A STRANGER (OBRANA I ZAŠTITA) and CIRCLES (KRUGOVI), both of which were shown in this year's Forum program, are the main winners of the Pula Film Festival in Croatia. Srdan Golubović's CIRCLES, a co-produktion from Serbia, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and France, received the main prize as well as 'best director' and 'best leading act' in the co-productions section of the national competition. The Croatian film A STRANGER by Bobo Jelčić was awarded 'best film' of the national competition as well as prizes for 'best director', 'best screenplay', 'best male and female leading act', 'best camera' and 'best art direction'. In addition, the film was given the main prize by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDORA) Jury.

The connection between music and film goes all the way back the start of cinematography. Alongside the film narrator, the music that accompanied early film screenings formed an integral part of the cinema experience, a fascinating relationship that continues this day. This month's Magical History Tour draws on various examples to present different positions within the comprehensive subject of "Music in Film", with portraits of musicians or musical portraits, (original) film compositions, concert films, music staged with cinematic means, sampled soundtracks and musicals from off the beaten track all providing insights into the meaning and function of music in cinema.

The summer Tarkovsky retrospective is a tradition that has grown dear both to us and our audiences over the past 20 years. In July and August we are showing the seven feature films and one mid-length graduation film by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932–1986), whose monumental oeuvre continues to exert a lasting fascination.

In July, we are continuing our homage to documentary filmmaker Les Blank that started with the "The Archeology of Film" program shown as part of the Living Archive festival. We will be showing films from our collection that explore the cuisine, culture and music of the southern USA, including a portrait of blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins (USA 1968, 1.7.), J’AI ETE AU BAL/I WENT TO THE DANCE (USA 1989, 2.7.) about Louisiana's different musical styles and ode to garlic GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHERS (USA 1980). On 3.7. we will be showing BURDEN OF DREAMS, Blank's making of for Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo", an "unusual portrait of Herzog, caught in one of his wildest dreams." (Robert Ebert).