All across Istria, open-air cinemas are being set up for films to be screened under the stars, mostly in the main squares of little hilltop communities.
Although the classic example of the genre, Motovun, has moved to Petehovac in Gorski kotar after 25 years, there is still plenty for film buffs to see in Istria. Free screenings are being shown across the central region, in Pazin, Tinjan and Karojba from June 30 to August 30, with crowd-pleasers such as Priscilla and Ferrari in the schedule. Check with the Tourist Board of Central Istria to confirm which ones are English-friendly.
Between June 28-30 at the Nesactium Archaeological Park in Valtura, on the outskirts of Pula, a weekend of free screenings includes Dune and The Wizard of Oz. See here for details of Kino Hist(o)ri, a tongue-in-check title for the event hinting at the location and the name of Istria’s antecedents.
The biggest and most spectacular of the alfresco cinema events is the Pula Film Festival, this year taking place between July 11-18. For seven decades, visitors have flocked to the Arena to watch Croatian and international features in the unique setting of an original Roman colosseum. Mainly independent domestic and European films fill the agenda – look out for Croatian Cannes winner, The Man Who Couldn't Be Silent, a vital piece of cinema with a running time of only 14 minutes.