The pot is on the stove and the water is boiling – Karlovac is once again cooking up its famous film recipe! The 31st Youth Film Festival and the 19th Four River Film Festival will take place from September 15th to 19th, 2026, organized by the Croatian Film Association and Karlovac Cinema Club, and co-organized by the Edison Cinema. This year’s edition brings the best of Croatian and international high school filmmaking, and young film enthusiasts will once again be able to watch the competition program at the Edison Cinema. This autumn, Karlovac once again confirms its position as a center of youth filmmaking, while the Edison Cinema once again becomes the heart of film events.
The program was presented at a press conference held on September 11th in the Multifunctional Hall of the Edison Cinema.
The media were addressed by Ivan Gojmerac, Director of the Edison Cinema; Suzana Šnajdar from the Association of Technical Culture of Karlovac and Karlovac County; Branka Maradin Keča, Head of the Education Department of Karlovac County; Draženka Sila-Ljubenko, Head of the Administrative Department for Social Activities of the City of Karlovac; as well as Sanja Zanki Pejić, Head of Festival and Educational Programs at the Croatian Film Association, and Ksenija Sanković, Coordinator of the Festivals.
Ivan Gojmerac, Director of the Edison Cinema, addressed the audience first.
It’s a great honor for us that the Youth Film Festival and Four River Film Festival are being held right here at the Edison Cinema. We are very happy to be celebrating their 20th anniversary. Congratulations to all the people whose work has made it possible for these Festivals to live and grow for so many years, and that today they have a roof over their head in the Edison Cinema. Our cooperation will undoubtedly continue for many years to come. We are looking forward to the Festivals, to the arrival of our visitors and, of course, we invite as many people as possible to come and support these Festivals.
His words were followed by Suzana Šnajdar from the Association of Technical Culture of Karlovac and Karlovac County, which has stood by the Festivals and young filmmakers for two decades now.
For 20 years, the Association of Technical Culture has supported and encouraged the work and realization of this program. What I would particularly like to point out is that young people surprise us every year. Every year they are even more creative, they have a lot of energy and they are getting better and better. They are a great inspiration to young people, not only in the Karlovac area, but anywhere. I am glad that the work of Karlovac locals is also recognized through these Festivals, and we will continue to financially support and assist their realization in the future.
On behalf of Karlovac County, Branka Maradin Keča, Head of the Education Department, addressed the audience and particularly emphasized the importance of the Festivals in the development of young filmmakers.
Twenty years ago, these Festivals came to our city. Someone had a brilliant vision for our city to become the home of these Festivals, and for that we can thank the Karlovac Cinema Club and the Croatian Film Association. We don’t just watch films at these Festivals, they are also a place where many young people take their first steps in filmmaking, meet new collaborators and friends, receive awards, as well as criticism which they can learn from and improve. They don’t return to our city just as young filmmakers, but as film professionals. I think that this is the best confirmation of the importance of these Festivals.
Draženka Sila-Ljubenko, Head of the Administrative Department for Social Activities of the City of Karlovac, reflected on the long-standing work, enthusiasm and contribution of the Karlovac Cinema Club, emphasizing that the Festivals have given Karlovac a new cinematic dimension.
We can be extremely proud of you, dear filmmakers, because you have given our city a completely new, cinematic dimension. These Festivals’ good reputation can be heard far and wide, and it’s something we’re extremely proud of. The Festivals are yet another reason why we can be proud of our city and why many people admire it. We admire your enthusiasm, your many years of work and the large number of young people you have included in your ranks. You are a great motivation and I wish you a lot of success and many, many more Festival years!
Festival Director Sanja Zanki Pejić spoke about the Festivals’ special atmosphere and their connection with Karlovac.
These Festivals are not only about cinema clubs, and it’s wonderful to see that the city and the county are living with them as well. You can feel it. That’s why many people who visit Karlovac come back to it. This cannot be described; it’s something you have to come and experience for yourself. It’s especially beautiful to see the faces of young filmmakers when they watch their films on the big screen for the first time. And then there are the interactions they have and feedback they get, both from their peers and from film professionals who guide them and give them advice on how they can improve their work. These are the things that make so many people return to these Festivals.
