ZAGREB, 2 June (Hina) - The 18th Mediterranean Film Festival Split (FMFS), to take place from 12 to 21 June, will feature more than a thousand film premieres from 37 countries.
The festival will open at the Bačvice open air cinema with a screening of the Tunisian film "Where the Wind Comes From", followed by a conversation with director Amel Guellaty.
The festival's artistic director, Alen Munitić, said this year's programme is one of the best so far, featuring powerful, intimate, and socially engaged stories. "What they all have in common is that they speak the universal language of empathy, courage, and freedom, and they call for dialogue and change," he said.
A record number of filmmakers have confirmed their attendance at the 18th FMFS, which will take place at the Bačvice open air cinema, Gripe Fortress, the Zlatna Vrata cinematheque, and for the first time, at Đardin park.
Director Pilar Palomero and actress Patricia López Arnaiz will present the Spanish film "Glimmers", for which López Arnaiz received the Best Actress award in San Sebastián. At the same festival, Pedro Martín-Calero won the Best Director award for "The Wailing", which he will present in Split with lead actress Malena Villa.
Directors Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño will arrive in Split to present their new film "Marco", along with actor Eduard Fernández, who received a Goya award for his role in the film. Also attending will be Steve Bache, director of the controversial film "No Dogs Allowed".
The team behind the Slovenian film "Little Trouble Girls" will also be present, along with Paulo Marinou Blanco, director of the Portuguese black comedy about euthanasia "Dreaming of Lions".
After recently winning the Jury Prize at Cannes, "Sirât" by acclaimed Spanish director Oliver Laxe will be screened at the FMFS. The drama "Deaf", winner of the Audience Award at the Berlinale, directed by Eva Libertad, will also be shown.
Also on the programme are the Czech Oscar submission "Waves" and the first Bedouin feature film, "Eid". Out of competition, the Croatian documentary "Learning to Walk 2" by Jelena Novaković will be screened.
Another highlight is the psychological drama "Armand", directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, grandson of the legendary Ingmar Bergman.
Michel Franco returns to the festival with his new film "Dreams", starring Jessica Chastain. Director Urzula Barba Hopfner will present a humorous drama starring Cristo Fernández, known from the series "Ted Lasso".
The festival will close with "The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer", the first American film by Turkish director Tolga Karaçelik, starring Steve Buscemi. The film recently won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.
