Pula Film Festival: Celebrating 70 years of cinematic excellence – July 15th to July 23rd
The Pula Film Festival, now in its seventieth year, proudly holds the title of the world’s oldest national film festival. It has garnered a reputation for attracting the largest number of visitors per screening, with approximately 23,000 attendees flocking to the festival each year. Beyond its impressive numbers, the festival has played a significant role in shaping Croatia’s cultural landscape and continues to captivate audiences with its rich history and diverse program.
Originating during a tumultuous period when Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia, the Pula Film Festival emerged as a symbol of unity and artistic expression. It provided a much-needed respite from the social and political conflicts of the time, offering a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and a space for audiences to escape into the enchanting world of cinema. Today, it stands as a testament to the resilience and enduring power of the arts in bringing people together.
The festival’s programming navigates between showcasing the most popular films of the past year and introducing audiences to exciting new releases. It caters to a wide range of cinematic tastes, ensuring that every attendee finds something to ignite their passion for film. Moreover, the festival pays homage to the rich heritage of Croatian cinema by including screenings of old, national film productions. This celebration of local talent and cultural history ensures that the festival remains rooted in the identity of Croatia and its artistic achievements.
An extraordinary aspect of the Pula Film Festival is the main setting—the ancient Amphitheatre. With a history spanning over two millennia, this awe-inspiring venue adds a touch of grandeur and splendor to the cinematic experience. Surrounded by the weathered stone walls, attendees are transported back in time while enjoying the magic of contemporary cinema. The combination of the modern art form and the ancient architecture creates an atmosphere that is both inspiring and evocative.
In addition to its traditional screenings, the Pula Film Festival also embraces the magic of open-air cinema by organizing outdoor movie screenings at various locations. To create these experiences, the festival uses the 7.32m x 4.12m AIRSCREEN. The AIRSCREEN provides a stunning backdrop for the outdoor screenings, enhancing the visual spectacle and creating a unique atmosphere under the open sky.
Beyond its cinematic offerings, the Pula Film Festival has become the most prominent cultural manifestation in Croatia. It is a celebration of creativity, attracting visitors from various backgrounds who are eager to immerse themselves in the arts. The festival extends its reach beyond film screenings, offering a diverse array of cultural events, including exhibitions, workshops, and discussions. These additional activities foster a vibrant atmosphere where artists, filmmakers, and audiences come together to exchange ideas, forge connections, and ignite their passion for cinema.
From July 15th to July 23rd, the picturesque city of Pula will once again transform into a hub of cinematic excellence, inviting attendees to indulge in a week-long celebration of film, culture, and creativity. The Pula Film Festival stands as a shining testament to the enduring power of cinema and its ability to unite, inspire, and leave an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of a nation.
ONA Short Film Festival in Venice
The cinema entertainment is back in full swing this weekend in Venice.
While the celebrities have been hitting the red carpet at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, ONA Short Film Festival kicked off yesterday at the beautiful Giardini Marinaressa with a breathtaking view over the Venice Lagoon.
Outdoor festival screenings on the huge inflatable movie screen AIRSCREEN® make the atmosphere of this event even more fascinating.
The program of the festival, which is being held from 9 to 11 September 2021, is divided into three categories: Outdoor sports, Animation & Experimental.
The aim of the festival is to raise environmental awareness by sharing life-changing stories. Among the topics covered are nature, cultural awareness and outdoor activities, which inspire positive change and have an impact on people’s environmental attitudes. According to the festival producers, spending time in places surrounded by awe-inspiring natural wonders could be a wake-up call to save and protect nature.
Apart from the film program the festival’s profile also includes masterclasses, workshops as well as sport activities for all festival guests.
For further information please visit the the official page of the Ona FIlm Festival: https://onafilmfestival.com/
For additional information about the AIRSCREEN click here.
The first open-air cinema tour of the Sörf Film Fest 2020
Breathtaking cinema, wonderful athletes and an AIRSCREEN® in 5 stunning venues in Austria and southern Germany – that´s how you can sum up the Sörf Film Fest 2020.
