Intriguing New European Titles in the Network of Festivals of the Adriatic Region Program

At the upcoming 24th Zagreb Film Festival (ZFF), which will take place from November 9 to 15 at multiple locations across the City of Zagreb and online, the audience will once again have the opportunity to cast their votes and help determine the best film in the program presented as part of the Network of Festivals of the Adriatic Region. 

Launched in 2020 on the initiative of the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) with the mission of strengthening regional cooperation in promoting shared film values, this platform brings together prominent film festivals from Southeastern Europe. It comprises founder festivals – SFF (BiH), ZFF (CRO), and the Auteur Film Festival (RS), associate members the Ljubljana International Film Festival (SI) and the International Cinematographers’ Film Festival Manaki Brothers (MK); as well as Network ambassadors, the Herceg Novi Film Festival (ME), and the Pesaro Film Festival (IT). As part of the program, five European films are screened, selected jointly by the members of the Network.

This year among them is Hen, the new film by Hungarian director György Pálfi, who introduced himself to the ZFF audience back in 2006 with the controversial work Taxidermia. The unusual story of a chicken’s survival as it escapes a farm and takes shelter in the yard of a Greek restaurant was awarded a Special Mention in the Platform program in Toronto.

Kokoš / Hen

The intricate struggles of contemporary life are also reflected in Black Money for White Nights, the new sharp tragicomedy by the directing duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (The Father, Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary 2019; The Lesson, ZFF 2014). Premiered in Karlovy Vary, this film about a Bulgarian married couple who falls victim to a scam and loses the savings intended for their long-awaited trip to Russia reveals how much the instability of the socio-political context can imperil a marriage.

Crni novac za bijele noći / Black Money for White Nights

The film Made in EU by Stephan Komandarev (Blaga’s Lessons, Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary 2023) also explores the impact of socio-political forces on the life of the ordinary person, focusing on rural Bulgaria during the pandemic. Following middle-aged worker Iva, who becomes a scapegoat after testing positive for COVID, Komandrev sheds light on the condition and prejudices faced by the exploited workforce in the EU.

Made in EU

Winner of the FIPRESCI Award in the Crystal Globe competition program at Karlovy Vary, the film Only Beautiful Things to Look at by Slovak director Ivan Ostrochovský takes us a bit further into the past, into the world of a remote district hospital in 1980s Czechoslovakia. There, through an unexpected friendship between gynecologist Ingrid and new nurse Agáta, Ostrochovský confronts the audience with a controversial chapter from Czechoslovak history when the state forcibly sterilized Romani women.

Vidim samo lijepe stvari / Only Beautiful Things to Look At

The protagonists of the feature debut Truly Naked by Dutch-American director Muriel D’Ansembourg are also forced by an unusual alliance to consider their outlook on life. Namely, in this wild love story which premiered at the Berlinale, the world of the withdrawn Alec, who helps his father film and edit home pornography, is turned completely upside down when he meets Nina, a girl with a different understanding of sexuality.

Potpuno ogoljeni / Truly Naked

The aforementioned titles will compete for the Adriatic Audience Award, which is presented to the film in the program with the highest audience rating, and will also be analyzed during ZFF’s 54+ Film Criticism Workshop. The workshop will take place as part of this year’s ZFF and will be led by film critic Nino Kovačić. Interested film enthusiasts from the region aged 54 and older can apply for the workshop until October 10, and more information about application requirements can be found at the link. For those under 30, the Network of Festivals of the Adriatic Region also organizes the ongoing Filmofili program, aimed at introducing young people in the region to contemporary art cinema and encouraging them to attend movie theaters more often. Through screenings, lectures, and masterclasses, the most active members will have the opportunity to visit film festivals across the region.

As part of the dedicated EcoScope programming line, the Network of Festivals of the Adriatic Region also presents a screening of the documentary Melt by Austrian documentary filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter, who visits spectacular locations around the world to present the disappearance of ice as comprehensively as possible. With this work, as well as a series of concrete actions, ZFF continues to fulfill its multi-year environmental mission and foster sustainability awareness within the film industry itself. Once again, this year, in collaboration with the Network, it will organize a workshop program on sustainable green practices aimed at organizers who want to learn how cultural events can reduce their environmental impact while simultaneously increasing quality and long-term visibility.

Otapanje / Melt

In 2025, the founding festivals of the Network established the Film and TV Academy of the Adriatic Region, which decides on the nominations and winners of the Adriatic Film Awards (AFA). Through these awards, the Academy recognizes the most significant film and TV achievements from the Adriatic region. This year’s ceremony will take place from October 23 to 25 in Porto Montenegro in Tivat, Montenegro, the event’s main partner, and the list of nominees for 2026 is available at the link.

Follow all news about the upcoming ZFF on the official website, Facebook, and Instagram. The Zagreb Film Festival is held with the support of the City Office for Cultural and Civil Society, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Creative Europe – MEDIA Sub-programme, the Kultura Nova Foundation, and the Zagreb Tourist Board.