1st International Film Festival Zadar August 23rd - 29th 2010

Can Zadar become the most desirable film spot is to be shown by the

The first international film festival being focused on European Co-Productions is taking place in Zadar during the last week of August and its thematic feature enhances Croatian position on the European film scene. It’s also the first film festival in Zadar going to gather not only the cinema audience during the film projections but also the professionals participating at the creative Film Forum. The Forum aims to gather and connect film-creatives and to place Zadar and the region as the new film and creative center.

The potentials of the city of Zadar, with the great infrastructure and only two hours from the capital taking the new highway or same taking the plain form any part of Europe,  have been recognized by Sergej Stanojkovski, European director with Croatian roots, the initiator and founder of the festival.

The great infrastructure proved itself even during the first year of Film forum organized by his film production in Ugljan, the island of his childhood when he established creative co-operation with Arsenal,  University of Zadar, The city library of Zadar, The museum of antique glass , city’s cinemas and the Computer studies school "Algebra".

For the festival is essential the fact that the city’s government supported the concept of this unique manifestation aiming for Zadar to establish it’s place inside the film art and industry map. The City of Zadar and it’s mayor offered hospitality to our festival. Inside our forum we are going to gather foreign and inland professionals to brig and share their experiences and concrete businesses. “This is the most beautiful sunset in the world” – said Alfred Hitchcock, delighted during the staying in Zadar. We firmly believe that the new generations have the great opportunity to show that Zadar disposes of more than just perfect geographic position on the Adriatic sea along with the beautiful landscapes perfect for the film sets, and that beside the rich history has the perspective for the future.

With the rich program and contacts Film Forum aims to attract interest for Zadar and show city’s new spirit open to fresh ideas just like this first international festival of European co-productions.

The German city of Ruhr, this year European culture capital, have already recognized Zadar’s festival by giving the whole tv channel inside it’s large project Lab2010. The region of Ruhr and the Hungarian city Pecs are the partners of the Zadar’s festival, just like the Catalonian region with the Catalan Films & TV.

In Zadar the films are to be apprised by the audience an the international jury, and the documentary program will be evaluated apart. Hermann Vaske is to present his project „Why are You creative?” and „Creative Heads”, in co-operation with the Youtube. Under the title „Why are you Creative?” we are exclusively presenting the two of his films.

Film Forum Zadar cooperates with and will present EAVE  for the first time in Croatia. EAVE is one of the leading training and development programmes for producers in Europe with a unique network of over 1,000 professionals.

We are also continuing with the „Summerfilmschool” project which started in 2008 on island  Ugljan, and which will be this year an experimental transmedia festival television.

The Education part of the project is enlarged in co-operation with Algebra, the regional leading school center for creative computer technologies. Being Apple and Adobe certificated school center, Algebra is to organize education for the participants of the summer school in fields of the digital video montage giving accent to professional software for the  postproduction – Final Cut Pro.

During the festival will be organized beside others a panel discussion about developing of Zadar as possible film location.

The audience is to be given the experience of the open cinema at the city’s squares which are ideal for the projection under the open sky.

Relax and social contacts have not been forgotten since the best businesses are always made in comfortable ambience such is the one that Zadar gives, especially during the summer. Arsenal had already proved it’s position  as a great place for concerts, and we are content to keep that tradition during the first international festival.

Production company Avvantura d.o.o. and the City of Zadar  aim to promote the region of Zadar as attractive for international film co-productions, to enhance co-operation on motion pictures and documentaries and to continue with the education programs which are to attract new fresh forces and to make them interested for becoming professionals in the film area. Our "Film Forum Zadar" project is certainly a great stimulation to this goals. 

About the founder, organizer and creative director:

Sergej Stanojkovski, the founder, brings to the festival his own experience because his first motion picture, candidate for the Oscar in 2007, gathered professionals form different places. Famous Peer Raben who composed for Rainer Werner Fasbinder and Wong Kar Wai, made a composition for his "Kontakt", and Tomislav Pinter was director of photography. Sergej received education at the famous film school FAMU in Prague. Working in Germany,  he made numerous film project an held lections at the Universities in Darmstadt and Oldenburg. He is member of the German directors guild and of the French-German Film Rendez-Vous "Les Rendez-vous franco-allemands du cinema" aiming to harmonize production structures inside their co-productions.

For more information please contact:

FILM FORUM ZADAR
Festival Office
c/o Arsenal
Trg tri bunara 1
23000 Zadar
Croatia

Pho +385 23 628 280
Pho +385 23 628 281

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• Zadar´s special celebration

Go to channel: 

• Creative Forum Zadar
• Creative City Rotterdam
• Creative.Quarters