© Miriam Joanna
During the past few years the Sörf Film Fest has grown from a small festival in Vienna to a big tour with a total of 11 stops. Formerly the fest was planned as a cinema tour from 15 July to 28 August 2020 through Austria. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of all cinemas it could not take place in this way.
© Miriam Joanna
The event organizers got creative and quickly found a solution. With the Sunlight-Camper serving as headquarter and sleeping base, the SFF team travelled throughout whole Austria and parts of southern Germany. The originally planned one-week tour turned into the biggest, longest and most successful Open-Air tour with the AIRSCREEN® (7.32m x 4.12m). One of the most extraordinary places and lakes such as the Attersee, the Mondsee or the regional capital of the alps – Innsbruck were part of the journey.
© Miriam Joanna
Despite the current situation, viewers let their thoughts wander to foreign countries and big waves. In addition, three of the six short films this year focused on strong women, who have so far been given too little importance in the entire surf scene.
In the other three films, the SSF also visited very exposed areas: from the far north of Norway to the wave mountains in Nazaré, Portugal, to raging rivers in Afghanistan.
For further information about setting up your own outdoor cinema, please use the contact form to send us your request or visit our website.
Tribeca Film festival 2020
Tribeca, one of the most important film festivals worldwide, takes place under special circumstances this year. Due to the corona virus the 19th Edition will be a complete drive-in series. The event was found in 2002 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal in New York after the attack on the World Trade center.
According to co-founder Jane Rosenthal the drive-in series offers a quick and save solution to keep the magic of cinema experience, despite the current situation.
From July 2nd to August 2nd 120 films from blockbuster over comedy films to classics, teasers and film introductions can be seen. The tickets are only sold online and a charitable cause is supported. A part of this year´s ticket revenue will be donated to the Black Lives Matter-movement.
Robert De Niro also stresses that the drive-in series benefits shared cinema experience on the big screen. Additionally the own car provides secured space, thus social distancing can be enabled.
The AIRSCREEN Company is part of the drive-in series in New York with one of the biggest AIRSCREENS (98ft x 41ft) in the US. The XXL screen can be inflated within 15 minutes and 500 vehicles can participate at the event. The sound is broadcasted over a frequency via fm transmitter to the car radios.
The concept of the Tribeca film festival suits AIRSCREEN perfectly, given that the event is not just about open air- and drive-in cinema, but also about social viewing. This is a shared event as social activity for everybody. Drive-in enables cultural events to take place especially in times of covid-19 pandemic. From concerts over sports broadcasting up to eGames, people can meet and enjoy special moments together while keeping save distance.
We hope soon daily life will return to normality, so that classic open air cinemas can reopen.
For further information concerning an own drive-in cinema please visit our website or send us a message via contact form.
Open-Air-Festival with inflatable screen in Italy
The Festival “Fotografia Europea” took place in Reggio Emilia in Italy. At the city’s historic main square a 52ft x 26ft AIRSCREEN was displaying video screenings of photographs while people were dancing to Livemusic. The famous musician Nitin Sawhney was presenting the show. Sawhney contaminates traditional sounds and classic music with electronic experiments and tribal rhythms taken from a wide variety of musical territories. More than 5000 spectators were enjoying the show in front of the inflatable screen.
Furthermore a show about the English band Joy Division and their lead singer Ian Curtis took place. Photographs from Kevin Cummins who had also worked with such bands like U2, The Clash, The Rolling Stones or David Bowie, were on display. The show also starred Peter Hook who was a founder and bass player of Joy Division.
Also many exhibitions like a tribute to the great photographer Man Ray and works from british photographer Michael Kenna who is well-known for his black & white landscapes, fashion photographer Mark Borthwick or the experimental work from the French Ange Leccia were some of the highlights of the new Fotografia Europea exhibition programme.
