Screening of documentary film “The Truffle Hunters” by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw is opening the 22nd edition of the Mediterranean Film Festival on Wednesday, August 25.

One of the most important film events in B&H and region is going to screen 20 documentaries in the competition program. Festival selector Zdravko Mustać has selected ten films in the short film category - up to 30 minutes, and ten films in the category of feature documentaries – more than 30 minutes. 

In cooperation with Film Centre Sarajevo, the legal successor of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography archives, the MFF will screen seven films on the first day of the festival. These are the masterpieces of B&H cinematography, which were the audience and jury favourites at festivals around the world at the time they were created.

In addition to strong documentary programme in competition, the ‘In Focus’ programme brings the best cinematography works of the Mediterranean in the previous year. Eleven films will be screened that have already marked the film year or their time is yet to come.

The visitors of the 22 MFF are watching the feature film about revolted Croatian veterans “Once We Were Good for You”, directed by Branko Schmidt, in the Open air cinema on Thursday, August 26. Schmidt's drama is based on Josip Mlakić’s story, inspired by the events in front of the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs in Savska Street in Zagreb, when so-called tent guys - just like in the movie - took gas bottles to the streets at the height of the confrontation with the then government.

The documentary film about legendary ‘Indexi’ band, directed by Zoran Kubura and Bojan Hadžiabdić is on the program on the same evening. This awarded documentary brings the story about the Tailcoated Rockers who, in their four decades of existence, wandered from the avant-garde to festival schlagers and back, remaining one of the most authentic phenomena of the Yugoslavian music scene and a trademark of their city.  

The brave and socially engaged documentary 'Collective', which critics classify as the New Wave of Romanian Cinema, is going to be screened on Friday, August 27 within the Mediterranean Film Festival OFF program, in partnership with the HBO Adria network. Director Alexander Nanau's story about exposing corruption within the health care system in Romania is a criticism and an image of a not-so-great society and state system in general.

The third day of the festival is marked by the screening of a short documentary from the Home authors program. Film “Closed” directed by Tomsilav Bubalo and Zdenko Jurilj brings the image of Herzegovina at the time when the virus closed this region, just as all the other parts of the world.

The long-awaited sequel to the 1996 hit by Warner Bros. and NBA star Michael Jordan, in which his successor LeBron James drops in an animated 'Looney Tunes' film and gathers the cartoon team to play a basketball game and save his son, is going to be screened in the morning program scedule at the most recent Mediterranean Film Festival program - MFF Fora.

The international jury decides on the best works at MFF in two categories – best feature documentary and best short. Besides the six members of the jury that will decide on the winners of the 22 Mediterranean Film Festival on August 28 at 9 p.m. and award the MFF Grand Prix and the second prize MFF Best Short, the audience decides on the third prize and awards the MFF Audience award.

The film from the MFF workshop will be screened at the closing ceremony, which has been filmed in Široki Brijeg in recent weeks by high school students attending these workshops together with their colleagues, young filmmakers from America and all this mentored by Lucy Eagleson.

This year's Mediterranean Film Festival, after the awards ceremony, will be closed by not one, but 33 stories about love. The documentary collage “Love around the World” created by the directing couple Anđela and Davor Rostuhar, is the film that is closing the Mediterranean Festival on Saturday, 28 August in the Open air cinema. 

The film is a collage of subjective impressions of the people from different geographical locations, economical and political contexts. It follows all the stages of their relationships – from the moment they met or had their first date, through their decision to get married or move in together and their subsequent fights and challenges, all the way to the present moment.

With a great film program, what sets this festival apart and makes it different is its great atmosphere and lots of fun. We invite you to take part in movie quizzes, win rich prizes by voting for the best movie, or simply enjoy the sounds of film or with film music in the festival square in the centre of Široki Brijeg. 

See you at the 22 MFF!