(Photo: International Pršut Fair (ISAP)

The 12th International Pršut Fair (ISAP) will be held in Tinjan, Istria this year from 19-21 October 2018. 

Besides pršut producers from Croatia, the fair will again host producers from all over Europe, including Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Austria and Spain. 

Lovers of this exquisite delicacy will have the opportunity to taste more than thirty types of pršut during the 3-day fairm, as well as some world-class cheeses and wines. 

International Pršut Fair (ISAP)

Entertainment this year will be provided by Željko Bebek on Saturday 20 October and Petar Grašo on Sunday 21 October.

The Guinness record for the biggest pršut was set at the 10th International Pršut Fair in Tinjan in 2016 when a 22.5 kg pršut from the famous pršut-producing inland Dalmatian town of Drniš stole the show. 

Guinness record pršut (ISAP)

The record pršut, which was over one metre long, had to be carried in by two men to the festival as it was placed on a special custom-made holder.

(ISAP)

Homemade Istrian pršut has been considered and recognized as a symbol of perfection, the Istrian people call it vijulin, meaning violin. 

International Pršut Fair (ISAP)

It has earned its royal status due to its taste, smell, colour, the right softness and freshness. Its prestigious position is owned to strict, traditional rules producers follow.

International Pršut Fair (ISAP)

Over 30,000 people are again expected to attend the fair. For more info visit the fair’s Facebook page or official website

Zaprešić Boys (Photo: Zaprešić Boys Official)

For the first time, two music acts from Croatia have been announced to headline Croktoberfest 2018 in Australia. 

What is billed as the biggest Croatian festival in the southern hemisphere, Croktoberfest 2018 will take place on 27-28 October 2018 at the Melbourne Croatia Soccer Club. 

Two headline acts from Croatia have been confirmed – Opća Opasnost and Zaprešić Boys & Nered. 

Zaprešić Boys have had a number of hits with Croatian fans’ songs over the years such as ‘Srce vatreno’, ‘Samo je jedno’, ‘Neopisivo’ and their 2018 World Cup hit ‘Igraj moja Hrvatska’. 

Opća Opasnost is a rock band from Croatia which formed in the early 1990s. They have produced a number of hits and won a Porin award for their song “Tvoje ime čuvam”. 

In traditional Oktoberfest style, outdoor and indoor bars will serve be serving a variety of German and Croatian beers as well as a famous Croatian grill. 

As well as Opća Opasnost and Zaprešić Boys & Nered, there will be performances from other Australian Croatian acts, DJ’s, Croatian folklore dancers, tambura players as well as stuff for the kids like jumping castles, face painting, clowns and much more. 

Tickets at the door: 

Before 6 pm
Concession – $25
Adults – $30

After 6 pm
Flat rate $40

Under 12s free throughout the day 

Croktoberfest 2018

‘Uspjeh’ (HBO)

The first original HBO series in Croatian has been produced with the trailer dropping yesterday.

The six-part series ‘Uspjeh’ won HBO’s First Draft competition and is the first original HBO series from the region.

Uspjeh, from author Marjan Alčevski, is a dark dissection of today’s society. It is an authored multi-strand multi-layer character-driven drama about a group of four disparate people linked by a violent crime.

‘Uspjeh’ (HBO)

The series, which will be set in Zagreb, is directed by Oscar winner Danis Tanovic.

Tanovic is best known for films No Man’s Land (2001), which he won an Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film, Epizoda u zivotu beraca zeljeza (2013) and Smrt u Sarajevu (2016).

“For a long time I’ve been getting offers to make series which I think, at the moment, are more interesting and inventive than the movies, but none of them intrigued me so far,” Tanovic said. “Marjan Alcevski’s script is amazingly written, and I’m really happy that HBO has recognized its quality and given me the opportunity to collaborate on it.”

‘Uspjeh’ (HBO)

HBO has produced series in Croatia before, most notably Game of Thrones and Knightfall in Dubrovnik.