Huge success for the Riviera Maya Film Festival
Riviera Maya Film festival take place in April in Mexico. The film festivals includs an awards ceremony, previews of the latest films as well as exhibitions and of course, an open-air cinema. In many Mexican cities such as Tulum, Cancun and Playa del Carmen, spectators are able to enjoy the most beautiful locations on the beach with an evening of open-air cinema showing an abundance of great films.
As in the previous year where such Hollywood stars as Clive Owen and Susan Sarandon were in attendance, this year didn’t disappoint with a plethora of Hollywood actors also present. This years most noticeable attendees were Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff and amongst others Ashley Benson, who was presenting her new film ‘Spring Breakers’ on an inflatable movie screen at the beach of the Hotel ‘Papaya Playa Project”.
Dubai International Film Festival with the region’s largest Open-air cinema
At the 11th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 118 films were screened in 8 days, including 55 world premieres in 34 languages. As every year many regional and international stars graced the red carpet: Former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, British actress Emily Blunt, US-star Virginia Madsen or Egyptian actor Nour El-Sherif, just to name a few. Furthermore, well-known actress Eva Longoria was hosting a benefit gala and DIFF awarded the legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle with the lifetime achievement award.
Of course the open air cinema was not to be omitted as it is already an irreplaceable component of the festival for years. With a stunning 24m (80ft) wide inflatable movie screen (AIRSCREEN) many international films were shown for free. DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “It’s our absolute pleasure to be uniting keen audiences with a line-up of brilliant films through our free public screenings.”
Outdoor cinema in Romania: AIRSCREEN at the Transilvania International Film Festival
The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) is the first film festival in Romania with an international feature film competition, which is held annually in the historic capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca. The city is one of the largest urban centers in Romania and home for more than 500,000 permanent residents and students.
This year, from 2-11 June, the 16th TIFF attracted more than 130,000 attendees with workshops, launch events, exhibitions, debates and outdoor screenings with AIRSCREEN. Five of the 27 presented titles were world premieres, like Iulia Rugină’s “Breaking News” and Dan Chișu’s The Anniversary/ Aniversarea, and presented on the most important square in the city, the Piața Unirii. The square is one of the largest in Romania, with the St. Michael’s Church, a statue of King of Hungary Matthias Corvinus, the old town hall and the National Museum of Art also being located there. The difficulties of setting up a huge movie screen in such a historic environment that must not be damaged are avoided by the choice for a relatively lightweight inflatable AIRSCREEN, which does not leave a permanent stain on the venue.
The festival’s main goal is the promotion of cinematic art by presenting some of the most innovative and spectacular films of the moment that feature both originality and independence of expression, that reflect unusual cinematic language forms or focus on current trends in youth culture. Founded in 2002 by the Romanian Film Promotion, it has grown rapidly to become the most important film-related event in Romania. In 2010, Indiewire listed the TIFF as one of the world’s top 50 leading film festivals.
Cluj is a center of creative industries and home for a record number of companies. The city has always enjoyed a rich cultural life – there are two theaters, two operas, a puppet theater, a philharmonic and various museums, from art, history and ethnography to zoology or pharmacy. The activity of these institutions is complemented by a youth-oriented and independent cultural scene, represented by associations of artists, galleries and a painting school with internationally recognized achievements. Cinema has a rich history here: In the early 20th century, the city hosted the first manifestations of this industry in Transylvania.
For more information visit http://tiff.ro/en
Free Open-Air-Festival in Surry Hills, Australia
The OPTUS ONE80PROJECT is a joint initiative with MTV Australia – Searching for the next BIG idea for an Aussie TV drama. Now for the fifth year running, the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT has returned, giving you the chance to bring your ideas to life and win the opportunity to create your own TV drama to be aired on MTV, and hosted online and on mobile with a budget of $180,000.
People were invited to the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT Festival to see the screenings of the Top10 Entries on a big inflatable movie screen and announcing this years’ winners. The Festival also featured a live and exclusive DJ Set by Mark Ronson along with Live Performances by Bag Raiders and Soft War (Modular).
