Nikola Tanhofer Awards Presented at Valli Cinema and Press Conferences for Illyricvum and Savages

Nikola Tanhofer Awards Presented at Valli Cinema and Press Conferences for Illyricvum and Savages

Two films in competition in the Croatian Programme were screened today at Valli Cinema: Illyricvum, directed by Simon Bogojević Narath and Savages, directed by Dario Lonjak. The Nikola Tanhofer Award was also presented. This award is presented by the Croatian Cinematographers Society for best achievements in film image, and this year, it was presented to Danko Vučinović in the category short film, Radislav Jovanog Gonzo in the category TV series, and Branko Linta in the category feature film. The awards were presented by Mario Sablić, president of the Croatian Cinematographers Society.

Director Simon Bogojević Narath presented the crew of Illyricvm: producer Ankica Jurić Tilić, co-producer Fatmir Spahiu, director of photography Aleksandar Kavić, costume designer Zjena Glamočanin, and actors Ana Takač, Filip Križan, Robert Prebil, Adrian Pezdirc and Ylber Bardhi

Moderator Boško Picula asked the director about the idea for this project, and he said he wanted to translate his continued interest in history into a film story, but was drawn to it by the fact that the world of the Illyrians is generally rather unknown. As he is not an expert in the field, and authenticity was a priority, he emphasised the role of the linguist, professor Matasović, who configured the language of the Illyrians, even thought that is something that can never be done in its entirety. Costume designer Glamočanin spoke about the role of experts in reconstructing period costumes, as there are no historical sources from that time, and there is very limited knowledge about their clothes. Producer Jurić Tilić said the filming was challenging and that this project was a big undertaking and a big win for the entire film crew; and co-producer Spahiu said there is a lot of excitement about the film in Kosovo and that he can’t wait for it to be distributed. Actor Robert Prebil said the filming itself was an unforgettable experience, and Filip Križan emphasises the excellent teamwork and the connection the film crew had made, which made the sometimes difficult filming easier. Adrian Pezdirc said that having a language adviser was very important to him to be as convincing as possible in his portrayal of his character, and Ana Takač said that despite initial doubts she tried to be as convincing as possible in her brave portrayal of the medicine woman.

The press conference for the film Savages, directed by Dario Lonjak, saw participation from the director, producer Jozo Patljak, production designer Antonio Patljak, composer Bojan Petković, and actors Borko Perić, Alen Liverić and Dražen Mikulić. Moderator Picula congratulated Lonjak on the fact that he decided to direct a genre film as his feature debut – a combination of action, thriller, and comedy, and the director confirmed that the very decision to go into directing meant that he has always wanted to direct a feature film, but emphasised that the film was made with almost no budget. Alen Liverić said it was a great pleasure to work with the director and that with such talented young filmmakers, Croatian film is facing a bright future. Borko Perić said that he never knows how he is going to do the role, but that he hopes he was successful in this film. He also noted it was a pleasure to work with such a crew. Dražen Mikulić said he accepted the role as soon as he read the screenplay, as his character is so well written. Producer Jozo Patljak is extremely proud of everyone in the film crew, from the editors and cinematographers, to the cast, and noted that everyone gave five hundred percent.

 The film Illyricvm and Savages will be screened this evening at 9.30, and 11.15, respectively, at the Arena.

The programmes, as well as the detailed schedule of screenings and all other information can be found on the official webpage of the Festival: www.pulafilmfestival.hr.