Check out the trailer below.

(photo credit: Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL)

By Iva Ralica

According to many foreigners, the Croatian language is one of the hardest languages to learn thanks to its large number of cases.

Even born-and-raised Croatians can sometimes be slightly uncertain about grammar rules and accents. Still, the Croatian language is one of the most interesting languages with a very rich history.

Here are 15 facts about the Croatian language:

1. One of the South Slavic languages, Croatian has been called differently throughout history, and one of the names was “Illyrian”.

2. The Croatian language was first mentioned in 1275 in the document “Istarski razvod”.

   Istarski razvod (Photo: Roberta F)

3. The word “encyclopedia” was first used in 1559 by Pavao Skalić from Zagreb.

4. In 1843 Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski was the first man to speak in Croatian before the Parliament. The speech daringly promoted the struggle for national liberation, asking for Croatian to become the official language in schools and offices, with its gradual introduction in the public life. He also pointed out the danger of replacing Croatian with other languages.

   Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski statue in Zagreb

5. Croatian Parliament passed the decision to make Croatian the official language in 1847, replacing Latin.

6. Croatian has three major groups of dialects – Kajkavian, Štokavian and Čakavian – all of which are further divided into six or seven dialects. Kajkavian dialects mark many loan words from German and Hungarian, Štokavian dialects from Turkish and Italian (and in the North also German and Hungarian) and Čakavian from Italian.

7. The shortest Croatian words are just one letter – a (but, and) u (in), i (and), s (with, from), k (to).

8. The longest Croatian word (besides the written form of long numbers) is prijestolonasljednikovičičinima with 31 characters (30 letters since “lj” is one letter). Prijestolonasljednikovičičinima – translates in English to “of little heiress apparent to the throne” in plural dative case.

   (Photo: Osnovna škola Milka Cepelića Vuka)

9. Croatian is one of the sources for the minimal language “toki pona”, created in Toronto and based on natural languages according to tao principles.

   Toki Pona pronunciation chart Photo: Jan Nikita under CC)

10. The word “paprika” was transferred into many European languages in its original form, not translated.

    Paprika

11. In Croatian people with blonde hair are described as having blue hair (plava).

12. One Croatian word with the highest number of synonyms is “a cob” (corn cob). Synonyms are; ajdamak, bat, batakljuša, bataljika, batučak, batuček, batuk, baturak, baturice, čepina, čokotinja, ćuka, kic, klas, klasina, klasinec, klasovina, klasovinje, kočanj, kocen, komaljika, komušina, kukuruzina, kumina, kureljica, kuruška, oklipak, okoma, okomak, okomina, okrunica, orušek, otučak, paćika, patura, paturica, rucelj, rucl, rulina, šapurika, ščavina, šepurina, štruk, tekun, tulina, tulinek to name a few!

    Corn cob

13. Croatian is one of three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

14. The oldest Croatian dialect is believed to spoken in Bednja in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region.

    (Bednja.hr)

15. Croatians are one of the most creative when it comes to swear words in Europe, largely due to a rich dialect and an abundance of synonyms.

Check out some different words for the same thing in different parts of Croatia here.

Zaprešić Boys

The group renowned for many Croatian football fans’ hits over the years have announced tour dates down under. 

Zaprešić Boys & Nered have confirmed that they will be playing two shows in Australia and one in New Zealand in October and November. 

Fresh from their massive World Cup hit this summer ‘Igraj moja Hrvatska’, Zaprešić Boys & Nered will first play in Sydney on 26 October at King Tomislav Club.

The next night they will headline Croktoberfest 2018 at the Melbourne Croatia Soccer Club. 

The group will then head to New Zealand for one concert in Auckland at the Croatian Cultural Society on 3 November 2018. 

Apart from ‘Igraj moja Hrvatska’, which was one of the most played songs in Croatia in 2018, Zaprešić Boys have had a number of other hits over the years such as ‘Srce vatreno’, ‘Samo je jedno’ and ‘Neopisivo’. 