The decision of the winners came after several weeks of deliberation by Judges David Wenham Kat Stewart and members of BlueTongue Films, Joel and Nash Edgerton, David Michôd, Spenser Susser, Luke Doolan, Kieran Darcy-Smith and Tony Lynch who selected the Judges’ Choice winner from a shortlisted Top10. The winning entry “Sick” will now see their three minute pilot entry, developed into a one hour TV drama to be shown on MTV Australia and Optus ZOO.
Proyecciones y Eventos: Interactive and Mobile cinema on tour through Panama
After 18 days of touring around Panama, the event “Verano Canal 2018” finished successfully. They brought open-air cinema to different towns of the country, which were mostly isolated and do not normally have access to this kind of entertainment.
The tour began on the 11th of January in Changinola, close to the frontier with Costa Rica and finished on the 30th of January in Meteti, near to “el Tapón del Darién” the leafy jungle that divides Panama from Colombia.
Juan Pablo Troncoso, manager director of “Proyecciones y Eventos”, has been working with outdoor cinema for several years. However, the tour “Verano al Canal” was certainly the biggest event launched until today and one of the best open-air cinema productions that has taken place in Panama. The movie screenings were so well received that the audience often doubled the expected number of visitors.
If you are as curious as we are, maybe you are asking yourselves how tough are the logistics to make such a huge event happen. According to Juan Pablo´s experience with this tour, the AIRSCREEN inflatable screens were the least complicated element to install within the complete cinema system. The hardest work was transporting and placing the high number of chairs, the cable work to connect other devices and install them properly to avoid contact with the audience. Overall, the installation of the whole equipment took around two hours.
Lets not forget that projecting movies under the stars requires fulfilling a checklist that is not easily done by everyone. Among these are the movie rights, health permits, logistics know-how, among others. This time, 20th Century Fox, one of the big six American cinema studios, recommended Troncoso´s company due to their long presence and experience in the market. Initially the authorities of the Panama Canal (ACP) together with the Tourism Authorities of Panama (ATP) wanted to make a movie tour in the country. To make it happen, the most suitable partner was “Proyecciones y Eventos”, a company 100% dedicated to outdoor cinema.
The spectacle always begins with the inflation process of the screen, since the audience sees with their own eyes how the scenery drastically changes from being a standard place to an actual outdoor cinema. The night started with the projection of the documentary “Cuando Vuelvan los Bosques” that narrates the dramatic deforestation in Panama. Lastly, the viewers enjoyed the Walt Disney Movie “The Beauty and The Beast” (2017). Of course, a movie night cannot be completed without a good bag of popcorn and a delicious drink. This is why Proyecciones y Eventos partnered up with different suppliers to provide free snacks that reached a total of 15.000 sodas and more than 20.000 popcorn bags.
The event offered as well an extra show to its audience, since they implemented the interactive cinema concept, which in this case was a fusion between cinema and theatre. This was promoted by executive producer Stella Della-Togna, who brought Bella and the Beast to life, dancing and at the same time as the actors of the movie. To make this possible, Disney had to approve their dresses. Also, at the end of the film, kids had the opportunity to take a picture with the actors, which was a magical experience and made the whole family enjoy quality time together.
Another surprising fact of this tour is that it held simultaneous movie screenings. While a movie was being projected in a town of Panama, at the same time the biggest AIRSCREEN was being inflated at the capital. The event at Panama City ended magnificently with colourful fireworks that decorated the sky along with the stars, making the most beautiful backdrop for our AIRSCREEN. This caught the attention of the local press and, of course, of the audience.
We love knowing that our AIRSCREENs are a tool for entrepreneurs like Proyecciones y Eventos, who aim at democratizing the access to cinema and allow thousands of people to dream while watching a movie under the stars.
Contact us here to make your open air cinema event happen!
Guadalajara International Film Festival
The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is a big cultural event for the city of Guadalajara and Mexico as well, because it is the most important cinematographic event in Latin America. Over 900 movies from México, Latin America and the rest of the world are competing.
