Young filmmakers from 11 European countries met with experienced European Film Academy members to exchange experiences, present their works, future projects, discuss film project funding in countries of origin, different technical matters and how each of them tells a story and travels through film art. The young filmmakers were hosted by the EFA member and director of Avvantura Film Festival Zadar Sergej Stanojkovski, this summer meeting joined by another host, writer and director Ognjen Sviličić, and experienced EFA lecturers and members Cristophe Leparc, director of the renowned side programme of the Cannes Film Festival Director’s Fortnight), and Helena Danielsson, the Swedish producer and 2012 prestigious Prix Eurimages award winner. The EFA programme representative was Nicola Joetze from Berlin.

The young filmmakers arriving on the island of Ugljan included diriector Alexander Nanau (Romania/Germany), composer Anita Andreis (Croatia), director, writer and editor Carlos Marques Marcet (Spain), director Ester Amrani (Israel), photographer, writer and director Germinal Roaux (Switzerland), director Guy Lihtenstein (Israel/Austria), producer Ivan Kelava (Croatia), writer and director Mark Noonan (Ireland), producer Marta Lewandowska (Poland), director Sonja Prosenc (Slovenia), producer and writer Wanya Rainova (Bulgaria), and director Victor Lindgren (Sweden).

The seminar took place at the 17th century Stocco castle, and the participant of ‘A Sunday in the Country’ had a chance to take a look at potential film locations in the Zadar area, like Kraljevski vinogradi in Punta skala, which Avvantura Film Festival will this summer turn into a cinema beneath the stars.

‘A Sunday in the Country’ was launched in 1995 and is organised in association with different local partners. This year they were Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Ugljan Tourist Board, City of Zadar Tourist Board, Zadar County, and Rendez-vous, festival of France in Croatia.