Both opening screenings in front of almost packed audiences • More than 100 films, many concerts and side events until 31 July.
“It was very uncertain until the end, but we pulled it off and my heart is full.” These words of festival director Igor Mirković best describe the atmosphere at the opening of this year’s edition of Motovun Film Festival. After a year, the festival is back to Motovun, in its usual five-day format with a plethora of films, concerts and side programs. Appreciating this fact, Motovun’s mayor Tomislav Pahović congratulated the organizers. “This is an iconic event in Istria’s cultural calendar which makes Istria not only a tourist destination, but also a cultural and film destination,” said deputy prefect of Istrian County Jessica Aquavita.
The opening film, the Italian documentary The Truffle Hunters, tells us about a group of peculiar locals from Italian province of Piedmont, truffle-hunters who love their dogs and shelter their microcosm from the greed of the outside world. Seven more Italian films will be shown during the festival. This is why Signor Pierfrancesco Sacco, Italian ambassador to Croatia, greeted the audience. He said he wished that even more Croatian films be shown in Italy and even more Italian films in Croatia.
It was the truffles that marked the first festival night. The members of Istrian Truffle-hunters’ Association brought their truffle-hunting dogs and – as a surprise for the audience – demonstrated their dogs’ truffle-hunting skills. The dogs sought and found some truffles hidden among the audience. Motovun restaurants had a special offer of truffle dishes on Day One.
As tourism and its consequences are the subject of the festival’s All Inclusive side program, Mario Petreković entertained the audience with his satirical sketch. Also, all festival theaters had been renamed to fit mass tourism and its requirements. The opening night ended with the concert of Alejuandro Buendija i Sinovi, as the forerunner of all the concerts which are to follow during the rest of the festival.
The audiences at both opening-night screenings were almost packed and the atmosphere was great despite the anti-Covid-19 measures. It was a good sign for the rest of the cinematic feast on Film Hill.