The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival placed a special spotlight on Croatian works in progress during the fifth edition of its Ji.hlava New Visions Forum and Market, with Croatia featured as this year’s country in focus. Cineuropa takes a closer look at the selected projects presented in development and production.

Behind Open Doors – Nikola Kuprešanin (Croatia/Serbia/Spain)
Behind Open Doors, produced by Ena Rahelić, is an autobiographical documentary that examines psychotherapy through the personal experience of Croatian filmmaker Nikola Kuprešanin. Years after completing therapy, he reconnects with his former therapist, Milena, in Belgrade to reflect on their past sessions and to explore issues of anxiety, resistance, and the myth that therapy kills creativity. Through candid dialogues and heartwarming observational scenes, mirrored by the filmmaker’s marriage to a psychotherapist, the film becomes both a reckoning with personal vulnerability and an exploration of the fine line between healing and artistic expression. Currently in production, the team is planning a 2027 premiere and is seeking out broadcasters and sales agents.

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Closing Time – Sara Jurinčić (Croatia/Denmark)
Closing Time, produced by Dana Budisavljević and Sara Jurinčić, is a hybrid documentary that observes the lives of immigrant night workers through the ritual of closing shops in urban environments. Shot by the dim light of storefront, the film reflects on labour, visibility, and inequality. The project is being shot in several European cities and is being developed in two parallel forms: as a short film and as an art installation. The team is currently looking for co-producers to support the next phase of production.

Olimbi – Mother Courage – Karlo Mlinar (Croatia)
Karlo Mlinar’s Olimbi – Mother Courage, produced by Filip Filković and Margareta Brodić, follows the story of Olimbi Hoxhaj, an Albanian mother who transformed personal tragedy into a lifelong fight against stigma and discrimination. After learning that she and three of her four children were HIV-positive in early-2000s Albania, where treatment was unavailable, she led efforts to secure access to medication and founded a national organisation supporting HIV/AIDS patients. The project is in the early stages of production, supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, and the producers are currently on the hunt for co-producers, distributors, and broadcasters.

The Center of the World – Marko Šantić (Croatia/Slovenia/Montenegro)
In The Center of the World, directed by Marko Šantić and produced by Jure Bušić and Nikola Tomić, the camera focuses on Split’s old city centre, where the pressures of mass tourism are proving challenging for local residents and their everyday lives. The film follows 43-year-old Blanša and her nephew Doni as they navigate the disruptions caused by the constant influx of visitors. Combining Blanša’s own mobile phone footage with observational cinematography, the documentary offers up a cinematic portrait of a city grappling with the erosion of its identity. Around 50% of the film has now been shot, with the remainder planned for summer 2026 and completion expected by late 2026 or early 2027. The producers are currently seeking out partners, co-producers, broadcasters, distributors, and festival collaborations.

The Three of Us – Lucija Brkić (Croatia)
In her debut feature, The Three of Us, directed by Lucija Brkić and produced by Lucija Perić and Roza Medvešek, the filmmaker explores intergenerational relationships between mothers and daughters through a blend of contemporary and archival family footage. Structured around letters to Brkić’s late grandmother, the film portrays the experiences of women over the past century, examining emotional inheritance, memory, and solidarity, while the creative team behind the film predominantly female. Currently in post-production, the film is expected to complete by autumn 2026. The producers are in search of collaborators to help with post-production, distribution partners and the film’s festival strategy.