Focus programme devoted to works by Croatian authors at Cisterna Film Festival
Award-winning titles by Croatian authors presented in a spotlight programme at the international short film festival held in the Italian town of Cisterna di Latina, taking place 22nd – 24th July.
On 22nd July, the first day of the festival, the audience at Cisterna FF will have a chance to see Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović’s Into the Blue. The film had its world premiere in the Generation 14plus section at the 67th Berlinale (2017) where it won a Special Mention. To date, the fiction short has won numerous accolades and recognitions, including a nomination for a Student Academy Award. The film’s producers are Barbara Vekarić and Vlaho Krile (for Motion) and Zoran Dževerdanović (for Blade Production).
On the second day of the festival, the Focus on Croatia programme at Cisterna di Latina presents The Beast, a short fiction directed by Miroslav Sikavica, who penned the script together with Marija Šimoković Sikavica. The film premiered in 2016 in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a jury Special Mention. Since then, it has toured over forty eminent international and domestic festivals, taking home seven awards, among which the Oktavijan Award for Best Fiction from the Croatian Film Critics Society and the Grand Prix at Croatian Film Days. The film’s producers are Boris T. Matić and Lana Matić (for Propeler Film).
The third day of the spotlight on Croatia programme is reserved for two student animated titles – It Will Never Be by Mateja Štefinščak and Stella Hartman’s Cat Do.
The former, directed by Mateja Štefinščak, last year took home the award for best animated film at Croatian Film Days, also winning first place at the Revue of Croatian Filmmaking. The film is an Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb production, created under the mentorship of Darko Bakliža.
Stella Hartman’s Cat Do has screened at Animafest Zagreb and the Revue of Croatian Filmmaking and it is another Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb production. The entire programme of the Cisterna Film Festival is available here.
Each day during the Cisterna FF, before the main competition screenings, the visitors will have a chance to catch one or two Croatian titles. The Focus on: Croatia programme has been created in collaboration with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, while each night, a representative from HAVC will present and announce the films in the programme.