Synopsis:

In a desperate attempt to get the money and papers to reach Europe and save the woman he loves from forced marriage, young Syrian Sam Ali accepts a prominent artist’s offer to turn his back into a work of art. Hoping it will be his ticket to freedom, Sam ends up an exhibit in museums around Europe. The romantic melodrama is a searing satire of the Western society and the arts world, inspired by Belgian artist Win Delvoye’s controversial work, as well as the first Tunisian Oscar nomin...

color, 100'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 10:30

Synopsis:

After her cannibalistic debut Raw (Cannes 2016 – FIPRESCI Award), in her second feature Julia Ducournau once again examines the boundaries of horror film, this time a Cronenberg-style body horror. Titane is a dark, roguishly twisted fantasy, immersed in neon, violence and sex, following a young girl after a severe car accident. Alexie is fitted with a metal plate in her skull after which she undergoes a complete psychological transformation and becomes obsessed with car...

color, 108'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Andy’s (Stephen Graham – The Irishman, Snatch) day has just begun and he is already behind. As the head chef of a popular London restaurant, he is used to relentless pace, stress and unexpected situations, but it’s Friday before Christmas, their busiest night of the year. The restaurant is double-booked, a sanitary inspector is nosing around the kitchen, and on top of all, Andy’s mentor appears with an acclaimed food critic. Filmed in a single shot, the film dra...

color, 92'

PROJECTION:

Sunday 21.11.2021 AT 18:00

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 17:00

Synopsis:

Rahim is in prison for failing to repay a debt. During his two-day leave, he happens to do a good deed that will briefly launch him among the stars of social media. Thanks to his fifteen minutes of fame, he will try to persuade his creditor to withdraw the claim. But hope is short-lived and life does not always go to plan. The latest film by two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi (The Past – ZFF 2013; A Separation; The Salesman), is a gripping drama about the fate of an indivi...

color, 127'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

Large waste consists of objects and things that are unsuitable for collection as mixed municipal waste, due to their size or composition. If large waste is irresponsibly disposed of in nature or at illegal dump sites, everyone pays the cost of its removal. Subtitles: EN

color, 12'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Ski school instructor Nika tries to hide a fatal accident that happened on the slopes. But when night falls, it turns out a young woman, wearing number 26, is missing. Nika will confess the accident to his girlfriend Nata, who will share with him the burden of this dreadful secret. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 20'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

The air is sultry. Heat rises in the blood. Shortness of breath forces Pero to cross the line. Will he be able to fly? Director Saša Poštić is an active member of the Blank association, with which he made his previously films The King (2020) and The Animal (2021). Pavle Kocanjer graduated in cinematography at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He directs films and music videos, works with photography and has had several solo exhibitions. Subtitles: EN

color, 20'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

When a boy goes missing from a campsite, for most this unpleasant event marks the end of a carefree holiday. As the refreshing lake suddenly becomes forbidden territory, five-year-old Lucie tries to understand why. The film that premiered at Berlinale was produced by famous directing duo Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens (i – Venice 2006 – Lion of the Future, ZFF 2015; King of the Belgians – ZFF 2016; The Barefoot Emperor – ZFF 2019). Subtitles...

color, 14'

PROJECTION:

Monday 15.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

The winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film and this year’s Venice FIPRESCI Award, Happening is a suspenseful and potent adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel by French writer Annie Ernaux, in which she dissects her experience of abortion. The film follows Anne, a young student who decides to have an abortion in order to finish her studies and escape her constrained existence in a working-class family. But it is 1963, abortion is illegal in France and the clock is ticking &...

color, 100'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 10:30

Synopsis:

In post-war Germany, Hans (Franz Rogowski – Victoria, Undine, Transit) is repeatedly incarcerated because of the infamous Article 175 that treats male homosexuality as a criminal act. Having survived the Nazi concentration camp, in 1945, Hans is transferred directly to prison, where he meets Victor (Georg Friedrich – Bright Nights, Silver Bear for Best Actor), a convicted murderer. During Hans’s frequent returns, the initial animosity between the two men evolves into somet...

