Succesfull cooperation of Griffoni Macedonia and Croatian Film Association continues!
Third edition of Griffoni Macedonia festival was held in Skopje from 6th until 11th October under the Griffoni brand – one of the largest children and youth film festival that has been organized for 45 years in Griffoni Italy. Croatian Film Association started cooperating with Griffoni a year and a half ago when the program director participated at the Youth Cinema World Alliance Conference in Albania. Since then, children from Macedonia and Italy have been members of youth jury at the Children and Youth Film Festivals organized by Croatian Film Association while children from Croatia participate as jury members in Macedonia and Italy as well as at new founded Groffoni in Georgia.
But, cooperation with Macedonian version of Griffoni and their Macedonian agency became a bit larger last year and it included workshops by Croatian film professionals in Macedonia and other way around: Macedonian team held a workshop about one minute film and foto story at the last Four River Film Festival and Youth Film Festival. Cooperation was continued last week in Macedonia where organizers of Griffoni Macedonia and Macedonian film agency invited Croatian Film Association to again create a program and present itself through it in Skopje. Delegation from the Association was made of:
a) Four children and youth jury members (with 500 other children from the region): two jury members age 13+, Katja Radojković and Mara Marković from Bartol Kašić Elementary School in Zagreb that won the award last year at the Children’s Film Festival and other two members age 16+, Neno Barović and Miran Ratković from Male Student Dorm Dubrovnik and Kinoklub Karlovac that won awards at the last Youth Film Festival. Participating in Griffoni was their award for extreme talent that the show within film creation of youth and children. Their mentor and jury mentor was Ana Đordić, media culture and Croatian language professor at IV. High School in Zagreb and long time associate at Croatian Film Association. Ana Đordić held a lecture for professors of Macedonian language on the importance of media culture in education as suggested by organizer.
b) Croatian team was also in charge for two of seven total workshops happening at Griffoni. Animator Luka Hrgović held a special effect workshop while film critic Boško Picula thought young filmmakers about his profession. Film created in Luka’s workshop was shown last night at festival closing.
c) Next to jury and workshop teachers, part of Croatian delegation was also Marija Ratković Vidaković, current secretary of Croatian Film Association that held a presentation, next to Ana and children, about the work of Croatian Film Association focused on international and regional potential programs, before mentioned Film Festivals, School of media culture, Video workshops for children in Kraljevica. Next to presentation, a film program was shown based on works created and awarded at mentioned events:
Aftermatch, 13'41'', p: Station Next, Denmark
Ribar ribi ne grize rep, 4'48', Video workshops for children and youth in Kraljevica
Disneyeva noćna mora, 3'20'', “ School of media culture „D. Ante Peterlić“
U ime bureka, 8' 28'', p: Kinoklub Karlovac
Pričajmo glasnije, možda će nas čuti, 4'30'', p: Elementary School Zagreb
On, 6' 20'', p: Male Student Dorm Dubrovnik
Croatian delegation was presented at the so called international dinner by traditional Croatian products (mainly homemade) and with promotional materials by Croatian Audiovisual Center, Croatian Touristic Board and Tourist Board Zagerb. It was also nice to meet Ana Opačić, young filmmaker from Split (member of Kino club Split) that lives and works in Skopje today and is in the organizational committee of Griffoni Macedonia. Ana was a film maker that won the award for the best experimental film at the first Four River Film Festival in Karlovac seven years ago. Other organizers and members of Croatian delegation prepared a little surprise for her and showed her film “Kojih nije bilo” that won her the award in Karlovac within presentation of Croatian Film Association. Is there better confirmation of success of certain programs than to see young people that in a way started from those programs at some equally successful events in the region and the world and you see them as competent professionals. Then you know that what you’re doing is indeed good, delegation from Croatian Film Association concluded.
12.10.2015.