June 14, 2022 - Murina has been seen by more than 50,000 people in cinemas across France so far, and distribution of the film will start in July in the United States, confirming the quality and interest of this film, which won at prestigious Cannes Film Festival last year.

In the regular distribution period in French cinemas, which began on April 20, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović's "Murina" has so far been seen by 50,133 viewers and has been shown in 94 cinemas, reports Dubrovački vjesnik. Murina will be in US cinemas from the beginning of July, and so far it has been arranged to be shown in cinemas in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and many other countries.

The film Murina is the feature-length debut of director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović and was executive produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The film premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded the Golden Camera (Camera d'Or) which is awarded to the best debut film in all festival programs. This award is one of the greatest successes of Croatian film abroad, and Murina continues to be a success and attract audiences to cinemas.

To date, the film has been screened at more than 60 festivals and won 23 awards. In addition to the prestigious Cannes, there is also the award for best film in the Hamptons, as well as the Femme Du Cinema award in Les Arcs in France presented to Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović as the most promising director of the year. On June 19, at the ceremony in Zagreb, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović will be presented with the annual "Vladimir Nazor" award given by the Ministry of Culture and Media for the best artistic achievements.

The film "Murina" is a story about the tense relationship between sixteen-year-old Julia and her authoritarian father Ante, which starts worsening when an old family friend arrives at their home on the island. While his father is preoccupied with trying to make a living with him, the charismatic guest opens more and more space for Julia and arouses her revolt against her parents. During a weekend filled with high expectations, Julia drags her family into a dangerous whirlwind of passion and violence.

The main roles are played by young actresses Gracija Filipović, Leon Lučev, Danica Ćurčić, and Cliff Curtis. The screenplay is by director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović and co-written with Frank Graziano. The producers of the film are Danijel Pek (Antitalent) and Rodrigo Teixeira (RT Features), and the co-producers are Zdenka Gold (Spiritus Movens), Jožko Rutar (SPOK Films) and Miha Černec (Staragara).

Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović was born in Dubrovnik. She completed her studies at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb and then directed at Columbia University in the USA. For her short film Into the Blue, she won awards in Berlin and the Heart of Sarajevo, and the film was nominated for a Student Oscar.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

May 31, 2022 - The New York Times put together a list of movies hitting theaters and streaming services in the United States this summer, including the Croatian film Murina, directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, which won the Caméra d'Or in last year's edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Almost a year has passed since Murina, directed by Dubrovnik-born Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, began its run of success at major international film festivals, beginning with the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Caméra d'Or. The award recognizes the Best First Feature Film.

Before Murina, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović directed the short film Into the Blue, awarded at international film festivals in Berlin and Sarajevo, which also starred her muse, Croatian actress Gracija Filipović. In a spiritual sequel to Into the Blue, Murina tells the story of Julija (Filipović), a teenage girl who decides to replace her controlling father with his wealthy foreign friend during a weekend trip to the Adriatic Sea.

The main locations of the film include the idyllic island of Koločep, the starkly beautiful Kornati archipelago, and the pebble cove of Dubovica near Hvar.

The debut feature film by Alamat Kusijanović, who also wrote the screenplay, was produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who recently shared his feelings for the Croatian film:

''When RT Features brought me Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović's short film Into the Blue, I was quite impressed: here was a director with a picture she needed to make, who was clearly in it for the long haul. When I read the script for the feature that Antoneta developed from the short, I wanted to help get it into production. It was a long road: Antoneta was in the midst of editing when COVID arrived, it set her back for a whole year, but she got there.

I'm so impressed by Murina: by the raw immediacy of the conflict between father and daughter, which feels like it could only happen in such an elemental setting; by the psychosexual tensions between all the characters, so beautifully acted; and by the sheer physical force of the picture.

I'm excited for audiences to see Murina for themselves, and to witness the emergence of an extremely talented young filmmaker''.

Murina, in addition to taking the prestigious award at Cannes, was also recognized at the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Slovene Film Festival, and the Sofia International Film Festival, as well as being screened at numerous important film festivals around the world, such as the Toronto Film Festival. Unfortunately (and controversially), the film directed by Alamat Kusijanović was not selected by the respective committee to represent Croatia in the last edition of the Academy Awards.

Almost a year after its premiere in Cannes, the multi-award-winning Croatian film continues to tour the world, and this time it hits US theaters on July 8 this year, something that the renowned New York Times has highlighted by including it in their Summer 2022 watchlist.

The film's success also came through individual accolades. Murina's lead, the talented young actress Gracija Filipović, was honored at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival with the Shooting Stars Award, given to the 10 best young actors on the continent. Likewise, director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović has been officially announced as part of the jury of the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, along with Austrian director Sebastian Meise, French director Lucile Hadžihalilović, Serbian actor Milan Marić, and Israeli producer Katriel Schory.

Congratulations to Antoneta, Gracija, and the entire Murina cast and crew for all the continued success!

For everything you need to know about filming in Croatia, in your language, be sure to check Total Croatia's page.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

Great success for Croatian cinema!