Festival Coordinator Ksenija Sanković told us more about this year’s Festival program, highlighting the rich competition and additional programs.
The competition program is divided into six screenings, and, if the weather permits, we’ll hold the evening program at several locations. Visitors can expect award-winning films that they’ll be able to watch completely free of charge. We have also prepared a truly rich additional and educational program. I would particularly like to point out the guest appearance by Igor Šeregi, director of the box office success The Wedding, as well as Nikola Janković, who screened his first film in Karlovac, and now he’s a Hollywood actor. There are also many other filmmakers joining us. We are especially glad that they are returning to our Festivals and that they are always happy to accept our invitations to come back.
As many as 1,866 works were submitted to the Festivals, and the selection committee (consisting of Boško Picula, PhD, Čejen Černić Čanak and Jura Troje) carefully selected 72 films. The films in the competition program come from 23 countries, while a total of 1,593 submissions came from 103 countries around the world – once again confirming Four River Film Festival is an important meeting place for young filmmakers from all over the planet. We also received a record number of submissions in the national competition, with 273 submitted films.
The program includes short films in four categories: fiction, animation, documentary and freestyle film. The best films will be decided on by a three-member jury consisting of Tatjana Božić, a Croatian-Dutch documentary filmmaker and creative producer with more than 25 years of experience; Nikola Janković, a musician, sound designer and actor who began his filmmaking journey at Four River Film Festival; and Eva Kraljević, a cinematographer, director and film educator, the recipient of numerous awards for her documentary work.
The grand opening of the Festivals will take place on Tuesday, September 15th, at the Edison Cinema, where the audience will have the opportunity to watch three short films by young filmmakers: the documentary Asparagus Bear by Ivan Grgur, the fiction film Spot by Sara Alavanić and the fiction film Placement Exam by Kruno Trninić. Due to the limited number of seats in the cinema, the opening is the only Festival evening that is not completely open to the public.
The following two evenings, the Festivals move under the open sky, to the banks of Karlovac’s rivers:
Wednesday, September 16th – Foginovo Beach on river Korana: the feature film Between Us by Laura Pascu, an intimate story about a young couple who refuse to give up their own desires due to compromise.
Thursday, September 17th – the Old Town of Novigrad on river Dobra: the fiction film Honey Bunny by Igor Jelinović, this year’s winner of the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film at Pula Film Festival. The screening will be adapted for the deaf and hard-of-hearing and the blind and visually impaired.
Friday, September 18th – we return to the Edison Cinema with the documentary film Fragments of Belonging by Karlovac-born director Tatjana Božić; an intimate and autobiographical account of the search for a sense of belonging.
On the final Festival day, Saturday, September 19th, the participants will visit the Aquatika aquarium, followed by the official awards ceremony at the Edison Cinema, which will also be available to stream online.
Alongside the competition program, the Festival also nurtures its educational program. Throughout the week you can attend case studies, debates, lectures and masterclasses with experienced filmmakers:
-masterclass by Iliya Rogovskui on the Common Grounds project
-case study of Loir en Film with Felix Cognard, on international production
-workshop by the Kontraplan association on writing for an audience
-case study of the film The Wedding with Igor Šeregi
-masterclass by actor Nikola Janković on the journey from Four River Film Festival to a role in Hollywood
The program is completed by the launch of the book Introduction to the Fundamentals of Audiovisual Production by Dinka Radonić, PhD, and Ivan Rajković, PhD, as well as the children’s program for our youngest visitors, and the Yellow Flag debate, moderated by Boško Picula, PhD.
Enjoy this cinematic feast, bon appétit!
The detailed program schedule is available at: https://frff.com.hr/program-schedule/
The official Four River Film Festival selection is available at: https://frff.com.hr/official-selection-frff/
The official Youth Film Festival selection is available at: https://frff.com.hr/official-selection-yff/
More about Four River Film Festival: frff.com.hr
The festival is supported by: the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Association of Technical Culture, the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, Karlovac County, City of Karlovac, the “Kultura nova” Foundation, The National Foundation for Civil Society Development, the Tourist Board of the City of Karlovac, the Technical Culture Community of Karlovac and Karlovac County, and Turbing d.o.o.
