The past and present of Croatian film is highlighted in three curated programs: Life Along the Mediterranean Coast, Strong Women from Croatia and The Grandmasters of Animation. The different strengths of the Croatian short film are highlighted in these programs.

Croatia is a land of contrasts, situated on the border of different cultural influences, geographically stuck between Europe, the Balkan and the Mediterranean, and in constant relation to the sea due to their long coast. In this program we look not only at the coastal beauty and warmth, but also at the reverse. Dreamy beaches contrast with rocky cliffs, and seem to be reflections of the warm Croatian people, marked by tourist crowds and other hardships. Films that are featured in the Life Along the Mediterranean Coast programe are: The Rudeness of a German Lady by Silva Ćapin, Here There by Alexander Stewart, Into the Blue by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, The Beast by Miroslav Sikavica and Sedra by Judita Gamulin. 

When looking at Croatian short film one thing stuck out. Croatia is a country of strong woman. On the one hand we noticed woman who embraced their independence and freedom. On the other, woman that were met with misfortune and disappointment, but who still powered through and persevered. This program focuses on victory over opposition and the strength of women, may they inspire us all. Films that are featured in the Strong Women from Croatia programe are: From 3 to 22 by Krešo Golik, The Chicken by Una Gunjak, Women by Aleksandar F. Stasenko, Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves by Chintis Lundgren and Tina by Dubravka Turić. 

The first Oscar for best animated short film that didn’t go to an American film, was awarded to the Croatian film Surogat by Dušan Vukotić, 1961. The Zagreb School of Animation, of which this film was a part, created a new current within animation film that still influences the films we see today. This new approach resulted in animations for adults, iconical for their cynical and relativistic style. The lurid animation Fisheye (Joško Marušić, 1980) therefore also found a place in The Grandmasters of Animation program, and shows the brutal undertone of the Zagreb School. 

More recent short films from Croatia are also doing well on the festival circuit. Ivana Bošnjak and Chintis Lundgren, among others, screened their films at Go Short and many other international festivals and show that Croatian animation remains original and innovative. As such, Croatian animation history is filled with creative innovation and thematical evolution, and even today their films are internationally well-received by festivals and audiences. The Grandmasters of Animation program embraces the Croatian animation, from past to present. Alongside already mentioned films, this program features: Two for Two by Jelena Oroz, Nighthawk by Špela Čadež, Manivald by Chintis Lundgren, Lust by Irena Jukić Pranjić and Simulacra by Ivana Bošnjak and Thomas Johnson. 

With your Go Short+ Access you have access to many more short films from Croatia; for example, in International Highlights – a selection of short films that have won awards at other festivals in the past year – you will find the short animation film Cockpera by Kata Gugić. But there is also plenty of Croatian film on This Is Short, a platform that you have access to with your Go Short pass between 1 April and 30 June. In the online competition New Point of View Telcosystems experimental film collective’s Testfilm #1 can be seen from 29 April, and the short film festival 25FPS from Zagreb has curated a program that can be seen for a week from 20 May. You can find more information about the online program here. 

Besides the focus on films, Croatia is also in focus of industry events during the Go Short festival. 

On 9 April, the keynotes and roundtable talks of the program Solidarity: Generations will take place. During this session, documentary filmmaker Igor Bezinović (Croatia) talks about his vision on short film, possible career paths and experiences with switching from short films to feature films, but also from feature films to short films. You can participate with your Go Short+ Pro Access. With this Pro Access you also have access to information meetings about Croatia as a co-production country or film location. On April 16th a selection of the newest Croatian short films will be shown before these films have their official international premiere. Selected festival programmers will receive an excluse invite to attend this preview and get a unique opportunity to be amongst the very first to see these films and chat with the filmmakers. You can find more information about Go Short industry events here.

This focus on Croatia is made possible by Croatian Audiovisual Centre.