The 73rd Pula Film Festival, one of the longest-running and most important film festivals in Europe, officially opens tonight, July 9, in the Pula Arena. The festival runs until 16 July, and over the eight days of the festival, Pula will once again be alive with Croatian, regional and international film.
The opening ceremony begins at 9:15 p.m. with a screening of the Croatian box-office hit The Wedding, directed by Igor Šeregi. This film is set to surpass the impressive milestone of 800,000 admissions in Croatian cinemas, precisely in the Arena. The opening ceremony will feature legendary Istrian musician Livio Morosin and young Pula singer Zoe Šestan, as well as more than 150 singers from Pula choirs. They will perform in a special programme dedicated to the city, the audience, and the festival’s long-standing tradition.
The Arena remains the festival's central venue, an unmistakable symbol of Pula and one of the most beautiful open-air cinemas. It will host evening screenings of the festival's most popular films, while the rest of the programme will take place at various locations around the city, including Kino Valli, the Istrian National Theatre, and Ambrela. Audiences can look forward to films from the Croatian Film Programme, minority co-productions, regional titles, student films, restored classics, children's programmes, talks with filmmakers, and the Pula PRO industry programme.
The Croatian competition programme features eleven films this year, once again offering an overview of current domestic film production and the trends shaping Croatian cinema. Alongside premieres and festival screenings, special attention will be given to programmes dedicated to film heritage, including restored classics and screenings intended for younger audiences.
As a celebration of the audience, the festival will close with How the War Started on My Island, which, until recently, was the most-watched Croatian film. This year marks the 30^(th) anniversary of its premiere. This event will symbolically connect one of the biggest contemporary box-office hits with one of the most beloved titles in Croatian cinema.
Alongside the film programme, there will be concerts and DJ sets every evening from 11 p.m. at the Festival Centre in the House of Croatian Defenders. Audiences can look forward to performances by Partibrejkers, Sara Renar, Let 3, Sakupljači perja and other artists, and admission to the music programme is free.
Tickets for evening screenings in the Arena are available online, from the information point on Giardini, and from the box office in front of the Arena. A single ticket costs €6, while a ticket package for all Arena screenings costs €35. Film programmes at Kino Valli, the Istrian National Theatre and Ambrela are free for all visitors.
Starting tonight, Pula once again becomes a major film hub, with the Arena serving as the place where Croatian cinema meets its audience in the setting of one of its most recognisable festivals.
