The short film Extreminata directed and written by Vladislav Knežević will have its international premiere as part of the Fascinations competition programme, dedicated to the best experimental documentary films from around the world.

“It is a film in which the pastel colours of endless horizons and illuminated forests alternate with shots of abandoned hyper-designed nests and high-tech hubs. Post-organic digital dreaming develops a nostalgic memory of a landscape once inhabited by beings capable of emotion. The “negatives of darkness” are inscribed with poetic miniatures by Vladislav Knežević, quoted in various languages. This slow-paced post-apocalyptic vision is filmed with infinite tenderness," reads the film’s description on the festival’s website.

The film is produced by Vedran Šuvar, with Predrag Vekić as director of photography, while the editing was done by Mario Kalogjera and Vladislav Knežević. The sound design is the work of Hrvoje Pelicarić, while the animations were done by Boris Goreta and Mario Kalogjera. Exterminata is a Šuma Film Association production, and to date has appeared at domestic festivals 25FPS and Croatian Film Days.

The non-competing section Constellations, dedicated to documentary titles that have recently shone brightly on documentary skies around the world, screening at key documentary film festivals (which are part of the DOC Alliance partnership), includes Igor Bezinović’s Fiume o Morte!. The documentary is this year’s Croatian contender for Oscar and Goya nominations, and has been screened and awarded at almost 50 festivals around the world. Fiume o Morte! is produced by Restart, with Vanja Jambrović and Tibor Keser as the main producers.

The Special Event section offers a glimpse into the excellence of world cinema, with films that bring a unique and deeply thoughtful perspective on the complexity of human existence. This section features Una Gunjak’s debut feature, Excursion, which is a co-production of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SCCA/pro.ba), Croatia (Nukleus Film), Serbia (Baš Čelik), France, Norway and Qatar. Excursion premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it received a Special Sention in the Concorso Cineasti del presente programme, after which it screened and was awarded at festivals across the globe.

Ji.hlava Inndustry: Croatia in Focus

The programme “Croatia, Country in Focus” is created in collaboration with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, and consists of a panel discussion and a pitching session of Croatian projects as part of the New Visions Forum.

The topic of the panel discussion is “Coproducing with Croatia / Opportunities in the Croatian Film Industry”. 

“Focusing on the landscape of contemporary Croatian documentary cinema, this session will provide an overview of film production, documentary funding, and the country’s growing record of international co-productions. It will highlight Croatia’s dynamic documentary scene and offer insights into audience trends and cinema attendance. Industry experts will discuss opportunities for international collaboration, available co-production incentives, and strategies to connect Croatian films with global audiences. The session aims to open new pathways for creative partnerships and strengthen Croatia’s position within the European and international film community,” says the programme announcement. 

The keynote presentation will be given by Robert Tomić Zuber (head of ZagrebDox Pro industry), while the panel will be moderated by journalist Marta Balaga (Variety). The panellists are: 

• Marcella Jelić – sales agent, Split Screen
• Hrvoje Pukšec – executive director, ZagrebDox
• Oliver Sertić – film producer and film distributor, Restart

As part of the focus programme, the following Croatian titles will be presented at the Ji.Hlava New Visions Forum: 

• Behind Open Doors / Croatia, Serbia, Spain / Director: Nikola Kuprešanin / Producer: Ena Rahelić
• Closing Time / Croatia / Director: Sara Jurinčić / Producer: Sara Jurinčić
• Olimbi - Mother Courage / Croatia / Director: Karlo Mlinar / Producer: Filip Filković
• Our Imagined Islands / Croatia, UK / Director: Ana Grgić / Producer: Oliver Sertić
• The Centre of the World / Croatia, Slovenia / Director: Marko Šantić / Producer: Jure Bušić
• The Three of Us / Croatia / Director: Lucija Brkić / Producer: Lucija Perić

The New Visions Market will also include the following pitches:

• New Life / Croatia / Director Goran Dević / Producer: Hrvoje Osvadić
• No Offence / Croatia / Director: Lucija Marčec / Producer: Ida Barac, Ema Mikolaci