Zaprešić Boys, who formed in 2005 in the Zagreb suburb of Zaprešić, played in front of over 100,000 fans on Zagreb’s main square when the Croatian team was welcomed home from the 2018 World Cup in July.

The official video forIgraj moja Hrvatska’ has had almost 9 million views.

Andrew Bogut with Ethnic Dads (screenshot)

Popular Australian comedy troupe Ethnic Dads, who pay homage to European migrant dads, have hung out with Australian-Croatian basketball legend Andrew Bogut.  

Ethnic Dads is created by Sooshi Mango, who are two brothers and two mates from Australia who create comedy skits. Their latest skit features Bogut.   

Bogut was born in Melbourne in 1984 after his parents had immigrated to Australia from Croatia in the 1970s. 

The 7-foot centre began his NBA career after he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. 

He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2012 and won an NBA Championship with them. He went onto to play also with the Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers before moving back to Australia this year to play for Sydney. 

Check out the skit below. 

Zaprešić Boys (Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

Croatian group Zaprešić Boys have released a brand new single ahead of the tour down under in October and November. 

The group renowned for many Croatian football fans’ hits over the years will play two shows in Australia and one in New Zealand in October and November and today they released their brand new single ‘Moja’. 

“The 3rd and final part of the trilogy on the theme of youth leaving Croatia. There is no better moment to release the new single ahead of the tour of Australia and New Zealand,” Zaprešić Boys said.  

Fresh from their massive World Cup hit this summer ‘Igraj Moja Hrvatska’, Zaprešić Boys & Nered will play in Sydney on 26 October at King Tomislav Club before headlining Croktoberfest 2018 at the Melbourne Croatia Soccer Club on 27 October. The tour ends in New Zealand at the Croatian Cultural Society on 3 November in Auckland. 

Along with ‘Igraj moja Hrvatska’, which was one of the most played songs in Croatia in 2018, Zaprešić Boys have had a number of other hits over the years such as ‘Srce vatreno’, ‘Samo je jedno’ and ‘Neopisivo’.

The group, who formed in 2005 in the Zagreb suburb of Zaprešić, played in front of over 100,000 fans on Zagreb’s main square when the Croatian team was welcomed home from the 2018 World Cup in July.

Check out the new single below. 

(Screenshot)

Locals and tourists on one of the world’s busiest squares had the chance to enjoy some Croatian music this weekend when Grupa Volta did an impromptu performance. 

The Croatian band, who have been playing throughout Ontario, Canada for the past 25 years, were in New York’s Times Square this weekend belting out tunes for passers-by. 

Check out the video of Grupa Volta singing Hrvatska mati me rodila on Times Square below. 

(Il Volo)

Italian pop-opera trio Il Volo will perform in Zagreb in December as part of their European tour. 

Baritone Gianluca Ginoble (23) and two tenors Piero Barone (25) and Ignazio Boschetto (23) will perform at Zagreb’s Arena on 21 December 2018. 

Having won the Sanremo Music Festival, they represented Italy in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest where they came third.  

Their first album Il Volo made the Billboard 200 top 10 and topped the Classical Albums chart in 2010. The album also entered the top ten in other countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The album earned them two Latin Grammy Award nominations.

They have gone on to release a further four studio albums where they have collaborated with the likes of Placido Domingo and Eros Ramazzotti. 

After 15 sold out concerts in America they completed 29 performances in Europe and South America. On the tour, a film about the group was shot and will screen at over 500 cinemas worldwide. 

You can get tickets for the Zagreb concert via eventim.  

Croatia Night (Photo: Lazeta Media)

More than 10,000 people are set to party again in Frankfurt, Germany in November for the biggest Croatian party abroad. 

People from all over Europe and as far away as Australia will again converge on the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt on 17 November 2018 for the 10th annual ‘Croatia Night’. 

