The National Programme of the 56th Pula Film Festival , that will be held from 18 to 25 July, shall present a record ten films.

Eight 35mm films shall be presented in the ancient Roman Arena, that can host up to 5000 spectators, and the two HD films at the new cinema, named after Pula born diva Alida Valli.

Pula Film Festival, founded in 1954, is the oldest and the most popular Croatian film festival (43 800 spectators at the 55th edition).

Eight Croatian films will have their world premieres in Pula: I believe in angels (Vjerujem u andjele) by Niksa Svilicic, The Blacks (Crnci) by Zvonimir Juric and Goran Devic, The Land of Wonders (U zemlji cudesa) by Dejan Sorak, The Man Under the Table (Covjek ispod stola) by Neven Hitrec, Donkey (Kenjac) by Antonio Nuic, Love Life of a Gentle Coward by Pavo Marinkovic, Closeness (Blizine) by Zdravko Mustac and Zagreb  Stories – omnibus  of 9 short films, one of which (Ciao mama by Goran Odvorcic) was in Cannes Official Competition.

Two other films in National Competition are Metastases (Metastaze) by Branko Schmidt, premiered at the Moscow Film Festival, and Penelope (Penelopa) by Ben Ferris, premiered at One Take Film Festival in Zagreb. Penelope and Closeness are in HD, while the other films are on 35mm.

The National Programme jury members are: director Zrinko Ogresta, actress Vlasta Knezovic, editor Josip Podvorac, writer Vlatko Perkovic and film critic Bruno Kragic.

The Festival shall also screen the best Croatian shorts and documentaries, pay tribute to the winners of Croatian film awards for life achievements Relja Basic and Bogdan Zizic, but also present excerpts from five Croatian feature-length films in production (Work in Progress).

CROATIAN FILM FOCUS

The Croatian Films Focus of the 56th Pula Film Festival will be held from 21 till 25 July 2009. In this programme Focus participants will have the possibility to see all the new Croatian feature films and the very best of new Croatian documentaries and shorts in just 4 days. Some of the screenings are in the regular Festival schedule, while some screenings will be organized especially for foreign festival directors, selectors, journalist and critics – participants of the Croatian Film Focus.

The Focus will start on Tuesday , 21 July 2009, at 19,30 in the Festival Centre, and will end on Saturday, 25 July at 12.00, after the round table on new Croatian Cinema. The Festival closing ceremony will be held on Saturday 25 July at 21.30 in the Arena.

On Saturday, 25 July 2009, at the Valli Cinema the Croatian Film Marathon shall take place and screen all films from the National Programme of the 56th Festival.

56th Pula Film Festival

NATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAMME

1. I believe in Angels (Vjerujem u andjele) by Niksa Svilicic
2. Zagreb Stories (Zagrebačke priče), omnibus by a group of directors
3. The Blacks (Crnci) by Zvonimir Juric and Goran Devic

4. The the Land of Wonders (U zemlji cudesa) by Dejan Sorak

5. The Man Under the Table (Covjek ispod stola) by Neven Hitrec

6. Donkey (Kenjac) by Antonio Nuic

7. Love Life of Sluggard (Ljubavni život domobrana), by Pavo Marinkovic
8. Metastases (Metastaze) by Branko Schmidt
9. Penelope (Penelopa) by Ben Ferris

10. Closeness (Blizine) by Zdravko Mustac

1. Vjerujem u andjele (I Believe in Angels) by Niksa Svilicic

romantic comedy

SUMMARY: Postman Sime, one of the most popular persons in a small place on an island, is well informed about the lives and destinies of his fellow residents. He gathers information by opening other people’s mail and keeping a record of data on his fellow residents. However, everything changes when attractive Dea, whose charms and beauty men can not resist, and this especially refers to Sime, moves to the village.

2. Zagrebacke price (Zagreb Stories) by 9 directors,

drama omnibus, producer: Boris T. Matić

A Slap in the Face
The Bill Collector
For Asja…
The Smartest Neighbourhood in the Country, Recycling
Špansko the Continent
Channel
The Yellow Moon
Game Over

more details coming soon

3. Crnci (The Blacks), by Zvonimir Juric and Goran Devic, drama

SUMMARY: In the war, in a town under siege, a platoon called the Blacks has to be dissolved because the truce has been signed. Commander Ivo is preparing the action of pulling the bodies of his three men from the woods and at the same time, despite the truce, wants to blow up a damp and thus inflict damages to the enemy. The surviving platoon members go into action and find the enemy in the woods where they least expected – in themselves.

4. U zemlji cudesa (In the Land of Wonders) by Dejan Sorak, drama

SUMMARY: In the wasteland of Western Herzegovina, on a NATO training range, a nine-year-old Alica and her uncle Valentin are collecting shells and grenade pieces to sell them on the black market. Because of the depleted uranium contained in the metal, Valentin dies of cancer. Alica’s medical test results are also not that good and she has no money for treatment. Alica’s journey through the land of wonders begins.

5. Covjek ispod stola (The Man Under the Table) by Neven Hitrec

drama

SUMMARY: A market on the outskirts of the town serves as a gathering point for the gallery of characters: a poor, mildly retarded young man Gros who is expecting his rich father from Argentina; saleswoman Lidija who’s finally happy with her life (she has a job and a boyfriend she loves); dentist Pipanic who, after having a car accident in which he hit his head, decides to tell the truth about his sins, but also about the sins of his wife and her sister; and local crooks, the Ringlov brothers, who search for the person that took their money stolen in a gas station robbery on the market.    

6. Kenjac (Donkey) by Antonio Nuic

drama

SUMMARY: It’s the year 1995. After seven years, Boro, his wife Jasna and son Luka go to Drinovci, his birthplace in Hercegovina. It’s been long since he has seen his brother, who managed to get out of Sarajevo with his family, so he doesn’t know that he was wounded and uses a wheelchair. Boro keeps arguing with Jasna, and he’s not on speaking terms with his father Paško whom he blames for his mother’s death. In his two week vacations, Boro will resolve the conflict with his father, learn how to be a better husband and father, and in all of this a donkey will have its stake.

7. Ljubavni zivot domobrana (Love Life of a Gentle Coward) by Pavo Marinkovic

comedy

SUMMARY: Saša is an unsuccessful author who works as a restaurant critic. His life starts to change when he falls in love with Ines who works in a private sports centre. However, things get complicated when he writes a bad review for the wrong restaurant. On the other hand, Ines’ boss has different plans for her. To get his life in order, Saša has to face all the flaws of his character.

8. Metastaze (Metastases) by Branko Schmidt

drama

SUMMARY: After a year-long drug addiction treatment, Filip returns to Zagreb to meet up with his old friends – violent war veteran Krpa obsessed with football, junkie Dejo and warm-hearted Kizo, an alcoholic. Filip lives with his parents, can’t find work and spends most of the time at a local bar, getting drunk with his old gang, and slowly sees that he won’t make it if he stays there.

9. Penelopa (Penelope) by Ben Ferris

art-drama

SUMMARY: While waiting for her husband Odysseus to come back from war, Penelope wanders lonely through her huge castle in which each room hides different memories. In these rooms she sees her husband. These visions are her flight from loneliness and they gradually alienate her from the world around her: the company of her faithful servants and wild mythical suitors.

10. Blizine (Closeness) by Zdravko Mustac

drama

SUMMARY: Two strangers, a man and a woman, meet in a lift. The lift has stopped. Insuperable differences of two incompatible characters come to surface. In a surreal game of passions and dreams, the two of them fight mercilessly for survival.