Pula Film Festival formally opens with ceremony in Arena

 The 59th edition of the film festival in the coastal city of Pula officially began on Saturday evening with the opening ceremony in the city's landmark, the Arena amphitheatre.

Special guests at the ceremony were Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic, the visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and other Croatian parliamentary officials and government ministers.

In the opening speech, Culture Minister Andrea Zlatar Violic described the Pula Film Festival as a unique event of national importance.

The UN Secretary-General congratulated the festival's organisers, and pointed out Croatia's cultural heritage, including its film tradition.

However people who create and cooperate, from actors to directors, are primarily the greatest wealth, he said.

President Josipovic said that during this ceremony Pula was the centre of world film and it was not accidental that the UN Secretary General was attending the festival's opening ceremony.

The ceremony ended with a display of fireworks.

A total of 12 Croatian feature films will be screened during the 21-28 July the national programme of the festival. On 14 July, the screening of foreign films started. (Hina)