Time Out Croatia news

California native Ashley Colburn is a globetrotter and award-winning video creator. "WOW Croatia!", Ashley's first travel show, won an Emmy in 2010 along with Croatia’s Golden Pen Award for Best U.S. Media. She received her next Emmy in 2012 for "Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu".  Ashley also happens to be Head of Video here at Time Out Croatia. Though Ashley has travelled all over the world, Croatia is her second home and holds a special place in her heart. Her latest travel video doubles as the first country song dedicated to Croatia - and produced in Nashville.  Check out the video, sure to spur some serious Croatian wanderlust, here!

Zagreb Film Festival (ZFF) always delights with its The Great 5 program. This segment presents fantastic new films from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. These are Europe's largest filmmaking countries, together creating more than 50% of the continent's movies.  Undine German director Christian Petzold has presented intimate stories set in dark periods of German history to Zagreb Film Festival, through Phoenix in 2015 and Transit in 2019. With Undine, part of The Great 5 this year, Petzold presents a dark, modern fairy tale based off mermaid mythology as presented by Hans Christian Andersen, Disney, and Neil Jordan. The film, starring Paula Beer, premiered at Berlinale and took home the FIPRESCI Award. A Silber Bear was also awarded Beer for best actress. Madre Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen's latest film is Madre. Sorogoyen aired at ZFF 2019 with The Realm and at ZFF 2017 with May God Save Us. Madre is a sequel to the director's 2017 same-name short film, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Marta Nieto stars as Elena, a Spanish woman whose son is missing. Nieto won Best Actress for the film at the Horizonti Festival in Venice in 2019. The Best Years Italian director Gabriele Muccino is best known for his Hollywood films Seven pounds (2008) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), both starring Will Smith. This year's The Great 5 will include Muccino's latest work, The Best Years. The film follows a group of friends, and their friendships,

Arguably the best bistro in the city, Pod Zidom has taken its marvelous menu a step further by rolling out a few never-before-seen meals, newly available as of last week. We spoke to Pod Zidom's own Marijana Zlomislić; here's the scoop. New dishes: Tastebuds of Zagreb, delight "As the seasons change, Pod Zidom slightly tweaks its menu", Marijana tells us. And this should come as no surprise, since Pod Zidom is idyllically located between the Zagreb Cathedral and Dolac Market (aka, the stomach of Zagreb).  "The chefs go to Dolac every single morning. Each has their own go-to producers, from kumice (this is a Croatian term of endearment for the older ladies who tirelessly supply Zagreb with their fresh fruits and veggies year-round), to meat sellers. Everything is tried and true." This fall, new twists have been added to the Pod Zidom menu, with a focus on seasonality. We're bringing you the lowdown on some of these nectar-like newcomers. Pod Zidom One thing you'll definitely savour is Pod Zidom's new marinated wild white fish, served with mandarin, pomegranate, and fennel. "The species of wild fish depends on the morning catch on Dolac", Marijana notes. Pod Zidom This is wild Adriatic fish (which also depends on the catch of the day, of course) with chestnut cream, bisque, and raštika, vitamin-packed collard native to Dalmatia.  Beloved classics are here to stay The classics, that keep guests coming back years after year (month after month or week after week for some

The new mural, placed on a residential building in Osijek, shows a smiling doctor who appears to be holding hands with other essential workers. The poems accompanying the artwork read: "In these difficult moments and trials, thank you for holding on to happiness and faces lit up with smiles..." Ivan K. "Words here would only be distractions; no language could describe their noble actions..." Silvija V.  Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL   Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL   Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL    Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL  

Mark your calendars for one of the year's most exciting weeks for cinema buffs. The 18th Zagreb Film Festival (ZFF) is slated for the week of November 8-15 November, and it will be held online and at Kino SC, Kino Tuškanac, the Croatian Music Institute, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and more. ZFF will celebrate turning 18 with a variety of international film screenings, not only in Zagreb but also in a number of Croatian cities which are hosting the ZFF Travels program. Learn more about the program and watch some fantastic film trailers below. The ZFF program The festival's competition program includes a few segments, such as international feature films, short films by up-and-coming talent, and Checkers (Croatian short films). Another competition program is Together Again, which includes new works by already-established directors whose careers have been followed by ZFF from the very start. Apart from competitions, this ZFF 2020 promises the usual accompanying programs such as The Great 5 and the Festivals in the Spotlight, along with the Industry program for film professionals. Awarded films to be shown This year’s ZFF will be held in a somewhat smaller capacity according to epidemiological measures, but the number of fantastic  films airing will not be diminished. Oasis Serbian film Oasis is directed and written by Ivan Ikić, one of the region's most interesting new talents. This film recently premiered during the Authors’ Days program at in Venice, and took home the tit

