President Milanović Attends the 3rd Vrboska Film Festival

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović and his spouse Sanja Musić Milanović attended the opening of the Vrboska Film Festival, the summer film festival of short feature and animated films in Vrboska on the island of Hvar.

Vrboska Film Festival is an international four-day film festival of short feature and animated films with a program of film workshops, activities for youth and programs for children. This year’s third edition of the festival, taking place in Vrboska on the island of Hvar from 1 to 4 August 2026, focuses on the promotion of short feature film, emerging filmmakers, and developing film audiences, as well as creating accessible cultural content outside of major urban centres. The centrepiece of the programme is the competitive selection of recent Croatian and international short feature and animated films, with the best ones being awarded with the festival’s Plava Palma Award [Blue Palm Award].

After the opening remarks of the festival director Darija Stilin, the Summer Pop-up Cinema ‘Tvrđava’ – a space in front of St. Mary’s Church transformed during the festival into an open-air cinema under the stars – screened the short feature films ‘President Nixon’s Present’ by Igor Šeregi, ‘The Hermit Crab’ by Beaux Salix, ‘Death 101’ by Martin Horvat, ‘My Grandmother Is a Skydiver’ by Polina Piddubna, and ‘SOS’ by Anita Morina.

Following the film screenings, Vrboska also hosted the ‘Dance of the Sails’, an artistic performance and traditional event organised by the Lantina Association. The performance features a dozen wooden sailboats with lateen sails “dancing” across the bay, mimicking a battle against the wind under spotlights and music.

President Milanović was accompanied by the Adviser to the President for Local and Regional Self-Government Relations Nikša Peronja.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek