ZAGREB, 23 June 2022 - The second edition of the Ponta Lopud Film Festival opened on the beach of the Hotel Lafodia on the island of Lopud, off Dubrovnik, on Wednesday evening with the screening of the Coen brothers' film Fargo.

The opening ceremony was attended by four-time American Academy Award winner Joel Coen, who has been making award-winning films with his brother Ethan for four decades.

Mr Coen said it is inspiring to see that the festival is built around a young generation of filmmakers. He will be holding a masterclass workshop for young talent from Croatia and the region and will be joined by four-time Oscar winning actress and producer Frances McDormand.

The festival's co-founder Mirsad Purivatra said that Ponta Lopud is a creative hub and place where people from the film industry meet and inspire each other, and watch and discuss films.

"This is not a competitive festival. This is about creativity, friendship and networking," Purivatra said.

In addition to Coen and McDormand, masterclass workshops will also be held by award-winning film producer Peter Spears, film agent Brian Swardstrom, and director and writer Juho Kuosmanen.

Over the six days, the festival will show eight evening film screenings and seven films in the Franciscan Monastery and the beach of the Hotel Lafodia.

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May 13, 2022 - Actress Frances McDormand and her husband, the director Joel Coen will lead the masterclass workshops of the second edition of the festival on the Croatian island. ''The successful first edition of the Ponta Lopud festival encouraged us to raise the bar even higher'', says one of the founders, Miro Purivatra.

The second edition of the Ponta Lopud Festival in June will turn the island of Lopud for the second time into a creative cultural center for film industry professionals, a place to meet, exchange ideas, and enjoy art. A group of talented regional filmmakers of the new generation will have the opportunity to learn about the professional and personal experiences of artists who are among the top world cinematographers, multiple Oscar winners, actress, and producer Frances McDormand and director, producer, and screenwriter Joel Coen, reports Jutarnji List.

During the festival, McDormand and Coen will hold joint and individual workshops where they will talk about their careers, the experience of working together, and working with many film professionals in the process of making a film.

Frances McDormand has long been considered one of the most significant living actresses. With his character roles and numerous outstanding acting achievements for more than three decades, he has delighted both critics and audiences. Roles in films such as "Fargo", "Three Posters Out of Town", "Land of the Nomads", "Burn After Reading" and many others constantly raise the standards of what we consider acting skills.

This actress and producer of an impressive career have won four Oscars, awarded by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Last year, McDormand became the first actress to win both acting and production awards in the same year for "Nomadland," and is a member of the prestigious Triple Crown of Acting Club, an Oscar, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artist Tony in the acting categories.

American director, screenwriter, and producer Joel Coen has won four prestigious American Academy Awards, as well as the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Together with his brother Ethan, he has been creating unforgettable authorial achievements for four decades, standing behind films such as "No Country for Old Men", "Fargo", "Barton Fink", "The Great Lebowski", the inevitable titles of film anthologies.

''Frances McDormand and Joel Coen have permanently marked and enriched film art with their work and achievements. He will share his invaluable experiences of creative processes and film as art with young talents in the inspiring atmosphere of the island of Lopud. The successful first edition of the Ponta Lopud Festival encouraged us to raise the bar even higher in all segments of programming and organization of this event, which includes a program for masters and young talents and a specially selected selection of films for fans of the seventh art'', said Miro Purivatra , one of the founders Ponta Lopud Festival.

This year, the Ponta Lopuda program has been expanded: in addition to a series of meetings and talks with masters in acting and directing, professional programs for female cameramen are also planned. About twenty participants of the masterclasses will enjoy the rare privilege of learning from top professionals who fully enjoy their work and are always looking for new inspiration.

During the six days of the festival, participants and the audience will be able to enjoy evening film screenings in unique locations under the stars, the exceptional ambiance of the fortress of the Franciscan monastery Lopud 1483, and the beach of RMH Lafodia Sea Resort.

The second Ponta Lopud festival will be held from June 22 to 27, 2022.

Ponta Lopud Festival is a creative hub, a meeting place for film talents from the region, significant authors from the world of film, and lovers of film art. Developing talents and already established professionals of the seventh art in the inspiring environment of the island of Lopud have the opportunity to gain new experiences and create long-term professional and friendly relationships. At the same time, the Ponta Lopud Festival, which focuses on creative processes and film as art, provides insight into recent trends in regional cinema by bringing together new generations of filmmakers on Elaphite Island. The Ponta Lopud Festival was founded by Tilda Grossel Bogdanović and Mirsad Purivatra in 2021, with a mission to promote and professionally develop a new generation of film talent.

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