Once again a lineup of Croatian bands and singers, such as Mate Mišo Kovač, Prljavo Kazaliste, Miroslav Škoro, Mladen Grdović, Crvena Jabuka, Mate Bulić, Jelena Rozga, Lidija Bačić, Maja Šuput, Grupa Vigor and others will entertain the crowd on the night, which is expected to be bigger than ever. 

Croatia Night

Croatia Night gathers the best musicians from the homeland, thousands of Croatians and guests from Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. 

For the past ten years, party-goers have come to have fun, see old friends and create new business and friendly connections.

(Lazeta Media)

Check out the Croatia Night Facebook page for more updates. Check out a report from last year’s party below. 

Luka Modrić and Homer (Photo credit: Stefano Monda/Instagram)

An Italian artist’s depiction of famous footballers as The Simpsons characters has become a big hit. 

Stefano Monda has been posting drawings on his Instagram account of some of the biggest names in world football in Matt Groening’s distinct style and they have been quickly been grabbing attention. 

Monda started with Paris Saint-Germain trio Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani and Neymar, before doing mock-ups of Messi, Ronaldinho, and Croatian captain Luka Modrić. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Ne Ronaldo, ne Momo Salah.. La UEFA elegge @lukamodric10 miglior calciatore della passata edizione @championsleague #uefachampionsleague #uefa #europeanchampionship #europe #modric #lukamodric #simpsons #simpson #realmadrid #midfield #football #graphicdesign #graphic #design #designinspiration

A post shared by Stefano Monda (@steart__) on Aug 30, 2018 at 12:53pm PDT

The Modrić mock-up features the Croatian midfielder at the door with the UEFA Player of the Year award when Homer opens it.

The Simpsons have featured a number of celebrity cameos over the last 30 years the show has run but Ronaldo is the only footballer currently to make the show. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Anche la famiglia di @leomessi in versione Simpson Taggate nei commenti @leomessi e @antoroccuzzo88 #messi #lionelmessi #argentina #barcellona #barcelona #spain #spagna #balondeoro #football #simpsons #simpson #graphic #graphicdesign

A post shared by Stefano Monda (@steart__) on Oct 12, 2018 at 2:50pm PDT

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Anche la famiglia @marcelotwelve nel mondo dei @thesimpsons Taggate nei commenti @marcelotwelve @enzoalvesv @claricealves #marcelo #madrid #realmadrid #realmadridcf #football #skill #brasile #liga #graphicdesign #graphic #art #simpsons

A post shared by Stefano Monda (@steart__) on Oct 4, 2018 at 12:57pm PDT

Croatia has featured on the show when the nation’s car-making skills feature in an episode. 

Jethro Tull in Zagreb last night (Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

Cult British rock band Jethro Tull, led by vocalist Ian Anderson, has entertained fans in Zagreb on Saturday night. 

Jethro Tull, who formed back in 1967 in Blackpool, England, performed at Zagreb’s Dom Sportova last night on their 50th anniversary World Tour. 

Jethro Tull first achieved commercial success in 1969, with the folk-tinged blues album Stand Up, which reached No. 1 in the UK. They have gone on to sell an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, with 11 gold and five platinum albums among them. 

Check out the action from last night’s concert in Zagreb below.

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Dragutin Andric/Soundgarden.com)

(Photo credit: Vedran Levi/LAA)

(Photo credit: Vedran Levi/LAA)

(Photo credit: Vedran Levi/LAA)

(Photo credit: Monika Bračević/Muzika.hr)

(Photo credit: Monika Bračević/Muzika.hr)

Geraldine Chaplin (Photo: Hassan Abdelghani)

The iconic actress and daughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin will be in Zagreb for the 16th Zagreb Film Festival where she will present the romantic comedy Anchor and Hope. 

Geraldine Chaplin will be a special guest at the 16th Zagreb Film Festival which will be held in the Croatian capital from 11-18 November 2018. 

