With more than 73.000 visitors, the Pula Film Festival is the most popular cultural event in the Republic of Croatia. Running from July 14-28 at Kastel, Valli Cinema and the Arena, the festival is held  under the high patronage of the President of Croatia, Mr. Ivo Josipovic. Eighteen films selected by artistic director Zlatko Vidackovic from world΄s biggest festivals will be presented in the international section. 

France being the Friend Country of this year΄s Festival, the International Programme of the Pula Film Festival was opened with the French film Farewell, My Queen on July 14. The French ambassador to the Republic of Croatia Jerome Pasquier and the cultural attache of the French Embassy in Zagreb Ina Pouant attended the opening ceremony. 

The 12th consecutive edition of the attractive International Programme will host a feast of cinematic delicacies from around the world. All screenings will represent Croatian premieres. Selected films from the International Programme will have their guest screenings at the art house cinema Croatia in Rijeka, at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, as well as at the Zagreb art house cinemas Metropolis, Gric, and KIC, and the Tuskanac summer theatre. 

A Special Lifetime Achievement Golden Arena can be granted by the decision of the Festival Council. The first recipient of this award was the famous British actor Christopher Lee in 2008. 

The National Programme will open in the Arena on 21 July 2012 with Vlatka Vorkapic΄s romantic comedy Sonja and the Bull, produced by Interfilm. So far, eight films have been confirmed for the main section of the National Programme. Apart from the opening film there is also Krsto Papic΄s Flower Square, Goran Rukavina΄s Children of the Fall, Arsen Anton Ostojic΄s Halima΄s Path, Damir Cucic’s A Letter to my Father, Jozo Patljak’s Accidental Passer-by, Davor Zmegac΄ s  No Laughing Allowed, the omnibus Zagreb Stories Vol. 2 and Hives, directed by five directors. 

Two films already presented in the rest of Croatia will premiere in Pula: Igor Mirkovic’s Night Boats and Branko Schmidt’s Cannibal Vegetarian.

Two co-productions with Serbia will be presented as part of the minority co-productions section – Bojan Vuletic’s Practical Guide to Belgrade with Singing and Crying and Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Parade. Ilian Metev’s Sofia’s Last Ambulance, awarded at Cannes will be presented outside of competition.

A jury composed of director Milco Mancevski, actress Mirjana Karanovic, and director and actor Metod Pevec will decide on the awards.