Primary School Winners: “Šumarak direkt” Takes First Prize
The film Šumarak direkt won the primary school category of the Media Literacy Days film contest. Created by Nola Škrbec, Simona Sermazi and Mihael Šoštarić from the Photo-Cinema-Video Club Zaprešić, the film was guided by mentor Jadranko Lopatić.
Special recognition in this category went to Circle of Doubt by the Media Group of Grohote Primary School (Šolta) and Shocking Discovery by the “Reporterske njuške” crew from Sveta Ana Primary School in Osijek.
Secondary School Highlight: “Bura” Takes the Spotlight
In the secondary school category, the winning film was Bura, created by Karlo Muskardin and Sanjin Stipić from the Film Group of Ambroz Haračić Secondary School in Mali Lošinj, mentored by Ružica Dodig.
Special mentions were awarded to Unrealistic Depictions of Beauty and Lifestyle (School of Applied Arts and Design, Rijeka) and Synthetic Shame (Electromechanical School, Varaždin).
Awards Presented at Pula Film Festival
The awards were presented at Kino Valli during the 72nd Pula Film Festival. Actress Tihana Lazović, a member of this year’s main jury, and director Daniel Kušan handed out the prizes. All awarded films were screened afterward.
Youth Filmmaking as a Tool for Media Literacy
Robert Tomljenović, Deputy Chair of the Electronic Media Council, emphasized the importance of film creation in developing media literacy among youth. He praised the high level of interest and noted that film encourages creativity, critical thinking, and deeper engagement with meaningful topics.
Danijel Pek, Artistic Director of the Pula Film Festival, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration and stated: “I believe that through their films, young people contribute to the richness and diversity of our cultural space. By supporting them today, we are laying the foundation for future generations of creatives and media-literate citizens.”
Contest Theme: “Is This Real?”
The seventh edition of the film contest, held as part of Media Literacy Days, focused on the theme Is This Real? A total of 85 films were submitted. The goal was to encourage young people to critically examine the media content they encounter and to learn how to verify the authenticity of what they see.
