The second day at Cinehill brings a ton of movie magic, exciting outdoor events, and intriguing conversations. There will also be no shortage of dancing under the starry sky of Gorski Kotar.
The program of the day begins at 10:30 a.m. with the screening of the first block of student films as part of the CDFG Campus – at Mak Cinema, in the epicentre of Cinehill Festival – Rakov Jarak. Admission is free to this screening, as well as to the CineCorto short film program – which is on at 11 a.m. at Bauer Cinema.
In the morning, we have prepared a feature-length treat as well. At 11 a.m. at Golik Cinema, visitors will have the opportunity to see Vermiglio, Italy’s Oscar contender and winner of the Grand Jury Prize in Venice. This intimate family drama takes place at the end of World War II and follows the large family of a village teacher and the arrival of a Sicilian deserter, Pietro, whose intense bond with the teacher’s eldest daughter will change the course of the lives of all family members.
A Real Young Girl, the directorial debut of this year’s honorary Maverick Award recipient, Catherine Breillat, will screen at 1 p.m. at Bauer Cinema. One of the most provocative works of the coming-of-age genre follows 14-year-old Alice who, attempting to escape boredom, starts to explore her own sexuality with a worker from her father’s sawmill.
Our favourite quiz master Morana Zibar has once again prepared a series of questions, this time from a number of possible futures! From Brave New World to The Handmaid’s Tale, the Dystopian Quiz covers all the bases when it comes to speculative fiction. Open to all film and trivia enthusiasts, and quiz starts at 1 p.m. at Rakov Jarak.
At 1:30 p.m. at Mak Cinema, we get to see a film written entirely by ChatGPT 4.0. Director Peter Luisi prompted an AI to write a script, without any intervention on his part. The story of this meta-film The Last Screenwriter follows Jack who, struggling with writer’s block, decided to test out a screenwriting AI system. The result is stunningly convincing, while admission to the screening is free.
Keeping with the topic of the increasing relevance artificial intelligence, Cinetalk: When AI Writes the Script takes place at 3 p.m. Filmmakers already working side by side with smart machines will answer numerous questions about AI participation in the arts.
The sharp-witted and darkly humorous Palestinian satire Thank You for Banking with Us screens at 3 p.m. at Kino Bauer. The story blending elements of thriller, family drama, and comedy that unfolds in just over twenty-four tension-filled hours, probes patriarchal structures and gender inequality. Screening in the same slot will be the fiction short Apartment 2a.
Cinehill also offers a journey through time and space with the help of technological advancements. Thanks to a pair of VR goggles and carefully selected titles, the curious among us will be able to explore virtual worlds in our VR balloon, starting from 3 p.m.
The screening of the first two episodes of the drama mini-series Families Like Ours by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg is on the program at 3:30 p.m. at Mak Cinema, while the admission to the screening is free of charge.
As part of the Stories from Switzerland focus programme, dedicated to this year’s partner country, director Ursula Meier’s feature The Line will screen at Golik Cinema starting at 5 p.m. This intense family drama, which premiered at the Berlinale, follows Margaret, who is given a strict restraining order to stay away from the family home. But the imposed distance only increases her need for closeness, drawing her out to the edge of the perimeter.
The Q&A about the documentary Alpine Warriors, directed by this year’s honorary 50 Years Award recipient Stipe Božić, takes place at 5 p.m. at Rakov Jarak. The film itself screens at 9 p.m. at the Damside Theatre, and brings authentic footage from the five-decade-long career of our most famous alpinist. The screening will be accompanied by the award ceremony.
As part of the Main Program, the film Islands screens at 6 p.m. at Bauer Cinema. With a subtle noir atmosphere under the scorching Spanish sun, hints of a love triangle and disturbing ambiguity, the film sits between Patricia Highsmith’s thrillers and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers.
The screening of the Eighty Plus, directed by the old friend of the festival and Maverick Award recipient Želimir Žilnik, is held at 6:30 p.m. at Mak Cinema. The film combines documentary realism and fiction, and follows Steven Arsin, who returns to his native Serbia after 60 years of absence. At 8:35 p.m., Žilnik will light the traditional Cinehill bonfire at Rakov Jarak.
It Was Just an Accident shows us how a seemingly harmless accident can trigger an avalanche of increasingly serious consequences. Today, this Palme d’Or award-winning black-humour revenge thriller screens outside the festival centre, in the city of Rijeka, at the Summer Art-Cinema, at 9 p.m.
At 9:30 p.m. at the Cinema in the Woods, catch the feature-length The Dog will be shown alongside the short drama Test. This gripping Kenyan-Swedish neo-noir thriller with extremely convincing lead cast follows MZ, a low-level drug dealer who falls in love with an escort, Kadzo, and decides to rescue her from the world of prostitution. Only, Kadzo doesn’t want to be rescued, and she definitely doesn’t need a man to do it for her.
The evening rounds off with the Swiss band Hornbox, making the audience break out in dance with the cheerful sounds of funk, jazz and samba at 11:30 p.m. at the Dance Floor in Rakov Jarak.
