Croatia’s Manjgura public relations agency has just won the prestigious IPRA GWA (International Public Relations Association Golden World Awards) for 2024 in the public sector category. It was won for their campaign and work entitled: “Justice Served: Historic Rise of Judges’ Salaries”.

It was otherwise a a multi-month campaign in 2023/2024. during which Manjgura provided communication support to the Association of Croatian Judges, and to the project that culminated in the largest increase in judges’ salaries in recent Croatian history.

Known as the global PR Oscars of sorts, the IPRA Golden World Awards competition was launched back in 1990 and has continuously encouraged excellence in the PR industry ever since. This year, at the world’s oldest competition in the field of public relations, 48 ​​jury members evaluated a multitude of applications from all over the world, within 38 categories.

The IPRA GWA is Manjgura’s third award for a project with the Association of Croatian Judges. It’s worth noting that back in June, the agency received two Polaris awards in London. These are prestigious global awards for political communication. Manjgura’s team in the campaign for UHS consisted of founder and director Krešimir Macan, senior adviser Anamarija Hrvoić Đurić and junior adviser Dora Novak.

“I’d like to offer my congratulations to the Association of Croatian Judges for their determination and courage to correct a long-standing injustice in the disparity of salaries in public services. I’d also like to extend those congratulations to our team from Manjgura. They achieved a historic result through a ten-month, extremely intensive and dynamic campaign and once again showed how important clear and timely communication is in every single sector. The individual approach and comprehensive solutions that Manjgura offers to clients proved to be a winning combination this time as well,” said Krešimir Macan, thanking the IPRA GWA expert jury for their trust and recognition.

The IPRA GWA is Manjgura’s fourth prestigious award this year alone. As a reminder, back in April, Manjgura first won the only gold in the competition of the fourteen Grand PRIX finalists of the Croatian Public Relations Association. They did so with the conference called: “Sales Mindset: The Wolf Strikes Again,” for their client, Prodajni Mindset. The most significant Croatian recognition for communication experts for innovation and expertise in project implementation was won in the category of Event organisation and communication, with a conference at which former broker and real Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort shone as the main star on November the 17th, 2023 in Zagreb. With that same project, Manjgura made it to the IPRA finals in the Events category.

We can’t go without mentioning the fact that the final judging of this year’s prestigious award in the field of public relations – IPRA GWA, was held for the first time right here in in Croatia, more precisely in Zagreb. It was hosted by Manjgura, whose founder and director Krešimir Macan also participated as a member of the jury. This represents a great success for the Croatian PR scene, as his colleague Marina Bolanča Radunović from the ABC communication agency was also on the jury. Macan and Bolanča didn’t judge in the categories in which their agencies were the finalists. In addition to their hard work for the Association of Croatian Judges, this year the IPRA jury awarded another eight campaigns from Croatia (10 golds in total for 9 campaigns), and in addition to the 16 IPRA GWAs won in Croatia so far – this means that there have been 26 world golds awarded to the Croatian PR scene since 2015.

The award ceremony will take place at the IPRA GWA gala dinner in Belgrade on October the 18th, 2024. Make sure to book your place in time.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the latest available data from 2022, companies within the Rimac Group have a total of more than a hundred patent applications to their name. That puts the Rimac Group in a firm first place in terms of the number of internationally applied patents originating from Croatia. Given that last year they reported a significantly higher number compared to 2022, it can be assumed that this statistic will be even more pronounced when last year’s data is released, reports Autonet.

Patents can be applied for in almost all countries across the world, and the Rimac Group has the most applications in the EU, USA and China, as these are its main markets or production countries for the sort of technology it makes.

It’s important to emphasise that the Rimac Group not only patents technologies for their own hypercars, but also for technology developed by Rimac Technology for global car manufacturers – for example, in the sector of making systems for electric drives and battery systems.

arduous and expensive processes

One of the latest inventions from the Rimac Group, for which the company filed a patent application, is a system for the extremely fast detection of insulation breakdown in electrical circuits. Consequently, their system allows for the possibility of its quick and safe shutdown if necessary.

This is particularly interesting in the context of high voltage, which is present in electric cars. In this particular procedure, the process of patent recognition lasted approximately three and a half years, which – as strange as it may sound – is in fact very short in international terms.

“The patenting procedure is extremely complex, time-consuming and expensive. There are many reasons for that. The main factor is the large number of patent applications that are submitted annually, the number of which as a rule increases every year, and patent offices must study each application in detail to see if it meets the conditions for the recognition of patent protection.

Studying all of the above actually means that they have to compare that invention with all existing technical solutions. They need to be compared with the so-called state of the art, for which they use special comprehensive databases of global patents, patent applications and professional technical literature that number more than 100 million documents.

