The Youth Film Festival was first held in 2007, followed by the launch of the Four River Film Festival in 2008. Both festivals are organized by Kinoklub Karlovac and the Croatian Film Association. They quickly became important national and international events dedicated to high school film.
River Cinema:
Open-air summer screenings by the river
The River Cinema project was created by Marija Ratković Vidaković as part of her diploma thesis at the Academy of Dramatic Art (Production Department). Since 2011, every summer, residents of Karlovac and surrounding towns spend evenings by the river, watching films under the open sky — a beloved local tradition.
The main sponsor is Heineken Croatia d.o.o., along with numerous partners.
FUSE – Film Under Severe Experiment
Since 2018, Karlovac has hosted FUSE — an international festival of experimental and hybrid films made by young authors aged 18–29, with a focus on student films.
The festival encourages artistic freedom and pushes the boundaries of film creation, promoting experimentation and creative reflection.
In addition to short film screenings and discussions, the festival includes a competitive section.
Stop Motion Scena
Stop Motion Scena is the first Karlovac festival dedicated to films created using stop-motion animation. It encourages primary and secondary school students, along with mentors and parents, to create their own works using the DIY approach. It was launched in 2020 during the first COVID-19 lockdown to support creative expression through stop-motion video creation.
Cinema Club Karlovac is a member of the Youth Cinema Network
YCN is an informal organization launched in 2012 that brings together around fifty festival organizers, film associations, media educators, and film professionals worldwide who share one mission: promoting, supporting, and distributing films made by children and young people.
It began operating in Karlovac during the 2013 Four River Film Festival. Today, it has more than 50 members. Kinoklub Karlovac is a proud member.
More at youthcinemanetwork.org.
