The Zagreb City Assembly has decided to name the prominent film producer and double Oscar-winner Branko Lustig as the honorary citizen of Zagreb. Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić submitted the proposal, reports Jutarnji List on April 23, 2019.

Lustig received the tribute for “an extraordinary contribution to the promotion of the values of a democratic society, film art and culture, and mutual understanding.” The proposal also points out that Lustig is the only Croatian winner of two Oscars.

HDZ’s assemblywoman Dubravka Brezak Stamać noted in the debate that Lustig should have been honoured much earlier, and SDP's assemblyman Matej Mišić also supported the decision.

This is not the first such honour for Lustig. He was named as an honorary citizen of Osijek in 2010 and honorary citizen of Čakovec in 2017. In 1994, Lustig was awarded the Order of Trpimir for promoting the international position and reputation of the Republic of Croatia.

In his career, he has received a number of significant international awards. For example, in 2014, the French president awarded him with the knightly order for arts and literature, and he was included among the top 50 best filmmakers of all time.

“My number was A3317. It is a long way from Auschwitz to this stage. Those who died obliged me to keep talking about it," Lustig said after winning Oscar in 1993 as a producer of Schindler's List.

He was born in Osijek in 1932. Because of his Jewish origin, he was detained in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps during the Second World War. Most of his family members perished in concentration camps across Europe, including his grandmother who was killed in a gas chamber and father who was killed in Čakovec. He managed to survive the horrors of the camps. His experience from the camps was embedded in Schindler's List, a film by Steven Spielberg, which convincingly portrayed the painful scenes from concentration camps.

Lustig graduated as an actor at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb in 1955 and started his professional career in Zagreb's Jadran Film, at that time a large film production and distribution company. He was involved in almost all foreign film productions in the former Yugoslavia. He worked as a location manager, assistant director, production assistant and producer, and has played smaller roles in several movies.

In 1988, Lustig moved to the United States, where he continued to build his film career, primarily as a producer. He worked closely with prominent directors Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott and produced many acclaimed and award-winning films, such as Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster.

Two films from that period – Schindler's List and Gladiator – brought him Oscar and BAFTA awards. He has donated his Academy Award for Schindler's List to the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem.

Since 2008, he has been president of the Festival of Tolerance in Zagreb, which was known until a few years ago as the Jewish Film Festival. It is organised every year in Zagreb, as well as in towns of several other countries of the region.

Translated from Jutarnji List.

More film news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

A successful Spanish startup which has spread to 105 cities in twenty countries in Europe, Africa, and Central and South America since 2015 has begin operations in no less than Zagreb.

As Marta Duic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of April, 2019, Glovo, a fast delivery application (app) which allows customers to purchase, receive and send any products within the city within less than 45 minutes, has started its operations in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb.

"For now, Glovo has employed seven people in the ''core'' team in Zagreb, eighteen in customer support and fifty delivery people. Therefore, a total of 65 people are in employed in this operation, we're only just beginning, and we're also still actively employing people. The expectations are high because we think that there's a lot of room for first-class fast delivery on the Croatian market and the inclusion of a large number of partners in the on-demand economy trend. People are now accustomed to having everything at their fingertips, quickly and easily accessible, and that's what we provide - products from the entire city delivered within 30 to 60 minutes to the end user,'' stated general manager for Glovo Croatia, Teo Širola.

This Spanish startup started back in 2015 in Barcelona, Spain, and has since expanded to 105 cities, ranging from Paris and Milan and Istanbul and Nairobi, in twenty countries across Europe, Africa, Central and South America. More than fifteen million orders from partners such as McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks, and the like have been delivered around the globe via Spain's Glovo app. They have more than three million users, 10,000 partners and work with a network that involves more than 30,000 couriers.

"The first reactions we've had have been positive. We still need to educate the market in terms of the service we provide and explain that what we do is exclusively delivery. Specifically, we deliver straight from the restaurant (or store) to the customer, effectively delivering the service as if the buyer picked up the food (or the item) themselves. This is different from the services that have been provided on our market so far, where more orders are delivered at the same time, so, let's say, the tastes and smells have been mixed, and the food that eventually comes to the customer's door is cold,'' noted Širola. Aside from doing deliveries by car, Glovo uses bicycles and scooters to squeeze through heavy city traffic faster, and offer a more ecologically aware delivery option.

"Zagreb is accelerating the transformation in the domain of fast delivery in Croatia, and our vision is to bring the practicality of technology closer to everyone," says Širola.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more. If it's just Zagreb you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow. If you're planning a trip to the Croatian capital, find out everything you need to know in a page by clicking here.

