The 15th edition of the Mediterranean Film Festival in Split, which will be opened by the world premiere of the film “Throw yourself on the floor” by director and actress Nina Violić on June 16 at the Bačvice Open Air Cinema, will screen 72 films from 30 countries at the Golden Gate’s Cinematheque (inside Diocletian’s Palace), on the plateau in front of the Youth Centre, and the Gripe Fortress.
”We’re proud that the Mediterranean Film Festival is going to be held for the first time with the support of Creative Europe subprogramme MEDIA, through which the European Commission encourages a selected number of European film festivals, and thanks to which we’re going to be able to bring new things, both in the organisational sense and in terms of the programme itself. We are introducing a new programme that focuses on films from outside of the Mediterranean basin, but which we believe our audience should see. We’re going to be receiving four regional festivals, as well as the European Film Academy with its own short programmes, a special part of the programme has been adapted for children and young people; and in addition to the script workshop for film professionals, we’ll focus on video games and film dubbing”, announced the Mediterranean Film Festival Split director, Alen Munitić.
A number of feature films will be shown, coming from the official selections of the Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto film festivals, and all of the films will have their ”Croatian premiere”. Back in the main competition programme will be Hany Abu-Asad, a Palestinian director remembered for the Oscar nominees “Omar” and “Paradise Now”, this time with his new film “Hood’s Salon”, a tense feminist thriller whose plot is inspired by real events.
From Spain comes the film “Piggy”, a tense combination of thriller and drama with elements of horror, and from France comes the drama “Full Time” about a single mother struggling for a better life, approached by director Eric Gavel as a thriller, creating tension that doesn’t subside until the very last second of the film. The beautiful Moroccan landscapes and picturesque backdrop town are the bold feature film debut ”Life Meets Me Good” in which director Al Hadi Ulad-Mohand showcases his personal story in an honest, gentle, and warm way. The powerful debut film “Between Two Dawns” by Turkish director Selman Nacar deals with class issues, labour, and the moral dilemmas and responsibilities of those in positions of power.
You can find the 15th Mediterranean Film Festival’s complete program HERE. (Image: Mediterranean Film Festival Split/Facebook)
The dark psychological thriller “America Latina”, brought by the D’Innocenzo brothers, gave the esteemed Italian actor Elijah German another chance to shine in the lead role. Two more films from the competition programme are set in Italy. “Rimini”, a new achievement by renowned director Urlich Seidl, brings a depiction of the debauched and lonely life of a forgotten pop star at the end of her career, who finances her debauched lifestyle by holding hotel concerts and providing sexual services to fans. ”Silent Land” follows a seemingly perfect married couple renting a vacation home on a sunny Italian island, but their vacation is marred by the realisation that the pool isn’t functional.
”The programme “Ješke” has gained great popularity among our audience over the years, so not only do we continue to give a short Croatian film a prime time term, but we put the main competitive focus on it as well. The authors of these films are the future of domestic cinematography, and at the Mediterranean Film Festival Split, they’re competing for the biggest cash prize in Croatia for a short film. The winner will receive HRK 15,000, and another winner will receive HRK 5,000 according to the choice of the audience and also for the author of the best screenplay”, announced Munitić.
The new festival programme of feature films “Parangal” at the northeastern bastion of the Gripe Fortress brings titles from productions outside the Mediterranean, especially “Lunana”, an enchanting film from Bhutan, nominated for an Oscar for Best International Feature film. At the same location, as part of the “Other Side of the Mediterranean” programme, films from Latin America are set to be shown, of which “Sunset” stands out as an unpredictable thriller drama by Mexican director Michael Franco, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tim Roth.
The free cinema remains on the plateau in front of the Youth Centre, where the best short films from the European Film Academy, Animafest Zagreb, the Sarajevo Film Festival, Belgrade’s Free Zone, and FeKK from Ljubljana will all be shown. The Golden Gate’s Cinematheque, along with reruns of films from Bačvice, will host the “Little Mediterranean” programme for children and young people, and the “Industry” programme has never been richer, with a focus on video games and film dubbing.
A limited number of tickets went on sale online on June 1, and after the opening of the festival box office on June 12, all remaining tickets will go on sale on the webshop.
Individual ticket prices are the following:
- Bačvice Open Air Cinema: 30 kuna
- Gripe Fortress: 30 kuna
- Golden Gate Cinematheque: 20 kuna
- Youth hostel: free entrance (no need to pick up tickets)
Find the complete festival’s complete program HERE.
You can buy your tickets for the 15th Mediterranean Film Festival Split HERE.
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