The latest edition of Cinehill Film Festival took place in the town of Fužine, in the Croatian mountainous region of Gorski Kotar, between 22 and 27 July. Cinehill is a rebranding of the notorious Motovun Film Festival, which took place in the Istrian medieval town for 25 years, until it moved to the area some 120 km away. 

This was a gradual process: in 2023, the same crew, led by festival director Igor Mirković, artistic director Milena Zajović and programmer Jurica Pavičić, held a "suicide edition", as Mirković puts it, both in Motovun and in the village of Petehovac in Gorski Kotar. In 2024, the festival took place in Petehovac only, and this year moved to Fužine, a small town famous for its lakes, some 20 km away. 

But despite the change of location, Cinehill has kept its well-tested and much-loved approach and programme concept. If the town of Motovun had its special kind of magic, the same atmosphere reigned in Fužine: a communal spirit driven by many imaginative side events, open-air settings and a charming colour throughout based on the partner country (this year, it was Switzerland), a camp for young audiences, a clear orientation towards independent, alternative and edgy cinema, and a strongly defined anti-authoritarian political stance. 

"The location is not crucial for the concept and profile of the festival, which we have never strayed away from," says Mirković. "It's primarily another promotional tool for our programme, which helps encourage people to come and watch movies. I think in Fužine, we have found such a place that audiences are finding magical and pleasant to stay in."

Arriving in Motovun in central Istria in 1999, when Croatia was still recovering from the War of Independence and there were few cultural events around the country, the team found a region that was largely forgotten and deserted. The festival was key in putting it back on the map, bringing droves of spectators, which in turn brought more tourists. By the mid-2000s, the Motovun Film Festival had grown into Croatia's best internationally known event.

"Eventually, the local community reorientated towards tourism, leaving the festival without support and physical venues," Mirković explains. "We realised we would gradually wither away, and it took us several years to decide to move to a completely different region, which had similar qualities as Motovun did in the early days: it was magical, under-explored and offered excellent possibilities to create a little oasis for cinephiles. This is what we do, and with this move, we are actually going back to our roots."

This year, the festival once again featured its recognisable mix of independent world and European cinema, from big award winners such as Dreams (Sex Love) [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Dag Johan Haugerud
scheda film], It Was Just an Accident [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and I'm Still Here [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], to edgier fare including Neo Sora's Happyend and Markus Johansson's Dog. Its honorary Maverick award, which in the past was bestowed upon taboo-breaking filmmakers such as Julien Temple, Ruben Östlund, Ulrich Seidl, Ken Russel, Terry Jones and Želimir Žilnik, was given out to Jafar Panahi and Catherine Breillat. 

Last but not least, the main award, the Cinehill Propeller, went to Hlynur Pálmason’s The Love That Remains [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hlynur Pálmason
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intervista: Bálint Dániel Sós
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The full list of Cinehill 2025 award winners: 

Cinehill Propeller
The Love That Remains [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hlynur Pálmason
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FIPRESCI Prize
Growing Down [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Bálint Dániel Sós
scheda film] - Bálint Dániel Sós (Hungary)

Cinecorto Best Short Film
Renato’s Car - Andrea Orsenigo (Italy)

Cinecorto Best Croatian Short Film
That’s How I Love You - Mário Macedo (Croatia/Portugal)

Audience Award
Peacemaker [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] – Ivan Ramljak (Croatia)

Cinehill Maverick
Catherine Breillat
Jafar Panahi

50 Years Award
Stipe Božić