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    • NTC Award Ceremony
      New Talent Competition gives young filmmakers from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe the opportunity to present their outstanding debut or second film to the public. Join us on Sunday 1 December at 19h
    • Music at ENFF
      The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival welcomes special musical guests each year to enrich our program. For this 16th edition, we’re thrilled to present two talented young musicians: guitarist Antonio Peršak (CR) and violinist İdil Yunkuş (TR). Together, they will perform a traditional Balkan dance and folk song, highlighting the beauty of this music through the… Read more: Music at ENFF
    • Masterclass with Janez Burger
      This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to explore Burger's distinct storytelling style, genre use, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Join us on Saturday 30 November at 17h - Room 5
    • Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema
      Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema on Friday 29 November at 18h

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