If the invention is new, inventive and industrially applicable in relation to being state of the art, it will be recognised as a patent,” Branimir Puškarić, Intellectual Property Manager at Rimac Technology, explained to Autonet.

Throughout the the process of patenting, the confidentiality of all of the data is extremely important because, as a rule, any public announcement of an invention before the filing of a patent application automatically eliminates the invention from the possibility of patenting. This eliminates the possibility of licensing it to third parties, who will then exploit it commercially.

With the aim of preserving intellectual property (IP) within the company, Rimac Technology has established a special IP Legal team made up of highly qualified experts in their fields. These individuals cover the main fields of intellectual property protection – which few other companies in Croatia or even the wider region have.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Roksandic writes, regardless of whether they’re for plant lovers or those who can’t manage to keep their plants alive, terrariums are the ideal solution because they’re self-sustaining ecosystems in beautiful glass containers.

According to Ana Hrgovčić, the owner of the Vinkovci-based brand Biljke.Plants, which specialises in the production of plant terrariums in a bottle, her customers are divided into huge lovers of plants and those who even manage to kill cacti.

“After the coronavirus pandemic, everyone started buying plants en masse. I think that people lacked contact with nature and became aware of the effect that living plants and the colour green have on the psyche. What we concluded is that most people like terrariums because they;re an innovative way of keeping plants that enables their continuous growth and longevity, and they’re a solution for accidental cactus killers. Of course, cactus killers would also be good plant owners if they chose a plant that fits their space and if they were careful with watering,” explained Hrgovčić.

Hrgovčić learned how to make a plant terrarium in a bottle quite by accident while surfing the Internet. Soon after that, her interest in indoor plants was awakened and she opened an Instagram profile called Biljke.Plants where she wrote instructions for maintaining indoor plants.

biljke.plants took on a life of its own

“I did the same thing that every person who discovers plants does, but I still stood out from the majority and started a serious company specialising in making plant terrariums in a bottle and making them as business gifts in a box with a logo,” said the owner of the brand.

She entered the typically choppy entrepreneurial waters in pandemic-dominated 2020 when she was 22 years old. From the initial production in Vinkovci, she reached five branches across five Croatian cities: Split, Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula and Osijek. In addition to Biljke.Plants branches, they also have an online store.

“Expanding to other cities enabled me to produce a product that is of high quality and that is long-lasting. Terrariums are a solution for all those who aren’t comfortable with the maintenance of plants, for those who don’t really have good conditions in the office or at home for plants, and for those who want an original unisex gift. The terrarium isn’t immortal, because it’s still a living plant, but it’s a perennial plant that succeeds better and longer for the type of customers I mentioned previously than other plants,” said Hrgovčić.

Starting her own business, she said, wasn’t very difficult even though she didn’t have much entrepreneurial background, but that is exactly why she started everything with the idea that she had nothing to lose. Today, she has employees and students with her, making up a total team of 12 people.

“I threw myself head first into entrepreneurship, I interrupted my studies, I moved to Zagreb and worked from 24 hours per day in order to build what I have now – a successful company that plants plant terrariums all over Croatia with quality and dedication. The fact that I had earned capital from several business collaborations that I worked on while I was still in the phase of just being a plant enthusiast made it easier for me to sail into entrepreneurial waters. Somehow I knew that this would work, I didn’t allow myself to believe that all the effort, risk and work would go to waste,” testified Hrgovčić.

Creating a terrarium is a creative gardening process that only takes about 15 minutes. During the production process in Vinkovci, they always try to prepare all the materials for work in advance so that the planting is as quick as possible.

To make a terrarium, it’s necessary to prepare a high-quality substrate, i.e. soil that contains enough nutrients for the growth of plants for a long period of time, and to arrange soil that is neither too hard nor too loose. The most common buyers of terrariums are women, who mostly buy them as gifts,” testifies Hrgovčić.

“However, men aren’t far behind either, but they buy terrariums for themselves more often. Terrariums are extremely popular as a business gift because they’re a sustainable choice that can be given to both sexes, and it’s great that they can be kept in offices and are always in sight of the person you gave it to,” said the owner of the brand.

the bilje.plants business experience taught her a lot…

In order to make that business gift even more special, Biljke.Plants made it possible to personalise it with engraving on cork, with logo stickers, pendants with instructions for terrarium care, decorative ribbons with print and in the colour of the brand, and with decorative lines of sand in the colour of the customer’s brand inside the terrarium.

The materials they use for production are purchased from across Europe, and they independently mix the substrate and plant the plants in their own characteristic way. In smaller quantities, they also buy materials from Croatian producers.

