Rajko Grlic’s Just Between Us won seven Golden Arenas at the 57th Pula Film Festival.
The film received the Grand Golden Arena for best film and Golden Arenas for best director, best supporting actress for Ksenija Marinkovic, best cinematography for Slobodan Trninic, best music for Alfi Kabiljo and Alan Bjelinski, best production design for Ivo Husnjak, and best sound editing for Srdjan Krupjel. The film was also awarded with the FEDEORA (Federation of film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean) best film award.
Debutant Danilo Serbedzija’s Seventy Two Days received the Audience award, best leading actor award for the director’s father Rade Serbedzija, and best supporting actor for Bogdan Diklic, as well as best make-up for Snjezana Gorup.
Nevio Marasovic picked up the National Critic's Award Oktavijan and best screenplay Golden Arena for The Show Must Go On, as well as the special Breza award for best debutant.
Tomislav Vujinovic and Aleksandar Faraguna won best special effects for the same film.
Marija Skaricic won best leading actress for her leading role in Dalibor Matanic’s Mother Of Asphalt. Zorana Meic received best costume award for Ivan Goran Vitez’s Forest Creatures, and the film was also awarded for best editing (Mato Ilijic).
In the minority co-productions competition, Jasmila Zbanic won best director and Zrinka Cvitesic the best female role Golden Arena for On The Path. Young Tony Grga picked up best actor award for his role in Adis Bakrac’s The Abandoned, and the film was also awarded with the FEDEORA (Federation of film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean) best co-production award.

I. Awards by the Jury of the National Competition Programme

            1. Bogdan Zizic, film director, president

            2. Suzana Nikolic, actress

            3. Spiro Guberina, actor

            4. Kresimir Mikic, film scholar and media pedagogue

            5. Dado Valentic, postproduction engineer

a) NATIONAL PROGRAMME – Principal Section

            1. The Breza Award by Croatia’s Vjesnik paper for best debutant goes to director Nevio Marasovic for The Show Must Go On – unanimously. With great enthusiasm, Nevio Marasović managed to make a film out of a student exercise which is both interesting and socially relevant.     

            2. The Special Golden Arena for special effects goes to Tomislav Vujinovic and Aleksander Faraguna for the film The Show Must Go On by Nevio Marasovic – unanimously. Realistic high quality special effects in the film The Show Must Go On contribute to the illusion of the future.
            3. The Special Golden Arena for best sound goes to Srdan Kurpjel for spund editing in the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – majority of votes. With his shaping and clearness of tone, Srđan Kurpjel enabled a coherent perception of the film.

            4. The Special Arena for best make-up goes to Snjezana Gorup for the film 72 Days by Danilo Serbedzija – unanimously. Transforming characters in the film 72 Days, Snjezana Gorup added to the persuasiveness of the local community.

            5. The Golden Arena for best costume design goes to Zorana Meic for the film Forest Creatures by Ivan Goran Vitez – majority of votes. Debutant Zorana Meic’s costumes play an important role in shaping the style of the whole film.

            6. The Golden Arena for best art direction goes to Ivo Husnjak for the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – majority of votes. With high quality interiors, the art direction provides a new and different image of Zagreb.

            7. The Golden Arena for best score goes to Alfi Kabiljo and Alan Bjelinski for the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – unanimously. The score in Just Between Us is characterized by a harmonized work of a couple of prominent Croatian composers.

            8. The Golden Arena for best editing goes to Mato Ilijic for the film Forest Creatures by Ivan Goran Vitez – unanimously. In terms of its complexity and a number of roles, the editing of the film Forest Creatures was an extremely difficult a task for the young editor.

            9. The Golden Arena for best cinematography goes to Slobodan Trninic for the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – unanimously. Slobodan Trninić’s cinematography is characterized by a modern approach to film image, adding to the quality of the film.

            10. The Golden Arena for best actor in a supporting role goes to Bogdan Diklic for the role of Jojo in the film 72 Days by Danilo Serbedzija – majority of votes. Bogdan Diklić’s self-denying acting in the role of Jojo is well-balanced with the film’s title character.

            11. The Golden Arena for best actor in a leading role goes to Rade Serbedzija for the role of Mane in the film 72 days by Danilo Serbedzija – unanimously. Portraying Mane, Rade Šerbedžija has reaffirmed his acting skills.

            12. The Golden Arena for best actress in a supporting role goes to Ksenija Marinković for the role of Marta in the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – unanimously. Ksenija Marinkovic achieved notable expressiveness with her subtle approach in the film Just Between Us.