Istria is officially the best region for extra virgin olive oil in the world - for the sixth year in a row!  Croatia and Istria make world's best olive oil The decision comes after Flos Olei (the first global extra virgin olive oil guide) assessed 54 olive oil-producing regions across the world. The final result? 73 extra virgin olive oils from Croatia are being included in Flos Olei's 2021 guide - and 71 out of 73 are from Istria. In fact, Croatian olive oil producers make up 14% of the best in the industry across the world - which is a higher percentage than that of other renowned olive oil-making countries such as Italy and Spain. So, Istria retains its title as the world's premium olive oil hotspot. The region has some of the most advanced and refined olive oil making techniques in history. For example, renowned Chiavalon has an extremely advanced oil mill, and San Antonio was Istria's first producer to specialize in high-standard biodynamic growing techniques. Istria's finest producers Here are Flos Olei's best Croatian olive oils for 2021 (out of 100 points). 98 points  IpšaMateOlea B.B. 97 points Zubin OPG Enio 96 points AgroproduktBelci OPG MatteoBrušić OPGNegri OliveToninZigante OPG Giancarlo 95 points Al Torcio, uljaraChiavalonPaulišić-Oliveri 94 points GrubićMeneghettiOleum MarisFranco BasiacoLupieri-Cadenela OPG GiuseppeMonte RossoPrimizia 92 points Brist OliveCossettČinić OPG Nino 90 points AgrolagunaČervarČinićGeržinićZanini

As it's shown many times throughout the years, from the fire of 1731, across the flood of 1964, to the earthquake of 2020, Zagreb is a survivor. Following each disaster, Zagreb faces a period of suffering and then emerges anew; ready, again, to face new challenges, provide a loving home to its citizens, and bring joy to its visitors. A mural has popped up paying homage to the city and its resilience following the earthquake that occurred on March 22, 2020. The work shows the Zagreb Cathedral, which infamously suffered the loss of both of its towers, mid-repair. It also features a depiction of local soccer fans who showed their nice side when they stepped in to help transport babies and mothers out of Petrova Maternity Hospital. The words "GLAVU GORE", meaning "head up", stand at the top of the mural. Check out the street artwork in more detail: Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL   Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL   Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL

Shooting for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, starring Nicolas Cage, Tiffany Haddish, Pedro Pascal, and Sharon Horgan, kicked off in Dubrovnik on Monday, October 5. Preparations for this filming, planned to last just over two weeks, have been underway since August. 412 film workers, of which 97 are Croatian citizens, and about 300 Croatian extras will take part in the project.  Directing the film is Tom Gormican (of 2014 feature That Awkward Moment and 2017 sitcom Ghosted). The comedy flick is being produced by Lionsgate.  The service production company for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is the Embassy Studio from Dubrovnik, with producer Erika Milutin Diller of Embassy Films. Other major projects that have been filmed in Dubrovnik include Game of Thrones, Robin Hood, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and more. Many big-picture productions have been filmed in other cities and areas all over Croatia, as well. In 2020, during which productions all over the world were delayed, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was the ninth project to submit a request for filming in Croatia. Croatia relaunched filming allowances under COVID-19 protection measures in May of this year, and multiple international and local productions have already been undertaken in the country. Good luck to the cast and crew - we hope you enjoy Dubrovnik!

The first tourism conference following the summer of 2020 is slated for Tuesday, October 6, from 10AM to 2PM. It will feature a range of novel insights, including updated analyses, discussions, best practice examples, and suggestions on how to do business and create new tourism opportunities in the wake of COVID-19. The conference, called Can Croatian tourism 365? Post-COVID tourism and new opportunities, is an event of utmost importance for the future of tourism in Croatia and beyond. Top experts in domestic and EU tourism will analyze this year's industry results while discussing challenges and opportunities both during and after COVID. Another key topic will be maintaining a sustainable tourism industry all year long. Ministers from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and Spain will present strategic starting points for tourism development in the future. Speakers include the Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia Nikolina Brnjac, the Minister of Economy and Technology Development of the Republic of Slovenia Zdravko Počivalšek, the Minister of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism of the Republic of Austria Elisabeth Köstinger and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of the Kingdom of Spain María Reyes Maroto Illera. © Tourism 365   "For the first time ever, we have the opportunity to host four exceptional ministers to discuss the future of tourism. Ministers from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and Spain will present the starting points for tourism development p

As usual, it's been a star-studded summer in Croatia this year. We're bringing you the lowdown on A-listers who enjoyed some R&R in the country during the sunniest months of 2020. Beyonce and Jay Z American musical artists Beyonce, Jay Z, and their kids (Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir) spent some time (it appears to have been around a week) on and along the shores of Croatia.  The family visited Korčula Island, Vrnik Islet, and Dubrovnik among other locations on a whistle-stop sailing tour down the coast. Their chosen mode of transport was 107-meter-long megayacht Lana.    Beyonce and family's 2020 Croatian yacht, Lana© Mark Thomas / The Dubrovnik Times   Beyonce turned 39 on September 4 during their Croatian vacation, celebrating with a private family meal on a small island off the coast of Zadar.   The couple has vacationed in Croatia multiple times over the last decade, and their daughter Blue Ivy is thought to be named after ivy growing on Hvar Island. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Jul 2, 2018 at 3:57pm PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Sep 19, 2015 at 6:51am PDT Magic Johnson and Cookie Johnson American basketball legend Magic Johnson and author Cookie Johnson spent around a month sailing the coast of Croatia. The couple arrived in August and visited places like Split