FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

F.R.K.A. — THE STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL, ZAGREB ’99

The Student Film Festival (F.R.K.A.), a revue that presents the works of students of the Film Department of the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb was held for the first time in 1998. This year the revue lasted two days and one could watch more than six hours of competition program.

The film about police investigation At the Place of the Event by Antonijo Nuić won the most important awards (director, screenplay, and the first prize of the audience). The films Die, Die My Darling by Zvonimir Jurić, a gloomy story that researches the limits of evil, told with long shots and very slow tempo, and Boredom by Kristijan Milić with a story about the man who killed people only because he was bored stood out at the festival.

Daniel Kušan in his entertaining documentary Insanity and Neurobiology entwines real facts and entertaining, but nonsensical facts. The film The Salesmen of Happiness by Goran Kulenović is a comedy dominated by youthful urban iconography, while Aldo Tardozzi in his film The Lift screened a C. Bukowski’s story.

Tomislav Fiket especially distinguished himself with his commercials and music videos, showing wittiness and the richness of ideas. This festival is organized by students themselves, and since student rights of the present director expire soon, one should wish good luck to a new director with turning something only initiated into something traditional.

Tomislav Pavlic