The festival in Drama is one of 15 international nominating festivals where one short film is selected from the short competition programme and nominated for the European Film Academy award, the so-called ‘European Oscar’. Picnic will compete with 14 other films for best European short, and the winner will be announced at the Awards in Berlin on December 12th.

Picnic is about 15 year-old Emir, who, accompanied by a social worker, visits his father in a semi-open penitentiary in Igman.  They arrive late due to traffic in Sarajevo, which shortens their visit.

The script is written by Džejna Avdić and Jure Pavlović, the cinematographer is Almmir Fakić, the editor Dragan Von Petrovic, and the producers are Luka Venturin and Jure Pavlović. The film stars Emir Mušić, Aleksandar Seksan and Senad Alihodžić.  The film is produced by Sekvenca Production, with support from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Zagreb City Office for Education, Culture and Sport, and SEE Cinema Network.

Picnic TRAILER from Croatian Audiovisual Centre on Vimeo.

Picnic had its world premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.  It won the Croatian Film Days Grand Prix, as well as the award for Best Actors.  It also won best short film at the recently held Rhode Island International Film Festival, which has put it in the running for an American Film Academy Oscar nomination.   

Last year’s best European short film, the Croatian minority co-production The Chicken, directed by Una Gunjak, was screened in the EFA Short Matters programme in Drama, while Balkan Panorama and Balkan Highlights screened Adrenaline by David Bagarić, Mezzanine by Dalibor Matanić and Lust by Irena Jukić Pranjić.

For more information on the European Film Awards best short film nominees please click on this link, and for information on the International Short Film Festival in Drama, click here.