It is a festival made by all and for all. That is the reason why the festival is designed for the viewers to enjoy a variety of activities. Among other things an inflatable screen brings free outdoor screenings to the people during the festival. Beautiful places host outdoor movie nights and show classic movies on a 30 feet wide mobile cinema screen.
Outdoor Cinema at Dubai International Film Festival
Since 2004 the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) is the leading film festival in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Many well-known filmmakers as well as independent directors from Asia and Africa were participating in the competition.
The DIFF presents outdoor movies every year. The movies are shown on “the Walk”, the famous boardwalk in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence. Various movie highlights are projected on a giant inflatable screen (AIRSCREEN) at night. People can also enjoy live music and dancing performances in front of the 66ft. by 33 ft. mobile screen.
Apart from that the DIFF honoured the famous American actor Sean Penn with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Festival’s chairman Adulhamid Juma said that Penn is a role model for the whole youth of Dubai due to his humanitarian work.
Starigrad Paklenica Film Festival in Croatia
Already into its 3rd year, the International Film Festival in the Croatian national park of Starigrad Paklenica takes place once again this year. The festival is well known due to its focus on music and also on documentary real-life films.
Many new films will be shown this year on a 10m inflatable screen such as the brand new concert film from the Irish rock band U2. Other highlights are films about Josef Haydn, Queen, George Harrison and Amy Winehouse.
The festival takes place this year from the 4th to the 10th of August. So sit back, relax and end enjoy the best in music with one of the most extraordinary backdrops.
Pop-up cinema with AIRSCREEN on the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Every year in July the biggest Film Festival in the Czech Republic and probably the most prestigious Film Festival in Central and Eastern Europe – the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) – takes place in Bohemian Carlsbad. The 30′ x 17′ AIRSCREEN serves as the perfect alternative to traditional indoor cinema screenings.
As measured by the tickets sold (120000) the KVIFF is a smaller festival but yet one of international class. It belongs to one of the oldest A-list film festivals, a category it shares with the festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice or Montreal. This year from 3 until 11 July the KVIFF celebrates its 50th anniversary. Some 200 films are presented, many of those only at the festival, while others make it in the Czech or even international distribution.
Besides international and european film productions the focus lies especially on East European cinema. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is characterized by an imitable audience experience and has long maintained its reputation as an informal and cultural meeting point for numerous cinema experts and movie fans. With AIRSCREEN the KVIFF is able to celebrate premieres under the stars in impressive city scenery, inviting everybody to join the festival in extraordinary places.
Open-air cinema under the stars at Guadalajara International Film Festival
Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico celebrated its 25th anniversary March 12th to 19th. Close to 150,000 visitors and 200 films made the “Festival Internacional de Cine Guadalajara” (FICG) the most important film festival in Latin America.
This year celebrities like director Guillermo del Toro, author Cornelia Funke or world famous actor Matt Dillon were visiting FICG.
Very popular were the outdoor movie screenings. Two inflatable screens were used showing movie classics at several locations in and around Guadalajara. Amazing backgrounds with cathedrals and historical buildings made every screening a great event for the spectators. 30ft (9m) wide AIRSCREENS with a crisp digital projection guaranteed a perfect viewing experience.
More photos and videos of AIRSCREENs around the world: www.airscreen.com
First Baja International Film Festival started in Mexico
The first annual Baja International Film Festival took place in Cabo, Mexico. Many famous actors like Edward Norton, Virginia Madsen, Rachel Leigh Cook, Melissa Leo and Matt Dillon attended the Film Festival amongst others. The organisers were also honoured by the presence of the famous filmmaker and President of the Directors Guild of America Michael Apted and Mexican director Nicolas Echevarria.
The Baja International Film Festival included four days of special presentations, competition screenings of feature films, documentaries, and short films, as well as nightly galas, panel discussions, filmmaker receptions and award ceremonies. Another main attraction: outdoor movies in three different locations. 30’ and 40’ inflatable movie screens have done a great job here. The festival was organized by a team of experienced film and business managers who share a passion for bringing Mexican and U.S. cultures together through film. For more information please visit: www.bajainternationalfilmfestival.com