{{ mainName }}

{{ newsTitle }} {{ newsVisible ? '✦' : '✧'}}

    • New Talents Open Call
      Eastern Neighbours Film Festival (ENFF) began in The Netherlands in 2008 with the idea to offer Dutch and international audiences a unique glimpse into the cinema of their neighbors from Eastern and Southern Europe. This annual event presents the most recent, exciting, and thought‐provoking films, from countries with small, but often powerful film industries, that… Read more: New Talents Open Call
    • ENFF 2023 On Demand!
      Unable To attend the festival in person? No problem! From November 27th to December 3rd, we’re thrilled to bring you a curated selection of this year’s films available for online viewing! Catch our captivating Opening Film Ivan’s Land, or the touching Closing Film Seventh Heaven. Or explore a collection of shorts from the New Talents Competition! Follow along… Read more: ENFF 2023 On Demand!
    • What’s up in Slovak Cinema? A conversation with Monika Lostakova
      We talked with Monika Lošťáková about contemporary Slovak cinema.
    • ENFF and the Eastern European Film Festival Network!
      The Eastern European Film Festival Network brings together five film festivals dedicated to promoting and showcasing Eastern European cinema, alongside one partner organisation.
    • Masterclasses
      Through these masterclasses we approach two memory in film from different angles: memories from a personal or collective recollection through archive material.
    • Work in Progress
      In Work in Progress, emerging filmmakers and artists will present their works in development to the audience and engage in discussions with Dutch experts.
    • Festival Timetable Available!
    • Check out the catalogue for our 2023 edition!
    • Music at ENFF
      Every year, ENFF brings special musical guests who bring beauty to the program and further represent the rich cultures of their countries to a Dutch audience.
    • Film Marathon
      Join us for the Film Marathon, a new concept in which we merge two components, Short Films, Big Stories, and New Talents Competition into a whole-day screening of short films!

Soft Creatures

In “Soft Creatures”, awarded in Motovun for the Best Croatian Short Film, a hypersensitive teaching assistant gives us an insight into the school battlefield.

Synopsis

Nena recently started working as a school assistant to seven-year-old Dejan who has learning disabilities. It’s one of the first Nena’s grown-up jobs, and Dejan is a tough cookie so every day is a new challenge for the two of them. Apart from that, she also struggles with the rigid school system around them. Things look pretty bleak until one day a fluffy white friend comes to visit.

MEKANA BICA

Croatia | 2021 | 19 min

DIRECTOR / SCREENPLAY: Ivana Skrabalo

PRODUCTION: Tena Gojic – Dinaridi Film

CAST: Valentina Loncaric, Maks Kleoncic, Mirela Brekalo, Mia Petricevic

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Danko Vucinovic

EDITING: Martin Semencic 

SCREENING: Saturday 26 November / 17:45 hours / Zaal 6 / Dutch Premiere

Director’s bio

Ivana Škrabalo is an award winning filmmaker from Croatia working as a film director, screenwriter, art director, and production designer. Ivana holds degrees in architecture and film directing from the University of Zagreb. She has had extensive experience in both smaller local and larger international productions as Art Director and Production Designer over the past ten years. Her production design was awarded twice with the national film award – the Golden Arena (Vegetarian Cannibal, The Eight Commissioner). Her short films were screened internationally: She Dreamt That She was Happy was in the competition of Drama Film Festival and Cinema Jove. Ivana participated in Berlinale Talents, Midpoint Shorts, and the Ekran + programme.

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Motovun Film Festival, 2021 – Corto Montonese Award for the Best Croatian Short Film | Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival, 2021 – Best Narrative Short | Hong Kong International Short Film Festival, 2021 | Pula Film Festival, 2022 – Nikola Tanhofer Award for the Best DOP in short film category