Click here for the original article by Marta Duic for Poslovni Dnevnik

The Croatian capital city unfortunately has many worn facades and buildings, and the bid for Zagreb's Blok Badel will be opened in just one month and will run until May the 15th, and the selected investor should be known early on in June.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 22nd of April, 2019, the City of Zagreb issued a public call for potential investors in the realisation and development of the Blok Badel project. This is a space located near the very centre of the city, about 30,000 square metres bordered by Vlaška, Šubićeva, Martićeva and Derenčinova. The expected value of this investment is about 750 million kuna, according to Tocka na i.

Potential investors are required to have a total value of their realised projects of at least 1 billion euros, have adequate experience in the reconstruction and conversion of historical or protected facilities over the last ten years, and also have experience in the realisation of public-private partnership projects of a minimum value of 75 million kuna.

Bids which do not provide evidence on the development of similar projects over the last ten years and proof of their completed projects for the development of residential, office, hotel and multifunctional facilities will not be considered.

"The location has some great potential with regard to its position, it's very well connected with public transport, it's close to a car park (garage), the city centre, city squares and historical and cultural sights. The realisation of this project will involve the restoration, construction and redoing of the entire block as the only block in this part of the city that hasn't been completed and has no clearly defined urban structure and purpose.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle and business pages for much more. If it's just the Croatian capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow. Heading to Zagreb? Find out everything you need to know and more with Zagreb in a Page.

In recent days, the Zagreb Zoo has seen a host of new-born bunnies coming out of their settlement just ahead of Easter. More info about the latest zoo inhabitants will be announced today, on Easter Monday, when the zoo will organise the special Bunny Show and many other events, reports Večernji List on April 22, 2019.

“The children’s area of the Zagreb Zoo has new inhabitants – five adorable bunnies. They are all of the anthracite-grey colour, except for one which is white-grey. They are about three weeks old and have delighted all the employees and visitors,” said the Zoo.

The Zoo said that visitors would be able to find out more about the bunnies on Easter Monday from 11 am to 5 pm, at the special Bunny Show. The event will also include the participants of the Eko Academy, a programme for elementary school students which is taking place at the ZOO this week, during the school Easter recess. Educators will show children how the zoo takes care of its youngest inhabitants.

On Easter Monday, the zoo will also traditionally organise a programme that combines old customs with content tailored to the new generation of children. In the company of animals enjoying the beginning of the spring, children will be able to find out more about some of the most popular symbols of Easter holidays.

Colourful eggs, filled with desserts, will be presented to chimpanzees, racoons, capuchins, meerkats, lemurs, brown bears and gibbons. The Bunny association will explain the difference between hares and rabbits, as well as show children how people care about their long-eared pets.

The Lutonjica Theatre is preparing children's plays, and the Miss4Miss fashion agency a children fashion show. Members of the twirling club from Sveta Nedjelja will showcase their skills, and a children's choir will delight the visitors with songs. There will also be a host of creative, sports, eco and culinary workshops, and the good mood will be spread by costumed promoters, surprise gifts, cartoons...

The Zagreb Zoo organises the event in collaboration with the Wishmama web portal.

Translated from Večernji List.

More news about the Zagreb Zoo can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, April 21, 2019 - The Zagreb City Assembly supported a proposal to erect a statue of Hungarian writer Jokai Mor along the promenade at Lake Bundek following a proposal by the city's Hungarian national minority council.

The Hungarian embassy in Croatia will donate a bronze bust of Mor Jokai and the foundation stone made of Hungarian limestone. The bust was created by Hungarian sculptor Lajos Gyorlf and is estimated at about 100,000 kuna while funds from the Zagreb budget of about 100,000 kuna will cover the costs of installing the bust.

Mor Jokai, who was born on 18 February 1825 and died 5 May 1904 in Budapest, actively participated in the revolution of 1848 and 1849. After being amnestied, he continued his political activities and dedicated himself to his writing.

Jokai was a novelist and playwright, producing more than 100 literary works. Many of his plays have been performed and well received in Croatia.

Some of his better-known works include: A Hungarian Nabob, Zoltan Karpathy, A Man of Gold, The Heartless Man's Sons, Poor Rich, Black Diamonds, Yellow Rose, and Working Days.

