On Saturday, July the 18th, the 62nd Pula Film Festival has officially started.
In her welcoming speech, the Pula Film Festival Director Gordana Restović emphasized the importance of Pula Film Festival, addressed all the institutions supporting the Festival, the audience and film professionals with words of thanks and invited all visitors and guests to enjoy in the following eight days of films under the stars.
The Artistic Board President Hrvoje Pukšec, on behalf of himself and his fellow members of the Artistic Board Tanja Miličić and Mike Downey, thanked the filmmakers whose artistic achievements improve PulaFilm Festival’s quality each year. "Croatian films have toured theworld's largest festivals and continue to be award-winning. Good news for Croatian film and good news for Pula." He also introduced the 62nd Pula programme novelties and stressed the importance of educational programmes for film professionals. "For the first time in a Croatian festival we will have world premieres of international films. For the first time we have launched an educational program for film professionals who’s professions are maybe less attractive in the media, with this year’s focus directed on scenography" said Hrvoje Pukšec.
After the Artistic Board welcoming speech, the screening of a short documentary film "Film Festival" directed by Jože Berc followed. The Film "Film Festival" was filmed in 1955, during Festival's second year of performing, and was restored and digitized for screening for the opening ceremony in the Arena.
After the short documentary film "Film Festival" the audience was addressed by the Croatian Minister of Culture Berislav Šipuš. As an envoy of the President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Oscar-winning producer Branko Lustig welcomed everyone.
After the spectacular fireworks display in the sky over Pula’s Arena, the honour to open the Festival went to the feature film directed by Branko Schmidt called Ungiven (Imena višnje). It is a drama that follows the life of a husband and wife after returning to the village they left during war years. The main film roles belong to Nada Đurevska and Ivo Gregurević who, along with the rest of the film crew, thanked theaudience and Pula Film Festival Artistic Board after the screening.
The ceremony of the oldest national film festival in the world was attended by the Vice President of the Croatian Parliament Nenad Stazić, the president of the region of Istria Valter Flego, Pula Deputy Major Elena Puh Belci, Her Excellency Michèle Boccoz, Ambassador of the Republic of France in the Republic of Croatia , the former President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović, Head of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre Hrvoje Hribar and the General Manager of the Croatian Radiotelevision Goran Radman.
The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Branko Schmidt, Ivo Gregurević, Goran Bogdan, Daniel Kušan, Danilo Šerbedžija, Anja Šovagović Despot, Irena Škorić, Emir Hadžihafizbegović, and many others.
Click HERE to see the photos from the ceremonial opening of the 62nd Pula Film Festival.
The 62nd Pula Film Festival will be held from July 18th to July 25th at 14 different locations throughout the city. During the eight days of the Festival, 128 films will be screened in 12 film programmes. There will be 23 professional events for film professionals as part of Pula PRO programme, two workshops for children and youth - Professor Baltazar’s Adventure laboratory and RED workshops, five exhibitions and eight musical events. For more info on this year’s programme click HERE.