Part of the famous multinational acting Chaplin dynasty, Geraldine is the first child of eight that Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife Oona O’Neill and the granddaughter of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Eugene O’Neil. She studied as a ballerina and after a brief career as a professional dancer in Paris, she turned to acting. 

Her first film role was as a child in Charlie Chaplin’s 1952 film Limelight. She came to prominence in the role of Tonya in David Lean’s Doctor Zhivago (1965). Lean chose her to play the main character’s wife, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination in the category, “Most Promising Female Newcomer. 

After her role in Carlos Saura’s psychological thriller Peppermint Frappe (1967), she starred alongside Charlton Heston in the American historical film The Hawaiians (1970). 

Geraldine Chaplin (Photo: Hassan Abdelghani)

Chaplin then appeared in The Three Musketeers (1973), as well as the sequel, The Four Musketeers 1974). She was cast as the obnoxious BBC reporter Opal in Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975) for which she received her second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. 

She later occasionally co-wrote scripts for and starred in several later Saura films—for these, receiving her greatest critical success^[ such as Ana and the Wolves (1973) and Cria cuervos (1976) which won the Special Jury Prize Award at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. 

Chaplin starred in several French and Spanish-language roles and was awarded the Gold medal by the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences for her contribution to Spanish cinema in 2006.  

Anchor and Hope

At the closing of the Zagreb Film Festival, Geraldine Chapin stars in the film Anchor and Hope by Carlos Marques-Marcet. Geraldine’s daughter Oona stars on the film and plays her daughter in the film. Today Geraldine Chaplin lives between Miami, Madrid and Corsier-sur-Vevey in Switzerland. 

More details about the Zagreb Film Festival on the website here. 

Elena Brnić (Facebook)

An impressive performance on Croatia’s Got Talent by 13-year-old Elena Brnić has become a global hit after the video went viral. 

Got Talent Global, a Facebook page with over 6 million fans which shares Got Talent performances from all over the world, featured Elena’s audition and it soon went viral, gathering over 5.5 million views, 174,000 likes and over 41,000 shares. 

“Unbelievable voice!,” Got Talent Global wrote before posting the video of Elena performing Rachel Platten’s Fight Song. 

Elena’s performance sent her into the semi-final of the show after impressing the judges. 

“Elena, what a surprise! You are beautiful,” judge Maja Šuput said holding back tears as he gave her the Golden Buzzer. 

Maja and Elena (Photo: Nova TV/Croatia’s Got Talent)

The rest of the panel agreed that the 13-year-old has a fantastic career ahead of her. 

Besides singing, Elena is a keen dancer and she appeared on TV already on the show Your Face Sounds Familiar as a backing dancer. 

Check out her performance in the video below. 

Pirates of the Caribbean (2CELLOS)

A big day on Friday for Croatian cello stars 2CELLOS. The duo today dropped their latest video, released their new album and announced US tour dates. 

Their new album, Let There Be Cello, has been released on Friday, 19 October. The album is a follow-up to the 2017 release of Score. 

The new album finds Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser exploring a diverse catalogue with their signature boundary-breaking playing style. The collection includes their take on everything from the latest pop hits (“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi) to hard-hitting rock songs (“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes) to celebrated classics (“Imagine” by John Lennon, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen) to never-before-heard original compositions (“Concept2,” “Cadenza”) for a listening experience unlike any other. 

2CELLOS announce dates for their 2019 LET THERE BE CELLO US TOUR, set to kick off February 5 in Seattle. 

 2CELLOS 2019 LET THERE BE CELLO US TOUR DATES

Tues, February 5 Seattle, WA Showare Center

Wed, February 6 Portland, OR Moda Center

Fri, February 8 Los Angeles, CA Shrine Auditorium

Sat, February 9 San Jose, CA SAP Center

Sun, February 10 San Diego, CA Valley View Arena

Mon, February 11 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre

Wed, February 13 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Smart Home Arena

Thurs, February 14 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sat, February 16 Dallas, TX Music Factory – 2 Shows

Sun, February 17 Houston, TX Smart Financial Center

Tues, February 19 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Wed, February 20 Minneapolis, MN Target Center

Thurs, February 21 St Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena

Sat, February 23 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre – 2 Shows!