            13. The Golden Arena for best actress in a leading role goes to Marija Skaricic for the role of Mare in the film Mother of Asphalt by Dalibor Matanic – majority of votes. In the film Mother of Asphalt Marija Skaricic portrayed the character of a woman who does not accept maltreatment in a very convincing manner, using minimal and simple acting techniques.

            14. The Golden Arena for best script goes to Nevio Marasovic for the film The Show Must Go On – unanimously. Using a globally acceptable story and taking an ironic approach, Nevio Marasovic demonstrated contemporary media manipulation.

            15. The Golden Arena for best director goes to Rajko Grlic for the film Just Between us – unanimously. In the film Just Between Us Rajko Grlic demonstrated his experience and professionalism.

            16. The Golden Arena for best film goes to Igor Alexander Nola, producer of the film Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic – unanimously. The film Just Between Us best depicts the marital crisis issues which dominated the programme of the 57th Pula Film Festival.

            Rajko Grlic, awarded with the Grand Golden Arena for best film for Just Between Us by the Jury of the 57^th Pula Film Festival, will receive a prize amounting to HRK 30,000.00 from the HYPO BANK.

b) NATIONAL PROGRAMME – Minority Co-productions Section

            1. The Golden Arena for best actor in a leading role is granted to Tony Grga for the role of Alen in the film The Abandoned by Adis Bakrac – unanimously. Portraying Alen in the film The Abandoned, young Tony Grga demonstrated an extraordinary sense of persuasive spontaneity.

            2. The Golden Arena for best actress in a leading role goes to Zrinka Cvitešić for the role of Luna in the film On the Path by Jasmila Zbanic – unanimously. Portraying Luna in the film On the Path, Cvitešić demonstrated a broad array of acting techniques and presented a drama of a frustrated woman in a talented manner.

            3. The Golden Arena for best director goes to Jasmila Zbanic for the film On the Path – unanimously. Jasmila Zbanic tackled an extremely sensitive topic in a persuasive manner.

II. Golden Gate of Pula Audience Award

Casting votes for the National Programme screened in the Arena, the audience has granted the Golden Gate of Pula Award to the film 72 Days by Danilo Serbedzija, produced by Inter Film, Zagreb.

1.            72 Days, by Danilo Serbedzija: 4,59

2.            On the Path, by Jasmila Zbanic: 4,45

3.            Just Between Us, by Rajko Grlic: 4,19

4.            The Show Must Go On, by Nevio Marasovic: 4,08

5.            The Abandoned, by Adis Bakrac: 4,03

6.            Forest Creatures, by Ivan Goran Vitez: 4,02

7.            Some Other Stories, by Ivona Juka, Ana Maria Rossi, Ines Tanovic, Marija

       Dzidzeva, Hanna Slak: 3,93

8.            Mother of Asphalt, by Dalibor Matanic: 3,63

9.            2 Sunny Days, by Ognjen Svilicic: 3,11

III. Awards by the Jury of the International Programme

            1. Elvis Lenic, film critic, president

            2. Tomislav Kurelec, film critic

            3. Mario Kozina, film critic

            1. The Arena for best acting achievement is granted unanimously to Sylvie Testud for an extremely complex role of Christine in the film Lourdes by Jessica Hausner. Her acting adds to the director’s ambiguous approach to the phenomenon of religious pilgrimage. Utilizing minimalist expressions and suggestive body language, she demonstrats understanding for the character she portrays but at the same time keeps distance from it.

            2. The Arena for best director is granted unanimously to Bertrand Tavernier for the film The Princess of Montpensier for his refined style, attention to detail, steady pace and artistic interpretations, deliberately suppressed, that, in an interaction with the portrayal of social events, reveal convincing characters and a complex overview of a historical period.

            3. The Arena for best film is granted unanimously to Robert Benmussa, Roman Polanski and Alain Sarde, producers of the film The Ghost Writer by Roman Polanski, for a top quality thriller that tackles social relations and reveals the mechanism of political power in a modern democracy.