color, 116'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Sisters Maria, Pinuccia, Lia, Katia and Antonella live alone in a suburb of Palermo. They make a living by renting pigeons for various ceremonies and festivities. One very ordinary day, Antonella dies at the beach. Her death will completely upend the relationships between the sisters and affect the rest of their lives. As time goes by, the sisters change. This touching adaptation of the director’s award-winning theatre play is a family chronicle of time, transience, memory, lasting things...

color, 89'

PROJECTION:

Sunday 21.11.2021 AT 22:00

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 17:00

Synopsis:

Schoolteacher Emi’s career is threatened when a sex tape of her and her husband is uploaded to the internet. Forced to face a group of furious parents asking for her dismissal, she clashes with them over their morality concerns. Romanian director Radu Jude (The Happiest Girl in the World – ZFF 2009 Special Mention, Everybody in Our Family – ZFF 2012, Golden Pram), is a regular and beloved guest at ZFF. Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film, Bad Luck Bangin...

color, 106'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

France, November 2015. After the Paris terror attacks, the state of emergency is introduced to facilitate police force action. It is 4 AM. A policewoman helps her colleagues to conduct a search, but soon realizes that things are not proceeding the way they are supposed to. The film premiered at the Venice Int’l Film Festival. Subtitles: EN, HR

b/w, 11'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

When someone breaks into her student apartment, Lana asks her father to come and visit her. He keeps putting it off, while her fears gradually drive her up the wall. Borna Zidarić is a graduate student of directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. His film The Tenant (2020) screened in the Checkers programme last year. Subtitles: EN

color, 18'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

In post-war Kosovo, driven by the ambition to keep their beloved sport alive, two local players wander from one obscure location to another, carrying with them the club’s only possessions: the tables. Director Samir Karahoda started his career as a photographer and then as cinematographer. His short film debut, In Between (2019), is the first Kosovar film screened in competition at Berlinale. Displaced premiered in the short film competition at Cannes and received a Jur...

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

After arriving at their small apartment at the seaside, Anđelka and Vlado find their garden neglected, the roses and oleander withering. They learn that the reason for this is the tragedy that befell their neighbour Marija, an island local who took care of their oasis of peace out of season. Despite their understanding and compassion, Anđelka and Vlado are restless: the numbers don’t add up and the calculation is hard to ignore. Subtitles: EN

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Tuesday 16.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Married couple María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) live on an isolated Icelandic farm with a flock of sheep. One day, they come across a disturbing discovery in the barn – a mysterious newborn. Their decision to keep it and raise it as their own child will have severe consequences. This eerie folk tale premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, where it won the Prize of Originality. Jóhansson’s co-writer on the film is poet and writer Sjón, nom...

color, 106'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 10:30

Synopsis:

Faced with the limitations of the school system and surrounded by disheartened teachers, the enthusiastic new school counsellor Anamarija (Marina Redžepović) clashes with a problematic history teacher (Stojan Matavulj), not realising she is gradually becoming more like her staffroom colleagues. The feature debut of one of the most popular authors of ZFF’s Checkers programme (On Shaky Ground – ZFF 2014, Golden Pram; I’m a Self-Made Woman, Red), is a detailed Altma...

color, 126'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Blanco (Javier Bardem), the charismatic owner of a family-run factory, is intent on winning the local award for business excellence. The award requires perfection and that is exactly what Blanco has to offer! But when troublesome employees start getting in the way of his plans, the “good boss” will have no qualms about getting involved in their private lives, prompting an unimaginable chain reaction. The Good Boss is a dark corporate satire in which Javier Bardem masterfull...

color, 120'

PROJECTION:

Sunday 21.11.2021 AT 15:30

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 17:00

Synopsis:

Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s (Oslo, August 31st – ZFF 2011; Louder Than Bombs – ZFF 2015; Thelma – ZFF 2017) latest film is an insightful dramedy about the search for love and meaning in contemporary Oslo. Julie is turning thirty and her life is in disarray. She has neglected her talents and the relationship with the older, successful Aksel no longer fulfils her. When she meets the young and charming Eivind, she breaks up with Axel and surre...

