In the beginning of October the Creative Europe/MEDIA program of the EU has announced its decision for Spring 2017 funding proposal for Development of Single Projects. The project “Crystal Raiders” has received 60.000 Euros, the largerst amount ever awarded to a Croatian single project. The proejct has received 92 points and the threshold had been set to 88,5 points for Animation projects. Out of 359 eligible projects, 77 have been selected for funding. “Crystal Raiders” is an amazing science-fiction animated project for children conceived by the late Oscar-winner Dušan Vukotić about an orphan baby dinosaur Burgy who leaves his underground home and surfaces to the outside world, only to be found by two children who desperately try to save him from greedy circus owner and an unscrupulous animal dealer. The entire story takes place on a distant planet, recently colonized by humans and besides enforcing strong bonds between children and parents, the film deals with ecological issues as well. The screenwriters are Aleksandar Žiljak and Dušan Vukotić, based on the story by Dušan Vukotić. The film will be directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić and produced by FILMOSAURUS REX d.o.o.
Following its successful Czech and Slovak theatrical runs, “The Oddsockeaters” premiered in Zagreb on Sunday, October 1st, at the Blitz-Cinestar Boutique Cinema Kaptol Center. It was a packed screening with most of the cast and crew present, in addition to many children, mostly first-graders from Ivan Gundulić primary school, in Zagreb. News and media channels extensively covered the premiere. The film will be opening on 43 screens in Croatia and several screens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The film is distributed by Blitz Film and Video. As previously reported, the film became the largest grossing Czech animated feature film in the history of Czech cinema, with more than 320.000 admissions. This is an example of a successful Croatian coproduction, supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Center.
During 2016 Filmosaurus Rex has coproduced an animated feature film “The Oddsockeaters” (“Lichožrouti” in Czech language), about small, invisible creatures who live among us and who steal our socks, based on the children’s novel by a well-known Czech writer Pavel Šrut and directed by Galina Miklinová. The film is produced by the two-time Oscar nominated Czech producer/director Ondřej Trojan and co-produced by Slovak film company PubRes, represented by Lubica Orechovska and Zuzana Mistríková. Filmosaurus Rex acted as the Croatian coproduction partner, securing most of the funds from the Croatian Audiovisual Center and with Arsen A. Ostojić having the title of the coproducer and Hrvoje Vajić as the associate producer. A well-known Croatian composer Mate Matišić has composed the music for the film. “The Oddsockeaters” premiered in theaters Czech Republic on the 20th of October 2016, and had the most successful opening for a Czech animated feature film in the history of Czech cinema, with 76.527 admissions over the weekend. Eventually, the film became the largest grossing Czech animated feature film in the history od Czech cinema, with more than 320.000 admissions. Slovak premiere is expected in January 2017, and the Croatian one sometime during the second half of 2017.
On July 5th, Filmosaurus Rex has began the principal photography of its first feature film under the working title “F20”. It is a psychological thriller about a young girl, Martina who stays in the city during summer, forced to work in her father’s pizzeria to deliver pizza though she daydreams about going to the Party Beach. She starts a relationship with a young man, Filip, who spends most of his time at home playing videogames and ordering pizza. When Martina’s best friend goes to have fun over the weekend, her strict father forbids her to go, so Martina uses Filip to circumvent her father’s ban. However, instead of her dreams coming true, Martina’s reality quickly turns into a bloody nightmare. The shoot will be divided into two parts; the first part of about 23 days ending on July 31st and the second part of about 9 shooting days commencing in the Fall.
The film is directed by Arsen A. Ostojić and produced and financed completely independently by Filmosaurus Rex. Several companies are selflessly helping the production: GripFilm, Interfilm and Cinecro. The lead actors are young, first-time actors Romina Tonković and Filip Mayer, as well as Lana Ujević, together with experienced Croatian actors – Mladen Vulić, Alen Liverić, Alen Salinović, Goran Grgić, Ksenija Marinković, Alma Prica, Boris Miholjević and others.
The project will be entirely shot in Zagreb, except one day of filming at the famous Croatian party beach Zrce on the island of Pag.
The premiere of “F20” is expected sometime by the end of the next year.