More news about cultural, political and other relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

April 21, 2019 - The 30th round of the Croatian First League was held on April 19 and 20 because of the Easter weekend. It was a rather exciting round that saw Dinamo clinch the Croatian championship title for the 20th time, and Hajduk pull a massive upset and huge win against Rijeka at Poljud. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (1:0)

Istra and Osijek opened the 30th round in Pula on Friday, April 19, 2019, in front of 763 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, it was Istra’s Mierez to score with two minutes to go, shocking Osijek for the 1:0 victory. 

Istria is currently in 9th place with 21 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 50. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (0:1)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Friday, April 19, 2019, in front of 1,882 fans in Koprivnica. 

It was another game without goals in the first half, though Dinamo’s Gojak managed to score three minutes into the second half for 0:1, which was the final score of the game. With this win, Dinamo also claimed the Croatian championship title for the 20th time. 

Slaven Belupo is in 8th place with 26 points, while Dinamo is in first with 79. 

Rudeš v. Lokomotiva (1:2)

Rudeš and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, April 20, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva street stadium in Zagreb in front of 100 fans. 

Karačić scored first for Lokomotiva for 0:1, though Štrkalj equalized with a penalty in the 32nd minute for 1:1. Rakić retook the lead for Lokomotiva in the 80th minute for 1:2, which was the final score of the game.

Rudeš remains in the last place with 10 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 47. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Gorica (2:2)

Inter and Gorica met in Zaprešić on Saturday, April 20, 2019, in front of 1,224 fans. 

Inter scored first thanks to Serderov in the 13th minute, while Lovrić scored a penalty for Gorica 10 minutes later to equalize. Gorica was given another penalty which Zwolinski nailed in the 58th for 1:2, though Šimunec equalized for Inter in the 80th for 2:2. 

Inter is currently in 7th place with 28 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 46. 

Hajduk v. Rijeka (4:0)

Hajduk and Rijeka met at Poljud to close out the 30th round on April 20, 2019, in front of 14,752 fans. 

Hajduk’s Jurić scored already in the 2nd minute of the famous ‘Adriatic Derby’, forcing the crowd into a frenzy. Hamza Barry scored for 2:0, and it was 3:0 at the half thanks to a goal in the 45th minute by Caktaš. 

But Hajduk wasn’t done yet, and Caktaš scored again in the 50th for 4:0, completely stunning Rijeka and, quite honestly, all Hajduk fans. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 50 points, while Rijeka is in second with 56. 

You can see the full table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, April 20, 2019 - Representatives of Croatian and European institutions and professionals, including Slavoj Žižek, Geraldine Chaplin and Claude-Eric Poiroux, have sent letters of support to the former owner of Zagreb's Kino Europa cinema, the Zagreb Film Festival (ZFF) organisation, following the city's decision not to renew its lease contract.

Poiroux, general director of the Europa Cinemas network, regrets that the survival of Kino Europa has been brought into question in the tenth year of its Europa Cinemas membership.

Kino Europa is one of the best and most important cinemas in the Europa Cinemas network, he says in his letter. In 2016, in recognition of the high quality of programming and promotion, it was given the Europa Cinemas award, which put it near the very top of the European film industry, ahead of the network's other 1,078 member-cinemas, he adds.

The team running Kino Europa is widely recognised for their knowledge and professional skills, and their reputation spans far beyond Croatia's borders. The European Commission's favourite location when it comes to events in Zagreb is Kino Europa, Poiroux wrote.

Actress Geraldine Chaplin, who was a guest at last year's ZFF, wrote that she was deeply saddened by the news about Kino Europa's uncertain future.

My husband Pato Castilla and I visited Zagreb and Kino Europa thanks to the Zagreb Film Festival. We were delighted by the architecture and the beauty, the excellent programme and the lively atmosphere of the cinema, a rarity in today's world, which is dominated by multiplexes. Kino Europa is a true cultural heritage, the famed Charlie Chaplin's daughter wrote.

She extended full support to the ZFF team, saying they breathed new life into the old beauty Europa and created the heart of Zagreb's cultural life.

"To break the link between Kino Europa and the ZFF would mean to bring into question the survival of Croatia's capital on that map. We don't need to mention what a hard blow it would be to film culture in Croatia," said the Sarajevo Film Team.

The ZFF was also supported by Simon Popek, programme director of the Ljubljana International Film Festival, notably given the cooperation with the ZFF.

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Dinamo Zagreb has been crowned the Croatian champion for the 2018/19 season. 

Did you know that Malbec has its day? The World Malbec Day is celebrated on April 17 to mark the day when Argentinian President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento officially began the mission of transforming the Argentine wine industry. On that day in 1853, he selected the French soil expert Micheal Aime Pouget to bring new grape varieties. Among the varieties he picked was Malbec, and that is how it all started.

