Thursday at ZFF

Thursday (12 November) at ZFF brings the world premiere of the debut feature Mom’s Alive Today (12:30, 20:30) by two-time ZFF Checkers laureate Josip Lukić (Summer Fruits, ZFF 2019 – Special Mention; It’s Not Cold for Mosquitoes, ZFF 2022 – Golden Pram, co-directed with Klara Šovagović). Lukić wrote, directed, and stars in his feature debut as Jakov, a millennial returning to his hometown of Split to care for his mother (Snježana Sinovčić-Šiškov), whose mental state is rapidly deteriorating. Following the evening premiere screening (20:30) at Kaptol Boutique Cinema, the film crew, led by Lukić, producers Tena Gojić, Dragan Jovović, and Ivan Glebov, along with actresses Snježana Sinovčić-Šiškov and Ksenija Marinković, will stay for a Q&A session to share exciting details about the making of the film. The discussion will be moderated by David Uranjek.

The schedule at Kaptol Boutique Cinema on Thursday also features the final regional title in this year’s main competition programme, 17 by North Macedonian director Kosara Mitić. This raw and deeply moving coming-of-age film won the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress (Eva Kostić), the Audience Award, and a Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality at Sarajevo. In addition to competing for the Golden Pram, it is also in contention for the PLUS Youth Jury Award at the 24th ZFF. The film screens at 10:00 and 18:00, with the evening screening followed by a Q&A session with director Kosara Mitić, moderated by ZFF programme coordinator Barbara Gregov.

The programme continues at 15:00 and 21:00 with screenings of the witty and emotionally sharp film Brave New Love by Swedish-Danish director Maria Bäck, centred on hypnotherapist Kate, who lives with her husband Ole and daughter Athena while maintaining a secret liaison with Andreas (Anders Danielsen Lie; The Worst Person in the World, ZFF 2021; Oslo, August 31st, ZFF 2011). Director Maria Bäck is among the many festival guests at this year’s edition, and will join programme director Selma Mehadžić and Barbara Gregov for a Q&A session to share details about her second feature film, which she is currently also adapting into a novel.

On Thursday at Kaptol Boutique Cinema, the Together Again programme presents a screening (18:30) of the unconventional historical drama Rose by ZFF laureate Markus Schleinzer (Michael, ZFF 2011 – Golden Pram), starring the fantastic Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann, ZFF 2016; Anatomy of a Fall, ZFF 2023), who won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at Berlin for her role as Rose. Concurrently with Rose, Zvonimir Jurić‘s family drama Small Things screens at MSU at 18:30 in the same programme. As part of the intercultural Welcome to ZFF initiative, the film is presented in Croatian with Arabic and English subtitles.

Closing Thursday’s programme at Kaptol Boutique Cinema is Black Money for White Nights by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, centred on a married couple in their sixties who secretly save bribe money to fulfil their lifelong dream of travelling to Saint Petersburg. The film screens at 21:00 as part of the Network of Festivals of the Adriatic Region, followed by a Q&A session where film critic Nika Petković will be in conversation with actress Tanya Shahova.

On Thursday at 11:00, Kinoteka Cinema presents the animated feature Iron Boy (10+) by former Pixar animator Louis Clichy (WALL-E, 2008; Up, 2009), recipient of the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. Screening in the KinoKino programme, the film is in contention for the Children’s Jury Award. The schedule continues at 18:30 with Francesco Sossai‘s charming road movie The Last One for the Road, following two jolly companions who drag a shy architecture student along from one inn to the next. At 21:30, Kinoteka Cinema hosts another selection of short films from the Short Film Competition. The national Checkers programme features two titles: Sounds of Cicadas by Filip Dučić and Root Touch-up by Ana Šiškov, while the international competition presents Norwegian director Håkon Anton Olavsen (Let’s (Not) Talk About the Snake), Slovenian director Nika Jurman (Little House), and Canadian director Julie Charette (The Comet). Admission is free, with mandatory ticket pickup at the official festival box office.

Co-organised with Creative Europe Desk Croatia – MEDIA Office, Thursday’s Industry programme presents the presentation Creative Europe MEDIA 2027: Preparing for the Final Content Calls of the Programme Period, where Head of Desk Martina Petrović will outline the latest updates regarding calls for audiovisual project development. The presentation will be held in English from 12:00 to 13:30 at Cinema Surogat KIC. The event is open to the public, with mandatory registration via an online form.

In collaboration with the Undefeated Palestine initiative, a panel discussion titled Boycott in the Film Industry will take place at Cinema Surogat KIC at 18:30. Panelists Ronnie Barkan (co-founder of the First Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress and the Boycott from Within initiative), director and cinematographer Jakob Krese (online), journalist and dramaturg Diana Meheik, and film worker Karla Crnčević will discuss boycott, censorship, and artistic freedom. The panel will be conducted in English and is open to the public.

From 17:00 to 19:00, the premises of the Croatian Film Authors and Producers Guild (Boškovićeva 23) will host the Meet&Match script pitch and professional networking event, tailored for screenwriters, directors, and producers. Organised by the Screenwriters and Playwrights Guild (SPID) and the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild (DHFR), in partnership with the Croatian Film Authors and Producers Guild (DHFA) and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), the event is free and open to the public, with advance registration required for participants.

We invite you to join us at Koncept Bar (Tkalčićeva 63), ZFF’s official festival hub for socialising and informal film talks. Happy hour awaits every day from 17:00 to 18:00, and from 20:00 onwards on Thursday, Stankoff will be taking care of the music and atmosphere.

The 24th Zagreb Film Festival will take place from 9 to 15 November with the support of the City Office for Culture and Civil Society, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Creative Europe – MEDIA Sub-programme, the Kultura Nova Foundation, and the Zagreb Tourist Board.