The session was presided by the chairmen of these two committees, Petar Selem and Nenad Stazić, while the MPs were addressed by Hrvoje Hribar, Head of HAVC, Thierry Baujard and Tatjana Aćimović, experts in audiovisual funding, Antonio Nuić, Head of Croatian Film Directors Guild, and Vinko Brešan, coordination Croatian Producers Association/Croatian Film Directors Guild for electronic media. In addition to both committee members and MPs, the session was attended by the Minister of Culture, Jasen Mesić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Nina Obuljen and former Minister of Culture, Božo Biškupić.

At the beginning, Hrvoje Hribar presented five strategic objectives of the Programme – the introduction of incentives for service export, which would return major international commissions to our industry, implementation of laws, change of the rates and public visibility of Croatian film, increase in the number of visitors in Croatian cinemas, solution of Croatian Cinematheque’s status and support to the digitalization of movie theatres. For this programme to be fulfilled, HAVC and the Ministry of Culture need to continue collaborating actively the way they have so far. Also, we need the media to announce this idea to the world, whereas for the political integration of the programme we need the Croatian Parliament, said Hribar and added that this sector will not work properly until the Parliament does not perceive it as a unit and does not support integrated coordination of the sector. In that respect, the MPs’ responsibility is enormous.

Tatjana Aćimović, Coordinator of the Task Force for Incentives in Audiovisual Industry, emphasised the urgency of introducing tax incentives as one of the important advantages needed for Croatia to become a country where films would be made: Numerous requests for filming in Croatia keep coming from different European and world producers, however, due to the lack of incentives, productions take place in other countries. Our aim is to revive foreign investment in Croatian audiovisual sector and increase the number of films made in the Republic of Croatia by introducing an integrated system of measures and incentives for producers who decide to conduct their projects in Croatia, on Croatian locations and using technical and creative services of domestic audiovisual industry, thus positioning Croatia as a film-friendly country.

Thierry Baujard, expert in audiovisual funding, made an overview of these conditions in Europe and elsewhere, pointing out that producers seek diversity of locations, trained professional English-speaking teams, modern infrastructure and affordable prices. All these are advantages a country should provide to make films. He particularly emphasised that Croatia had all of these, except tax relieves.

In his address, Antonio Nuić, head of Croatian Film Directors Guild, considered the concept of film as a product, primarily as a cultural product of permanent value, indispensable for building serious Croatian identity and presentation in the world. He also mentioned bad media perception and relationship towards Croatian film that need to be changed.

Vinko Brešan, coordinating Croatian Producers Association/Croatian Film Directors Guild for electronic media, reflected on the bad treatment of commercial and public televisions towards domestic film, as well as on the need to revitalise TV production of live action, documentary and animated films, especially those intended for youth and children. He pointed out the need to define citizens’ public needs in terms of the national television, HRT, and its drama, documentary and film programme, as well as live action programme for children and youth, expressing his discontent with HRT’s failure to obey the Audiovisual Activities Act. He also mentioned the MPs’ duty to stop the deterioration of HRT.

After the presentations, numerous MPs and committee members expressed their support for the Programme. Finally, Hrvoje Hribar greeted the participants and once again pointed out how important it is to curb further deterioration of the national television, an institution doomed to come to an end in the hands of those currently leading it.