This year's Mediterranean Film Festival Split opened with premiere screening of Croatian short film Film "Dok je trajao Roland Garros" by Snježana Tribuson, followed by Italian feature film "Piranhas" awarded in Berlin, starting its regular distribution after the premiere in Split. Director Snježana Tribuson could not hide her excitement about the location where FMFS is held:
- It was somehow logical that the film has its premiere in Split because it was created according to the story of Tanja Mravak. I read it when her book was published and I was delighted. When a man is 62 years old, it is not usual to do short films, but I liked the story so much that I wanted to film it. That story belongs here. I was afraid of handling the Dalmatian accent, but I think we did it - said Snjezana Tribuson.
Mijo Jurišić, starring in 'Dok je trajao Roland Garros' also visited Bačvice, as well as dirctors Zrinko Ogresta and Ognjen Sviličić, and new director of Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Christopher Peter Marcich.
- The first impressions are that I am amazed with open air cinema Bačvice. I think the enthusiasm of the team shows and the city of Split supports it in an exemplary manner. We are outdoors, in the open air cinema, enjoying the film. I think the idea of a Mediterranean Film Festival in Split is great, and the praise goes to the enthusiasts who do it, support it, make it possible - said Marchich.
The festival was opened by the Deputy Mayor of Split.
- I congratulate you on the enthusiasm and on 12 beautiful years in open air cinema Bacvice, which had its various problems last year. This is a somewhat fresh start and certainly the beginning of a cultural summer in Split. Thank you for doing this tirelessly and despite everything looks spontaneous; there is a lot of professionalism and year-round work standing behind it. I am looking forward to seeing this open air cinema working all summer thanks to the Cinema Mediterranean and the cinematheque Zlatna Vrata - said Deputy Mayor Hrgović Tomaš.
- I am really grateful for our audience and I personally feel fulfilled when I see how many fans support FMFS! That's why we have the energy to organise all this. Tonight's movie was sold out this morning, the interest is enormous, and it seems to me that we are really looking ahead ten wonderful days at our three festival locations. I also have to thank our partners: for the first time our guests are representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and the City of Split. This support is very important to us because it proves that we succeeded in being not only one of the largest film festivals in the country, but also in developing our project Cinema Mediterranean, one of the most important projects for the independent film – said Alen Munitić, manager of FMFS.
Today is the opening day for two other cinemas, "Zlatna Vrata" and the new location next to the Youth Centre, where short and medium length movies will be shown free of charge.
