Events

The Motovun Film Festival was established in 1999. The Motovun Film Festival is entirely dedicated to films made in small cinematographies and by independent producers, films that excel for their innovativeness, ideas and power of their stories. The Motovun Film Festival is, in fact, a film marathon lasting for a few days in late July, with film projections following each other uninterrupted from 10 in the morning until four after midnight. The evening projections are held in the open air and the daily projections in the cinema.

The Festival of Teran Wine and Truffles is a single-day exhibition and public tasting of the Teran wine, where the best wine of this type is produced in the surroundings of Motovun. The Festival also exhibits truffles and the biggest, which can grow as heavy as 500 grams, is awarded the title "Veli Jože". On this occasion the luckiest visitor of the Festival can win the prize contest and take home the truffle which was awarded with the Veli Jože title and a collection of gold-medal winning Teran wines. The Festival takes place on the last Saturday in September.

The game involving the throwing of a horn is played on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in Motovun. The rules of this amusing game, which is played on the road that links the upper graveyard and Kanal at the foot of the hill, are very simple: one of the players throws an ox's horn and the others attempt to throw their wooden bats or 'bačuke', as close as possible to it. The winner is the one who gets closest to the horn the greatest number of times along the entire length of the track. Before throwing the bat, the player usually calls the next player by his, witty and purposefully invented nickname.

Veli Joze is a new product of Croatian tourism, which is aimed at creating the image of Motovun as being a destination of world giants, fantastic fantasy literature and a place that runs film with giants. From this program full of diversity we can extrapolate the following:

MOTOVUN – known worldwide as a destination for fantasy literature

One of the goals of this year's festival is to position Motovun as a world destination of fantasy literature. Fantasy literature is known today mostly thanks to Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, which is considered the origines of the fantasy genre.

However, the national archives show that, probably the most famous work by Vladimir Nazor, Veli Joze (1908.), was written 40 years before Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

In cooperation with the European Institute for the Translation inTrieste, we have begun translating Veli Joze into the Italian language so that the reading public who speak other languages may have a chance to enjoy this book.

DISPLAYing Giants on the big screen

In collaboration with the Pula Film Factory, we are creating an interesting program that will surely arouse the interest of the audience and many film buffs. Throughout the three days the event will be filmed by a three-day Production In (film production marathon), a documentary will be created recording the event and alsowe will be running themed films at different locations in the town of Motovun. 3D effects and giants battling are thing not to be missed on the big screen. Motovun with an already well established Film tradition gets a chance to show new and old movies about giants, documentaries and children's films all during the festival Days of Veli Joze.

KIDS FRIENDLY

Veli Joze is particularly attractive to children and visitors who can take part in workshops and participate in the performances prepared with the help of professionals. These workshops take place all day. The festival is best described as a family festival because the programs and activities are designed for the whole family and kids of all ages can have fun, learn and enjoy the beauty of Motovun and it's giants.

Throughout the day, the streets of Motovun will filled with activities for children; street performers and musicians, and in the evening theatrical performances will take place.

The festival's long-term partner in charge of the children's program is the Birikina association from Pula.

GOURMET FRIENDLY

For a complete experience, with the staging of the Middle Ages, there be will and presentation of local products and new souvenirs. Through a fair of traditional crafts, the visitor will feel that has come to the town of Veli Joze. Here it is not about an ordinary everyday fair, but a fair of XXL products. Local and foreign manufacturers will display giant size products , so at the moment we are making  arrangements for the giant cheeses, sausages , bread and many more.

All food and beverage establishments will offer Veli Joze specials XXL sizes. (XXL Steak, XXL pizza ..)

GUINNESS FRIENDLY

As another interesting innovation of this festival is to enter the Guinness Book of Records! The plan is to each break a record from the Guinness World Records each year, in the category 'largest or biggest.' This year we are making two record attempts; Come find out which ones they are! For further information, please contact us.