IV. awards by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDEORA)

            1. Ronald Bergan, film critic, president

            2. Dubravka Lakic, film critic

            3. Eva Zaoralova, film critic

1. Croatian short feature films

- The award is granted to director Irena Skoric for the film March 9th

2. National Programme – Minority Co-productions Section

- The award is granted to director Adis Bakrac for the film The Abandoned

3. National Programme – Principal Section

- The award is granted to director Rajko Grlic for the film Just Between Us

VI. Diplomas and Oktavijan Award by Croatian Film Critics Association

1. National Programme – principal section

- The OKTAVIJAN Award is granted to director Nevio Marasovic for the film The Show Must Go On with an average score of 3.5

2. National Programme – minority co-productions section

- The Diploma is granted to director Jasmila Zbanic for the film On the Path with an average score of 3.86

3. International Programme

- The Diploma is granted to director Roman Polanski for the film The Ghost Writer with an average score of 4.86

VII. Diplomas by the Young Cinephiles Jury

1. International Programme

 - The award is granted to director Tom Ford for the film A Single Man with an average score of 3.66

2. Croatian short feature films

- The award is granted to director Kristijan Milic for the film Champion with an average score of 3.33

3. National Programme – minority co-productions section

- The award is granted to director Jasmila Zbanic for the film On the Path with an average score of 4.06

4. National Programme – principal section

- The award is granted to director Danilo Serbedzija for the film 72 Days with an average score of 4.0

The competition programme of the 57th Pula Film Festival:

I. Short feature films (11 films)

Chocolate Cake, director Dorotea Vucic, Full Circle, director Barbara Vekaric, Half an Hour for Grandma, director, Jure Pavlovic, That Little Hand of Yours, director Sara Hribar, Uncle, director Hana Jusic. Welcome, director Maja Milanovic, March 9th, director Irena Skoric, Grand Prix, director, Dario Jurican, Nothing Personal, director, Marko Santić, Champion, director, Kristijan Milic, Cold Front, director, Uros Zivanovic

II. International Programme (17 films)

Transfer, director Damir Lukacevic, The Princess of Montpensier, director Bertrand Tavernier, The Duchess, director Saul Dibb, The City of Your Final Destination, director James Ivory, The Big Dream, director Michele Placido, Ondine, director Neil Jordan, Give Me Your Hand, director Pascal-Alex Vincent, Accident, director Cheang Pou-Soi, Brotherhood, director Nicolo Donato, Lourdes, director Jessica Hausner, Apart Together, director Quan'an Wang, Tsar, director Pavel Lungin, 9:06, director Igor Sterk, A Single Man, director Tom Ford, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, director Terry Gilliam, The Ghost Writer, director Roman Polanski, Dorian Gray, director Oliver Parker

III. National Programme:

a)      Principal Section (7 films)

The Show Must Go On, director Nevio Marasovic, 72 Days, director Danilo Serbedzija, Forest Creatures, director Ivan Goran Vitez, The Performance, director Dan Oki, Just Between Us, director Rajko Grlic, Mother of Asphalt, director Dalibor Matanic, 2 Sunny Days, director Ognjen Svilicic

b)      Minority Co-productions Section (3 films)

Some Other Stories, directors Ivona Juka, Ana Maria Rossi, Ines Tanovic, Marija Dzidzeva, Hanna Slak, On the Path, director Jasmila Zbanic, The Abandoned, director Adis Bakrac

The National Competition Programme of the 57th Pula Film Festival (17-24 July) in Croatia shall present ten films, out of which seven in the principal section and three in the minority co-productions section. It is interesting that films tackling love problems and adultery dominate this year. Out of seven films in the principal section, there are as many as six world premieres. An independent film, the science-fiction drama The Show Must Go On by debut director Nevio Marasovic shall open the Festival in the Arena (Roman Amphitheatre with 5000 seats). There are two more debutants in the competition: Ivan-Goran Vitez who shall present his dark humour action film Forest Creatures and Danilo Serbedzija with his dark comedy 72 Days. Dalibor Matanic shall present his drama film Mother of Asphalt and Ognjen Svilicic his 2 Sunny Days with Silvia Krystel. Director and video artist from Spit Dani Oki shall showcase his drama The Performance (includes his impressive original footing of 9/11 disaster) which shall be presented in digital HD format at the Valli Cinema. The only film from the principal section that has already been seen in Croatia (outside Pula) is the love drama Just Between Us by Rajko Grlic (its international premiere will be held in Karlovy Vary competition)

Among minority co-productions there are four films co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia in whose creation Croatian co-producers and film artists participated. The first among them is the omnibus by five directors from the former Yugoslavia named Some Other Stories (International premiere in Taormina). The Croatian story was directed by Ivona Juka and the Croatian co-producer is the production company 4Film (Anita Juka). The second one is Jasmila Zbanic’s drama On the Path, (Berlinale competition 2010) starring Zrinka Cvitesic and Leon Lucev and the Croatian co-producer is the production company Produkcija Ziva (Leon Lucev). Bosnian director Adis Bakrac directed the film The Abandoned with Mira Furlan as lead actress, co-produced by the Zagreb-based production company Olimp Film (Mario Vukadin). The film will have its international premiere in East Of the West competition in Karlovy Vary. Serbian director Srdan Karanovic shall present (out of competition) his film Besa, featuring Miki Manojlovic (international premiere at Moscow Film Festival). The Croatian co-producer and director of photography is Slobodan Trninic.