Sun, February 24 Milwaukee, WI Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center

Tues, March 26 Chicago, IL United Center

Wed, March 27 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena

Fri, March 29 Hershey, PA Giant Arena

Sat, March 30 Boston, MA Agganis Arena

Mon, April 1 Syracuse, NY Crouse-Hinds Theater

Tues, April 2 Washington DC Eagle Bank Arena

Wed, April 3 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena

Fri, April 5 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

Sat, April 6 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall – 2 Shows!

Tues, April 9 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Arena

Wed, April 10 Atlanta, GA Infinite Energy Arena

Thurs, April 11 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

Sat, April 13 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena

Sun, April 14 Orlando, FL Amways Center

On Friday they also dropped their latest video, Pirates of the Caribbean which was shot on the Croatian coast near Dubrovnik on board the wooden ship – Karaka Dubrovnik. 

Check it out below. 

Danijela Martinović & Jole (PR)

Counting down this week’s official Croatian Top 10 singles of the week, according to the Croatian Discography Association’s Top40 list.

10. Detour – Vikend

9. Danijela Martinović & Jole – Na granici

8. Domenica – Baš baš

7. Vatra Feat. Massimo – Nama se nikud ne žuri

6. Mile Kekin – Takav par

5. Massino – Ne ostavljaj me tu

4. Pravila Igre – Još si sve u meni

3. Igor Delač – Ljubav

2.Tony Cetinski – Ja ne znam nikog boljeg od tebe

1. Nina Badrić – Rekao si

The Eighth Commissioner

The Croatian candidate for an ‘Oscar’ nomination in the category for best foreign language film will screen on November 15th in Los Angeles as a part of ‘Film & Flavours of Croatia’. 

This is the first event where the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) and the Croatian National Tourist Board will be presenting together, while the organization team is headed by Jozo Patljak, producer of The Eighth Commissioner.

‘Film & Flavours of Croatia’ will gather American media representatives and established names from the world of cinema, which will, during this unique event, be able to meet members from the film’s team and learn all about the book on which The Eighth Commissioner is based. The event will also include a wealth of gastronomic specialties. 

The film’s director Ivan Salaj, producer Jozo Patljak, cinematographer Slobodan Trninić and actors Frano Mašković, Borko Perić and Nadia Cvitanović will be present at the screening at The Egyptian.

‘Each presentation of a Croatian film to the American public is a special opportunity to remind everyone of the big and important Croatian films that have competed in the past for an award from the American Academy, the ever-popular Oscar. The Eighth Commissioner is riding on a wave of success (Surogat), along with a number of nominated films (The Ninth Circle, The Battle of Neretva, Dream Doll…) which Croatian cinematography has produced. The location of historically one of the most important cinemas in America, The Egyptian, will add to the appeal of this year’s Croatian candidate for an Oscar nomination. It is a place where the HAVC and the HTZ are collaborating for the first time internationally, creating conditions for better opportunities for future Croatian Oscar nomination candidates. This is the place, to quote American Cinematheque, where films are watched on a big screen –as they were meant to be seen,’ said the head of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre Daniel Rafaelić.

The Eighth Commissioner

The head of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić added that the visual identity of a locality shapes the experience of that destination as well as the expectations of the tourist who comes and visits:

‘There is a growing number of tourists who visit interesting film locations which are increasingly becoming attractive tourist destinations. The film industry greatly contributes to the visibility and popularity of individual regions, and our locations, where globally popular films and television series have been filmed, are attracting an increasing number of visitors from around the world. It is indisputable that The Eighth Commissioner, competing for an Oscar nomination, will greatly contribute to the recognition and perception of Croatia. This is also a huge nod to the quality of Croatian productions, and to our locations as well, which, with their unique landscapes, attract a growing number of foreign productions.’

