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First Edition of the 35mm Vis Film Festival – The Return of Legendary Films Under the Starry Sky

In the small urban setting of Vis, from September 7 to 10, 2023, the first 35mm Vis Film Festival will take place, a unique film event that will allow visitors to experience the magic of watching legendary films from the “Prague School” on original 35mm film reels. Vis is recognized within the film industry, and among the numerous films featured, there is also the sequel to the world-famous film – Mama Mia 2.

Under the starry sky of the city of Vis, films such as ‘Bravo maestro’ by Rajko Grlić, ‘Special Treatment’ by Goran Paskaljević, and others will be screened, with the expected arrival of film directors, producers, and actors such as Lordan Zafranović, Goran Marković, Mike Downey, Dieter Kosslick, and Slavko Sobin. The uniqueness of this film festival is that the organizers do not want it to turn into a large, mass festival attended by thousands of people; they want it to remain small and special – a kind of boutique festival on the Croatian coast.

– The films selected by Rudolf Biermann and Mike Downey are significant enough to speak for themselves, and we are confident that the audience in Vis, as well as from the surrounding areas, will recognize them. I am sure that watching legendary films on 35mm film under the starry sky of Vis will be a special experience – proudly stated the festival’s executive director Sanja Drakulić.

The organizers believe that this festival will be a refreshing activity for the Vis community, emphasizing that the importance of Vis among filmmakers does not need further highlighting due to the locations and numerous films that have been shot on the island and in the city of Vis. We can all agree that a film festival is exactly what Vis deserves, and the special charm of the festival comes from the 35mm reels and projectors.

– The City of Vis immediately recognized our idea, and when Mayor Ivo Radica told us that there are old 35mm projectors, we immediately realized we were on the right track. Unfortunately, it was too expensive and risky to repair the projectors, so those examples have been archived in a museum, while we acquired new 35mm projectors for the festival, on which we will screen films – said the festival’s initiator and long-time director of the Karlovy Vary festival Rudolf Biermann on the occasion of the festival, adding that they are very proud that Dieter Kosslick is also participating in the festival, bringing the film ‘La grande abbuffata’.

Among the main partners of the festival are the Vislander winery and distillery, the prominent Villa Nai 3.3., Jadrolinija, and SME from Slovakia, and they all agree on one thing – the first year of the festival will be unforgettable. To spice up everything that Vis offers, from top-quality wines, beautiful beaches to Vis pastries, the organizers are sending a message to everyone considering visiting the festival: ‘Spice it all up with a good film evening.’

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