Statutory changes

At the Pula Film Festival Council meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister of Culture Mr. Bozo Biskupic a new Statute of the Festival was adopted allowing for co-productions with a minority Croatian share to be presented for the first time within the framework of the National Programme in the Arena. According to the former Statute such co-productions could not participate in the programme. The National Programme of the Festival now has two programme sections: the principal section and the minority co-productions section.

The films in which the Croatian production share or the participation of Croatian film artists accounts for more than 50%, as well as those that were granted financial assistance by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre as Croatian productions of feature-length films,  can participate in the principal section of the Festival’s National Programme. Multilateral co-productions with the Croatian share of more than 10%, as well as bilateral co-productions with the Croatian share of more than 20%, can apply for the minority co-productions section of the Festival’s National Programme.  The co-productions which do not meet these requirements can be presented out of competition.

The jury of the National Programme can grant up to three Golden Arenas for minority co-productions in all categories in which the Grand Golden Arena and the Golden Arena are granted. Minority co-productions can also be granted the Golden Gate of Pula award (audience award in the Arena for best film of the National Programme) as well as special awards by Croatian and international critics and young cinephiles.

The Pula Film Festival has launched its own video channel on the world’s most popular video-sharing website - You Tube. Apart from the Festival’s opening credits, promotional video and the Kulturist promotional video for the 57^th Pula Film Festival, on this website you can also find trailers for all films confirmed so far for the International Europolis-Meridians Programme: The Duchess, Tsar, Give Me Your Hand (Donne-moi la main), The Big Dream (Il Grande Sogno), English Strawberries (Anglické jahody), Lourdes, A Single Man, Assassins (Yi Ngoy), Apart Together (Tuan Yuan), as well as the first film confirmed for the PoPular Programme - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The Festival shall continue to upload trailers for films from all categories as soon as they get introduced to the Festival programme.

The channel is available at: http://www.youtube.com/user/pulafilmfestival

At a press conference held on 31 March 2010 in Pula, the Pula Film Festival presented half of the twenty films from the International Programme, selected from world’s biggest festivals for premiere screenings in Pula. Furthermore, other preparations in terms of the programme and organization of the 57^th Pula Film Festival were also discussed. Artistic Director Zlatko Vidackovic, Festival Director Zdenka Viskovic-Vukic and Festival Producer Tanja Milicic spoke at the press conference.

Europolis-Meridians International Programme shall opene on July, 10^th with the film The Duchess by Saul Dibb. This British costume romantic drama about a young woman torn between her marital duties and her true love features Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling. The film premiered in Toronto, won the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design, and Ralph Fiennes was nominated for the Golden Globe.

From the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Festival comes the historical epic Tsar by Pavel Lungin. The film centres on Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible who expects to find an ally in the new Metropolitan Philip but falls deeper and deeper into fanaticism.

The Turin Film Festival premiered the French road film Give Me Your Hand (Donne-moi la main) by Pascal-Alex Vincent about a pair of twins who never knew their mother and who decide to go to Spain to her funeral.

Italian actor and director Michele Placido, whom Pula remembers by the film Crime Novel (Romanzo Criminale), directed the semi-autobiographical film The Big Dream (Il Grande Sogno) that follows a young police officer who decides to become an actor during the student movement in 1968. The film comes to Pula from the Venice Film Festival competition.

The Czech film shall be represented with the drama English Strawberries (Anglické jahody) by Vladimir Drha. The film describes how a small place in the Czech province reacted to the Soviet intervention in 1968. The film was presented at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. 

From the Venice Film Festival comes the winner of the FIPRESCI Award and the SIGNIS Award – the much-praised drama Lourdes by Jessica Hausner, an Austrian, French and German production. A wheelchair-bound girl makes a journey to Lourdes hoping to be able to walk again. The film was also awarded at the Viennale where it won the Grand Prix.

 The American independent film A Single Man is a famous fashion designer Tom Ford’s directing debut. The film stars Colin Firth as a literature professor who losses his partner and after a period of bereavement finds beauty in small things in life. The film premiered in the competition of the Venice Film Festival where Colin Firth won the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actor. The same role also won him the BAFTA Award and Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.

From China comes the crime thriller Accident (Yi Ngoy) by Pou-Soi Cheang centred on an assassin who works by orchestrating fatal accidents but suspects that accidents that happen to his team are also orchestrated. The film screened in the competition of the Venice Film Festival.