Producer and President of the Croatian Producers Association
1. How do you see short film? What does it mean to you?
Short film is a treat. It is joy wrapped in paper and you never know what to expect when you start to unwrap it. Short film allows nearly endless possibilities of expression, because it offers a myriad of possibilities in terms of stylistic solutions and, very often, it can literally go “where no man has gone before.”
2. Why does short film matter? What are its greatest strengths and virtues?
For anyone who has studied at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, short film was the first form of film they encountered. Our first assignments and our first creations, the first festivals and awards were in short film. The reason, of course, is the limited amount of filmstrip that everyone gets. However, the limitations sometimes lead you to the most ingenious solutions and ideas. For me, the greatest advantage of short film is its brevity, its duration – because it offers a chance to seduce any viewer, since even the most skeptical of viewers will have enough time to spare to watch a short film until the end. And, this will be a chance for them to fall in love with what they see.
3. What is your favorite short film and why?
My favorite films are always “my” films, and the first one still holds a special place. The first short fiction film I worked on professionally, as executive producer, was Mrs. Before (2006). It was directed by Miroslav Sikavica and based on a short story by acclaimed Croatian author Zoran Ferić. There were several amazing people who worked on this film and they are unfortunately no longer with us: Vedran Šamanović was the director of photography, Mladen Ožbolt was the production designer and the film starred veteran Ivica Vidović. Also, Miroslav Sikavica inscribed himself in the history of Croatian film with the short, The Beast (2006), which screened at Cannes, and it is one of those treats from the first question.
4. As a producer who has worked on numerous feature-length, as well as short films, can you comment on some of the similarities and the differences between short and feature film in terms of production?
The main similarity is that if you want to make a good film you need to be enamored with it from the get go. The main difference is that with short film, everything happens at a smaller scale: you have a smaller crew, fewer days of shooting, fewer sources of financing… but this closeness between the crew members has a special appeal, which makes the love and enthusiasm for the project even stronger.
5. Since you are the filmmaker of the month for March and March is the month of the International Women's Day, is it difficult being a woman in the film industry? What were some of the areas where you encountered most problems, and were there some situations in which being a woman was an advantage?
It is hard being in the film industry at all, and I take my hat off to all the colleagues, female or male. During more than 20 years of my career in the industry, I have collaborated with numerous women in different roles – both in careers where you would expect more women and in the areas you would expect there to be more men. I have met women who are producers, directors, artistic directors, assistant directors, cinematographers, stunt doubles, production designers, costume designers, make-up artists, actresses, camera assistants, assistant camera operators… so I guess there is no sector or occupation where there are no women. The advantage is undoubtedly working with great people, but you can expect problems whenever you work with people, that’s all.
6. In late 2019, you were elected President of the Croatian Producers Association, and we would like to congratulate you on this achievement. Can you comment on the current situation for producers in Croatia? What are some of the positive trends and what areas need urgent revision? Is there room for improvement?
The film industry, or as we sometimes refer to it, the AV industry, is an extremely interconnected system and there are no situations that are positive for some, but bad for someone else. If there is a problem, all of us are going to feel it. If the situation is favorable, all of us will prosper. As corny as that sounds, there is always room for improvement, because the world around us is changing at breakneck speed, especially in the way we consume AV content, who provides this service and how available this content is. We find ourselves at a moment of great change – several laws that regulate what we do are currently undergoing changes. For example, the Electronic Media Act currently in public debate, for the first time introduces the obligation for commercial broadcasters to commission works from Croatian independent producers. This Act as well as the Copyright and Related Rights Act, which is currently being created, will greatly affect our future, and at this moment, it is hard to predict what the world of AV will look like in the era of big VOD players.
7. Do you have any advice for young film professionals who are developing their first short film?
I would say to just go for it with an open heart.