The organizers of The Eighth Commissioner premiere are AlkaFilm, American Cinematheque and European Culture Club, while Stina Vina is the event partners. 

The premiere announcement is available on American Cinematheque’s official website.

Bernarda Brunović (Screenshot/SAT1)

A blind Croatian woman has stolen the show in the first episode of the new season of the German version of the popular talent show The Voice. 

Bernarda Brunović (25) won over the judges on the first episode of season 8 of ‘The Voice of Germany’ which aired in SAT 1 last night with her performance of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’. 

All four mentors – Yvonne Catterfeld, Michi Beck & Smudo, Michael Kelly and Mark Forster  – hit the buzzer during Brunović’s performance, bringing her to tears. 

Bernarda decided to go with Irish-American singer Kelly who was a member of The Kelly Family. 

“There have been a few moments in my life where music has helped me. I would listen to songs in hard times and in the songs I would find the strength to get up and fight. As long as I live there is always hope. My dream is one day I will be able to see,” Bernarda said after her performance. 

Born without sight, Bernada lives in  Switzerland and has had over 30 operations with none being successful. She even lost an eye during one operation. 

Bernarda has written over 250 songs and was a contestant in the search for Switzerland’s Eurovision representative in 2014. 

Check out her performance in the video below. 

Love International (Photo credit: Nikki)

One of Europe’s defining music odysseys, Love International, is back in July 2019 for its 4^th season and has now revealed the first wave of artists joining in the magical week. 

Love International is a sublime week-long affair which defines the essence of a holiday and festival merged into one beatific week. Nestled away amid sprawling pine trees, rocky outcrops and crystal-clear Adriatic waters in Tisno, music lovers and adventure seekers from all over Europe and beyond unite for a truly magical week under the sun and stars, weaving together a genuine sense of community, kinship and connection into all who attend. 

The festival encourages artists to experiment and embraces a peerless array of sounds and styles across a scintillating spectrum, from disco, house and techno, through to dub, reggae, funk and Balearic, taking in locations including intimate beach-side dancing, pulsating boat parties, the mesmeric Olive Grove, Garden Stage action and the iconic open-air club, Barbarella’s. These are the first artists revealed to be performing in these hallowed spaces.

© Photography by Jake Davis for Here & Now (fb.com/wearehereandnow)

Ben UFO is an outright electronic music pioneer. A decade on Rinse FM, one-third of Hessle Audio and an annual Love International fixture, he knows the festival intimately. And Andrew Weatherall is a legend in every sense, playing for the first time at the festival. From Boys’ Own to Shoom filtered through Two Lone Swordsmen, he has worked with everyone from New Order to Primal Scream to Villalobos. His extended sets capture a deeper and more spiritual experience. Next up, Harry – aka Midland – is a Love Int icon, with his genre-weaving and joyous back to back sets bring a raw sense of abandon each time, whilst Shanti Celeste is a veteran in four to the floor dance music, cultivating house, techno, garage and electro classics. Beautiful Swimmers’ cult following savours their richly textured odysseys, through to Love Int faves Horse Meat Disco bringing buckets of dazzling disco and amped-up house, to a techno innovator of sublime electronic beauty, Call Super. There’s a debut from Nicolas Lutz, whose sets deep with rich detail, and Ivan Smagghe is a DJ’s DJ pure and simple, making a very rare Croatian appearance. 

