into this esteemed festival.
Anno Domini tells the story of Marinko, a man from Split (portrayed by Stojan Matavulj), whose life takes an unexpected turn when, one summer night during peak tourist season, a young foreign woman, Amber (played by Virginia Ruspini), faints on the street below his balcony. The cast also includes Paško Vukasović, Marin Klišmanić, Filip Radoš, Stipe Radoja, Mia Bujan, Denis Tomić, Petar Čakić, and Leon Macanović.
“Anno Domini explores the consequences of mass tourism and the growing sense of alienation that arises when local life is pushed into the background and the city becomes a backdrop for seasonal entertainment. I wanted to capture that fracture between the real and the artificial—between what a city is and what it becomes under the weight of tourism. Through a blend of fiction, documentary realism, and dark humor, the film examines how global tourism reshapes identities and communities—not just in Croatia, but everywhere these phenomena occur,”
said director Filip Antonio Lizatović.
The film’s director of photography is Antonio Pozojević, with Igor Dropuljić as the editor and sound designer. The film’s emotional and docu-realistic tone is enhanced by archival footage provided by residents of Split’s Old Town, as well as an original score by Goran Bregović, Josip Pastuović, and Fabijan Jakopec. Production design was handled by Antonija Jurina, with costumes by Mirela Mitak and makeup by Karla Lazić.
Anno Domini was produced by Blank, in co-production with Kino Klub Split, and supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), the City of Split, and the Lovrinac Public Company.
More information about the film is available on its official Instagram profile: @annodominifilm.