color, 121'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 17:00

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

As Jagoda leaves her apartment, it is important to feed the cat, check whether it is raining and dress well for this time of year. Director David Gašo is a student at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, where he has directed Laci’s Great Escape (25 FPS 2021 – Green DCP Award) and Incendiary. Subtitles: No dialogue

color, 12'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Shengnan receives an invitation to a mysterious party. A night of adventure in the world of adults does not turn out the way she imagined. Winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 14'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

During the summer, Karlo moves in with his girlfriend, but the infatuation quickly starts to evaporate. As autumn approaches, their life together becomes repetitive and it seems like the only true pleasure may be found in the past. Karlo Vorih is a third year student of film and TV directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He co-directed the short, Hana, Hana, Honey (Dubrovnik FF 2016 – Grand Prix) with Marko Bičanić. In 2020, he directed short documentary Mila&nbs...

color, 27'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Misty field, crowded locker room. Margo belongs to neither. Maybe if she loses her virginity, she will finally find her place. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Wednesday 17.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Sarah (Nana Mensah) is a Ghanaian-American about to abandon her doctoral studies to follow her married lover to Ohio. Just before she leaves, Sarah’s mother dies, leaving her a small Christian bookstore in the Bronx. As she tries to organize a funeral befitting the family matriarch and decide what to do with the bookshop, Sarah must juggle the expectations of her quirky family and the reappearance of her estranged father. Queen of Glory (Tribeca – Best Director) is a charmi...

color, 78'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 10:30

Synopsis:

Young Finnish woman Laura and tipsy Russian miner Ljoha meet on a crowded train. Laura is traveling to see the old petroglyphs and wants to become a sophisticated archaeologist who finds fulfilment in such things. Even though they annoy each other, the two strangers develop an unusual relationship of silent recognition on a bitter-sweet journey towards understanding and acceptance of themselves as they are. Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen’s second film (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli...

color, 107'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Young Youri lives in Cité Gagarine, a huge housing project on the outskirts of Paris, and dreams of becoming an astronaut. As the building is scheduled for demolition, Youri and his friends decide to transform it into a spaceship before it is flares out of existence. This cheerful social drama, imbued with magical realism, is a nostalgic dedication to Cité Gagarine, a utopian collective housing project the opening of which was attended in 1963 by Yuri Gagarin himself. The film was...

color, 97'

PROJECTION:

Sunday 21.11.2021 AT 20:00

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 17:00

Synopsis:

Winner of the Golden Lion for his debut From Afar (ZFF 2015), Lorenzo Vigas delivers a dark psychological thriller about a boy who obsessively tries to infiltrate a stranger’s life, convinced it’s his father. Hatzin is traveling home from a remote mining town, carrying a box with the remains of his father, a migrant worker who died in a work-related accident. On the way, he spots a man who reminds him of his father. The film has screened in Venice, Toronto and San Sebasti&a...

color, 90'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

This is 13-year-old Sasha’s last day at a residential school for children without parental care. He is one of the lucky ones: he has been adopted by an American family and he is moving to another country forever. Yet there is something holding him back. The film premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 19'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

The story of a relationship between a father and son. Boško is trying to pass down his unfulfilled dreams of a sports career to his son, but he does not share the same ambitions. Unaware of the damage it could do to their relationship, he takes his son to Hajduk beginner tryouts. Marko Stanić has a master’s degree in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Art, in Zagreb. His short White Room screened in the 2018 Checkers programme. Subtitles: EN

color, 18'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Zoli’s parents want him to leave secondary school and find a job to support his family. For headmaster István, the case is a routine administrative task to be completed with one signature during recess. But for 16-year-old Zoli, it is a decision in which he has no say, and which will determine the rest of his life. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 12'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Not knowing what she’s in store for, six-year-old Antonia spends the morning on her balcony, spying on neighbours and spitting. When her loose tooth and uninvited guests disrupt her routine, Antonija will use the formal eviction process to play and put on a show. Subtitles: EN

color, 18'

PROJECTION:

