Cineuropa sat down with Tilda Grossel Bogdanović, director of the Ponta Lopud Festival in Croatia, to talk about the origins of the event, which just celebrated its fifth edition, as well as its goals and organisation. 

Cineuropa: You’ve already run five editions of the festival. How did it all begin?
Tilda Grossel Bogdanović: I’ve been an event organiser all my life—conferences, festivals, congresses, weddings, anything that requires organisational skills. When the COVID pandemic started, my husband and I decided to move from Dubrovnik to Lopud with our children. At that time, nobody knew anything about the virus, and we thought the island would be safer. We planned to stay for a few weeks in our house, but five years later, we’re still here. All my regular events were cancelled because of the pandemic, so I thought: why not plant my own seeds and make them grow here?

And that would be not one but three festivals per year…
My friends and partners were involved in film, and I told them I didn’t care what we were organising—I’m a producer, I can organise anything, so the film festival came first, back in 2021. It was a magical success. Since nothing else was happening, our billboards were the only ones in Dubrovnik, but we didn’t have a budget. On the island, local residents were very supportive and volunteered to help, and we immediately defined our format that still lives up to this day: three days, three masterclasses, and three films.

Then another friend of mine, the jazz singer and author Thana Alexa, attended one of the screenings. She came to me afterward and said, "What do you think about doing something like this for jazz?" I was sceptical—jazz is niche, who would come for jazz in Lopud? But she insisted, so we tried. And two years later, we started with the jazz event. Thana is well-connected, and her husband is one of the most respected jazz drummers in the world—Antonio Sánchez has four Grammys, he composed the music for Birdman, so when they invite musicians, they come. We welcome amazing talent every year, and even a master composer in residence. Our latest festival focuses on books and authors, and it follows the blueprint of the two other festivals. Our concept is educational, non-competitive, focused on networking and public events for both visiting audiences and island residents.

Can you explain the concept of the fellowship?
We invite young filmmakers, musicians, and authors to the island, not just from Croatia but from across Europe, so they can meet each other and also the incredible guests who share their time and expertise with them. Sean Baker, for example, spent three days with them this year alongside other high-end international talents, including award-winning producers, composers, actors... Our three festivals are really about growth and connection—we call it a fellowship, but it’s more like a family. Without the pressure of competition, people can freely share their ideas and get advice from talents they admire. This creative dynamic has already allowed a few projects to be born here in Lopud.

How do you position yourself among the other festivals in Croatia?
There are many competitive festivals, but we’re not part of that group. We’re open—we ask for help, for advice, for cooperation. We even invite festival directors to join us and give us feedback. I believe constructive criticism from people in the industry helps us grow. This year, the artistic director of the Pula Film Festival is attending, along with Rajko Grlić, a pioneer of independent festivals like Grožnjan and Motovun. But we’re also welcoming the director of the St. Moritz Festival, a young event like ours, willing to exchange experiences and best practices.