© Photography by Khris Cowley for Here & Now (www.fb.com/wearehereandnow)

DMX Krew has over twenty-five years of electronic music innovation, a prominent artist on Aphex Twin’s legendary ‘Rephlex’ imprint and also the founder of both Breakin’ Records and Fresh UP. NTS’s Moxie is champion of independent dance music, and Ruf Dug brings the leftfield – expect dusty analogue disco dreamers and poolside Balearic belters. Saoirse is one of the most revered spinners around, whilst co-founder of Red Light Radio, Orpheu The Wizard, is a key figure in Amsterdam’s underground music and makes his debut.

Rinse FM’s Josey Rebelle is a Sunday morning purveyor of quality electronic music and hangover; she joins the dots between house, techno, disco and more, and Powder is a Love Int legend in the making after her boat party performance. Then four further debutants line up: Lithuanian native Manfredas is behind the seminal Smala party at Opium Club; CC:Disco is a Melbourne native channelling modern soul, house and boogie; Ciel is a DJ, producer, radio host, creator of Toronto’s Work in Progress party series, and co-founder of collective It’s Not U It’s Me; Justin Cudmore is a stalwart of the Wrecked, Queen!, Horse Meat Disco, Hot Mass and Club Toilet parties, and a member of the NYC Bunker Crew; and Willow is one of the most compelling producers to arrive in the last few years. Finally, Gatto Fritto is back, the esteemed curator of the first Sound Of Love International compilation released earlier in the year.

© Photography by Khris Cowley for Here & Now (fb.com/wearehereandnow)

Tom Paine, one of the festival’s co-founders, explains: “We are all immensely proud of our first names for summer 2019 in Tisno. It’s a really great mix of debutants, old faces and new friends coming to join us for our 4^th year. We also are fully committed to developing the sense of community which really bloomed this summer, we want everyone who comes to feel unity and to feel free. It’s really important for us to keep exploring new sounds at the festival – for example the dub, reggae and Sunrise Sessions will be enhanced again for 2019. This year we invested more in the production too, especially at the Beach Stage where we moved the booth down to the water level, making it much more intimate. We also enhanced the Garden Stage and added extra detail across the whole site. We will be enhancing this even further next year.”

(Photo: Carys Huws)

For anyone wanting to relive some of the standout moments from earlier this year, check out these NTS mixes here: https://www.nts.live/shows/love-international-2018, Sets are from Shanti Celeste, Ben UFO and Craig Richards, Daniele Baldelli, Khruangbin, Begin, Powder and Lexx.  

Love International
Weds 3^rd – Weds 10^th July 2019
@ The Garden Resort, Petrica Glava 34, 22240, Tisno, Croatia
First artists announced are:
Ben UFO, Andrew Weatherall, Midland, Shanti Celeste, Beautiful Swimmers, Horse Meat Disco, Call Super, Nicolas Lutz, Ivan Smagghe, DMX Krew, Moxie, Ruf Dug, Saoirse, Orpheu The Wizard, Josey Rebelle, Manfredas, Powder, CC:Disco, Ciel, Justin Cudmore, Willow and Gatto Fritto
Tickets on sale now: 8-day full festival pass £135 / boat parties and club shows extra
www.loveinternationalfestival.com / @LoveIntFestival

Johnny Kera as Detective Thompson in Darkest Roads

Los Angeles American-Croatian film actor and producer, Johnny Kera (Murderous Mariguana and Darkest Roads) will be a judge on both feature and short films for the first annual Bedford International Film Festival, held on July 5-7th, 2019 in Bedford, Virginia. 

Kera, who now is producing several projects such as Awakening, will judge several of the feature and short films from all over the world, including a short film called To Live, To Sail by Lana Šarić/Jure Bušić from Croatia. 

To Live, To Sail

The festival is founded by filmmaker Robert Ashwell and screenwriter Angelique Gross. Ashwell, who directed and wrote A Murderous Mariguana, asked Kera to judge the film festival’s films and shorts. 

Kera is excited to be judging his first film festival and he is currently in the process of developing several film projects of his own that he is writing. 

For more information about submitting a finished film or short film, please visit the festival’s website at www.bedfordfilmfest.org and to submit your film.