Thursday 18.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

An absurdist, black-humour story about a woman, a hen and subverting the Egyptian patriarchy. It is Mando’s sixth birthday party and it includes a magic act. One seemingly harmless trick gets out of hand when his father turns into a hen and the magician cannot bring him back. The inconspicuous and submissive mother is forced to take the reins and try to reverse the unfortunate spell. As she tries to learn everything there is to know about poultry, she realizes the new situation may not be...

color, 112'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 10:30

Synopsis:

Stefan Arsenijević (Love and Other Crimes) offers a contemporary take on the great Serbian romance epic. After being deported from Germany to Serbia, Ghanaian couple Strahinja and Ababuo cope differently with their new circumstances. While Strahinja is content building his football career, passionate Ababuo does not get the same opportunities in making her ambitions come true, so she joins a group of Syrian refugees on their way to Western Europe. Left alone, Strahinja embarks on an odyssey alon...

color, 92'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

A gripping thriller about rebellious anti-fascist youth and the boundaries we are willing to cross in the fight for what we believe. Guided by ideals, law student Luisa leaves her comfortable bourgeois existence for an anti-fascist commune in Berlin. There she finds herself torn between two factions, one advocating nonviolent resistance, and the other, led by the charismatic Alfa, who thinks equally radical measures are needed to fight the radical right. Can violence ever be a legitimate politic...

color, 110'

PROJECTION:

Sunday 21.11.2021 AT 13:00

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 17:00

Synopsis:

When the father of the Guerrasio family suddenly disappears, following a big celebration, his 15-year-old daughter Chiara launches her own investigation, searching for answers. Faced with the solution to the dark riddle, she is forced to decide what kind of future she wants for herself. A Chiara (Directors’ Fortnight 2021 – Europa Cinemas Label) is a thrilling drama about the loss of innocence, and the third part of Carpignano’s trilogy (Mediterranea – ZFF...

color, 121'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

It is the winter of 1993. Pregnant Gaga lives in an ethnically mixed family in Gunja. Since all the men are away on the battlefield and there are no women who could take her to Vinkovci to give birth, she embarks by herself on a 60-kilometre-long journey to the hospital, defying labour, grenades and the most dangerous of all weapons – national prejudices. Marko Dugonjić is a member of the Croatian Filmmakers’ Association and the Gunja Creative Ideas multimedia centre. His short films...

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Two childhood friends spend their last days together touring the places where they grew up, trying to postpone the final farewell from a neighbourhood that has already started to change. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Vytautas Katkus’s previous film, Community Gardens, screened in the 2019 ZFF Short Film Competition. Subtitles: EN, HR

color, 12'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Mlada njegovateljica Branka dolazi na otok kako bi se brinula o starijoj ženi. Po završetku oštre zime, Brankin je posao gotov, no ona odluči ostati na otoku i tijekom ljetne sezone. Pronalazi posao u turističkom sektoru, ali plaća je oskudna, a posao iscrpljujući te predstavlja tek jedno u nizu privremenih rješenja. Sve što dolazi dobitnik je Srca Sarajeva za najbolji kratkometražni film. Titlovi: EN

color, 24'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

Jonatan, poznat kao MC Xerelete, sanja o slavi  karijeri funk pjevača kako bi sebi i ocu omogućio udoban život kakav vidi u medijima. Dok čekaju ostvarenje Jonatanovih snova, otac i sin rade kao ribari u zaljevu Guanabara. Zajedno se nose s odgovornostima i preprekama koje im se nađu na putu. Film je u Clermont-Ferrandu nagrađen Posebnim priznanjem. Titlovi: EN, HR

color, 20'

PROJECTION:

Friday 19.11.2021 AT 22:00

Synopsis:

A featherless nightingale flies through the forest singing. Its song lulls the little bear to sleep, soothes the squirrels’ quarrels and entertains the pair of swans swimming on the pond. One day there is a big storm in the forest. Without feathers for protection, the nightingale catches a cold and loses its voice. The film screened at this year’s Annecy Int’l Animation Festival. Age: 3+

color, 5'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Tattoo-Ed is absorbed in his tattoo work, painting his own, grey skin. There is one empty spot left and he wants to fill it with a true piece of art! The film is made in the technique of traditional hand-drawn animation with backgrounds painted by children. Age: 3+

color, 2'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Fly is the story of a bird with a deformed wing that prevents him from migrating. Abandoned by his flock, he sinks into despair. Everything changes the day Pio-Pio appears. This defenceless chick gives him joy and a sense of purpose in life. Until the day destiny makes him do something he never imagined possible – take to flight. Fly was nominated for this year’s Goya Award for Best Animated Short Film. Age: 3+