Pouget continued experimenting with the adaptation of French varieties to various Argentine regions, and Malbec quickly adapted and developed even better than in France, its country of origin. Over many years, with a lot of effort and hard work, it has become the leading wine variety in Argentina.

The World Malbec Day was held for the first time on April 17, 2011. Since then, many different events and celebrations have been taking place around the world on that day. One such event took place on Wednesday at the Swanky Monkey Garden Bar in Zagreb. The guests enjoyed a unique offer called Beef & Terrazas Malbec.

The Ofyr grill started heating up at 5 pm, followed by the preparation of the "ramsteak" by Beefshop. The star of the event was, of course, in the glasses, represented by the Argentinian winery Terrazas de Los Andes. The guests also drank fantastic 2017 Malbec Reserva – a wine of the famous Argentinian winery Terrazas de Los Andes, whose vineyards are located on the Andes slopes, about 800 m above sea level, and as such represent the unique terroir of the Mendoza region.

The wine won over everybody thanks to its colour, scent and taste. It is intense red with violet reflections, very fruity and concentrated, with a long, elegant finish. On the nose, in addition to the distinct aromas of mature red fruits like cherries and plums, we also find distinctive notes of violets, dark chocolate, and sweet spices and tobacco that stem from ageing in French oak barrels. In the mouth, the wine is well-balanced, fresh, with rounded tannins and excellent ageing potential. Cheers!

More wine news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

This year, the B2Run Business Race is part of the international B2Run family! Thus, the Croatian edition of the race has made its mark on the world map, as businesspeople from Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split will run under the same name as more than 250,000 participants from eleven countries around the world. Recall, in the past four years, this race was held in four Croatian cities - Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Split - which saw more than 20,000 runners from about 800 Croatian companies, reports Dalmatinski Portal on April 18, 2019. 

The HT B2Run race will open in Split this year on Thursday, April 25, at 6 pm - and the Dalmatian capital will also be the first B2Run business race this year in the world! The Split race will feature 750 runners from 54 companies. The race traditionally begins on the Riva, and runs through the whole city on the route: Riva (start) - towards Sv. Frane - Trumbićeva obala - Obala kneza Branimira - Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića - entrance to Vila Dalmacija - Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića - Obala kneza Branimira - Trumbićeva obala - finish on the Riva. 

All the participants of the Croatian HT B2Run race will also run for prizes. Prizes are awarded at the national level after the end of the last race in Zagreb and at the local level after the completion of each of the four races. Awards will be given in various categories including NajFit and KreatTim, the fastest craft, association or club, and the fastest large, medium and small company. All the participants will enter the national final of the fastest runners, the quickest CEO, the fastest state institution, IT firm, beverage producer, food producer, media team, the fastest ‘young lions’, the most motivated team and the best support team. For each of the categories, there are also attractive prizes such as travel insurance, sportswear, food and drink awards, and more.

Among the runners will be 44-year-old Marin Koceić, the winner of last year's B2B RUN race in the male category of big companies and the famous Croatian triathlete from Ericsson Nikola Tesla.

“We have a strong and good team. Wherever Ericsson Nikola Tesla competes in full, we want to win. The B2Run is a superior race, as far as organization and atmosphere are concerned. Everything works as it should,” Koceić said.

Up to now, Marin has worked on almost all the releases of the HT B2Run Business Race, which proved to be a useful tool for building corporate culture, employee satisfaction, business community connectivity, and encouraging employees to adopt healthy living habits. Last year he won the 5k in 16 minutes and 40 seconds which is among his best results in that regard.

"I'm not sure if I will break my record this year, but regardless of it I always have the chance to compete in this race in Split with my colleagues," added Koceić, who also emphasized the value of running and moving:

“In the 21st century, because of their sedentary lifestyle, many are turning to run because it is the easiest way to be active. People want to stay in nature and take care of their health. This race is great because it encourages business people and business colleagues to socialize, move, entertain.”

The HT B2Run race this year distinguishes itself from its previous charity thanks to its main partner HT. All the runners of the HT B2Run business event this year will participate in a significant running humanitarian challenge - in the city that records the fastest running time, Hrvatski Telekom will launch a digital literacy program for the local population through free educational workshops in city libraries.

After Split, the B2Run business race will continue in three other Croatian cities - Rijeka on May 23, Osijek on June 12 and Zagreb on October 3rd. The competition in Split was organized in cooperation with the Split Triathlon Club.

You can read more about the business run here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.