01-12-2010

Croatian Focus at Thessaloniki

By FNE Staff

    The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (3 - 12 December 2010) is presenting a special focus, Croatian Animation: From the Zagreb School to the Present, in the festival's Balkan Survey section, the first time that the section is devoted to a single country.

    The program is supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre in co-operation with Zagreb film.

    The program will present 47 animated films by 28 directors, made between 1968- 2010. The retrospective is divided into five parts: films made at the turn of 1950's and 1960's, films made at the turn of 1960's and 1970's, films made at the turn of 1980's and 1990's, contemporary Croatian animation from the last 10 years, and a selection of ten films by Borivoj Dovniković Bordo, made from 1961-1989. Croatian animators Borivoj Dovinković and Darko Bakliža will be present at the retrospective.

    In addition to the focus on Croatian animation, the Balkan Survey program will present the premiere of Dalibor Matanić's new urban drama Mother of Asphalt, produced by Kinorama. The film will be released in Croatian cinemas in December.

    Several Croatian projects will participate in the festival's Agora market. Croatian film The House (screenwriter Sanja Kovačević, director Zoran Sudar) is nominated for this year's Balkan Fund. The film will be produced by Mainframe from Zagreb. Among the 15 projects participating in the Crossroads Co-production forum is the Croatian project Quiet People (director and screenwriter Ognjen Sviličić), co-produced by Maxima Film from Zagreb and French KinoElektron. Among the eleven projects included in the Works in Progress program is the Croatian minority co-production The Enemy (written and directed by Dejan Zečević). Maxima Film is the Croatian co-producer. Quiet People and The Enemy have received funding from Croatian Audiovisual Centre.