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Bubble, a young otter, lives with three mossy stones and thinks of them as family. Bubble sees them as real otters, but as she becomes aware of their true nature, she will have to face her loneliness. Age: 3+

color, 7'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Spikiney is a hardworking, selfless hedgehog who runs a soup kitchen for his community. One winter night the food goes missing, endangering the existence of the forest dwellers. Spikiney goes in search of the stolen food accompanied by his friends – an old monkey with a cane, an orphan squirrel, a stray bird and a beaver with a rubber flipper for a tail. Age: 3+

color, 7'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Two polar bears are driven into exile because of global warming. Along the way, they encounter brown bears and try to settle alongside them. The film screened at this year’s Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Age: 3+

color, 8'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Baby polar bear Ursa is lost and goes in search for its mom in the cold dark Arctic. It makes its way through a blizzard, the icy cold tundra and sharp icy ravines, towards the northern lights and the magical song in hope of finding its mother. After overcoming all the obstacles, it reaches the edge of the earth. And then it sees her, in the distance, among the northern lights! Age: 3+

color, 10'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 11:00

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Kenza and her thirteen-year-old brother Mahdi’s favourite pastime is humiliating each other on social media. They are quite cruel at it too. One day, while riding the bus, Kenza decides to test her naive and romantic younger brother. She challenges him to declare love to his crush Jadi who is not even aware of Mahdi’s existence. Under pressure from his older sister, Mahdi agrees. The film was screened in official competitions at festivals in Cannes and Warsaw. Subti...

color, 15'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Young Otto’s parents promised him a dog for his tenth birthday. But before they could fulfil their promise, there was a tragedy and Otto lost his parents. When he sees a shooting star the night before his tenth birthday, he once again makes a wish. But the star continues falling and crashes into the woods behind his grandmother’s house. In the forest, Otto discovers a spacecraft. When its hatch opens, a small dog comes out with Laika written on its collar. Knowing his grandmother is...

color, 17'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Five-year-old Sol and her father live in an isolated house by the sea. She spends her lonely days lost in her own imagination, while her father, a composer, struggles with a creative crisis. When Sol realizes her father is burdened by sorrow, she will find solace in an old Icelandic folk tale. Subtitles: HR Age: 8+

color, 13'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Ten-year-old Gabriel loves to sing and has one desire: to sing in the local choir. The group rides kick-sleds through the snowy landscape of Northern Norway and is known for their kindness and charity towards the refugees from the village. But when Gabriel’s father gets into a fight with one of the local refugees, Gabriel’s quest to join them is jeopardized and he faces a new challenge. Subtitles: HR Age: 7+

color, 18'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 13:00

Synopsis:

Conceived with the smuggled sperm of her father Nawar who is in prison, Palestinian teenager Amira enjoys the status of a hero’s daughter. Although their time together consists of brief prison visits, Amira is very attached to her father. But her parents’ attempt to conceive another child fails, revealing that Nawar is sterile. Egyptian activist and director Mohamed Diab (Clash – ZFF 2016, Golden Pram) returns with a layered drama about the divisions, xenophobia and nature...

color, 98'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 19:30

Synopsis:

Art restorer Leïla and painter Damien are deeply in love. However, Damien’s big, loud and unpredictable character is becoming increasingly burdensome for the exhausted Leïla and their young son, who still adores his spontaneous and fun dad. Inspired by the author’s growing up with a bipolar father, The Restless is an intimate, authentic tale about the complex dynamics of a family caught in the spiral of psychological illness. Lafosse’s stirring romance drama...

color, 118'

PROJECTION:

Saturday 20.11.2021 AT 22:00