“We collect micro quantities ourselves. Especially when we have themed terrariums such as marine souvenirs for branches in Split, Rijeka or Pula. Then we use pebbles and shells collected on local beaches,” explained Hrgovčić, admitting that sometimes inquiries lead to new ideas. That was the case after they had an inquiry from an IT company and they started maintaining the plants in their offices.

“I must admit that we learned a lot in the field with them and their office plants. We’ll see what the market will need in the coming period and we’ll probably try to answer that problem too. There are a lot of ideas to mull over”, concluded Hrgovčić.

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As Index vijesti/news writes, Mate Rimac presented the much anticipated Verne robotaxis off last week, but it didn’t go without quite a few bumps in the road. The Verne robotaxi being presented unfortunately failed to respond to a command and remained in place. During the presentation, Mate Rimac attempted to call the robotaxi to the stage via the app twice, but the car never came. At the large Rimac Campus, one of the Verne robotaxis was presented, of which we only saw an interior cabin and nothing more.

criticism because of eu taxpayer cash

This, of course, immediately provoked plenty of criticism across the media spectrum and in the public space. Many critics kept going back to one thing, and that’s the fact that Mate Rimac had received 180 million euros from EU taxpayers.

Mate Rimac recently published a new video in which, as he says, he reveals much more detail about the Verne robotaxis. Verne is the new name of the former Project 3 Mobility, a company that has worked to develop this system.

“We wanted to go into a little more detail and show how we got to where we are today,” says Mate Rimac at the beginning, before adding that “developing a conventional car is a terribly long and complex process that not many people can do. When you develop a conventional car, you usually take some competition, some predecessors or manufacturers that already have some models and start from there. We wanted to make something completely different: a car developed from scratch to take advantage of all the benefits of autonomous driving. We wanted that car to be the safest, most spacious, most comfortable, the best experience for the person in the car.”

Then he showcased the 2019 model, the one with which, he says, they initially started the complex and lengthy development process.

“We already had a two-seater back then. Why a two-seater? Because the data shows that 90 percent of taxi or Uber rides are with one or two people in the car. We wanted to give those two people the best experience, the most space,” he said.

He also showed other models. “In 2021, we had sensors on the roof. In 2022, we redefined that design, and not only the design, but also the technical characteristics, crash requirements and so on…” he said.

“We’ve been developing our own car and other elements of the system, but one part we decided not to develop ourselves was the autonomous driving. We worked with some of the best companies in the world, in the end we decided on Mobileye,” he revealed, adding: “as the car is developed, different elements are tested and developed separately.”

“we’ve thought a lot about safety”

Rimac then said that the overall goal was to make people feel like it was their car once they got in. Verne, according to Rimac, will have information about the person who enters and thus will play the right type of music, adjust the temperature, and so on.

“We’ve thought a lot about safety. We want the autonomous driving system we’ve chosen, which is still constantly evolving, to be the safest in the world and better than 99 percent of human drivers. An accident shouldn’t happen. But in the unlikely event that an accident does happen, this should be the safest car in the world,” assured Rimac.

The post Mate Rimac Explains How Verne Robotaxis Were Developed appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic and Davor Ivankovic writes, every two years, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of arms and military equipment, EUROSATORY, is held in Paris. Croatia had its representatives at this exhibition as well – the state Agency Alan, which represents other Croatian manufacturers of arms and military equipment.

The Zagreb manufacturer of demining machines, DOK-ING, and the increasingly propulsive technology company Orqa from Osijek also participated, using a joint stand with the Alan Agency.

Croatia’s largest producer of pistols and assault rifles, HS Produkt from Karlovac, and the Croatian companies Šestan Busch from Međimurje, Čateks and Spar-tac also performed independently. In addition to Croatian companies, there were 38 other national pavilions, and more than 1,700 exhibitors from all over the world appeared at the exhibition.

It was significant that the Ministry of Defence also sent its representatives to the stands of the Croatian defence industry, which proved to be significant for Croatian companies and manufacturers.

croatian companies like dok-ing remain a huge support to ukraine

The most important Croatian manufacturer of military equipment and weapons remains HS Produkt, but now DOK-ING also stands out. This company has already delivered, or is in the process of delivering, about 50 powerful demining machines to Ukraine.

A portfolio of products from the Croatian defence industry was presented at the fair. It included Croatian assault rifles, pistols, hand grenade launchers, 40×46 mm grenades, TAKRAD-tactical radios, DRAGON-advanced thermal imaging cameras, combat helmets, combat kits (ballistic vests), a new concept of multifunctional helmet, and a proposal of a new camouflage pattern for uniforms.

The Croatian stand received a lot of interest and Croatian companies received a large number of business inquiries. A proper communication channel was also opened with future perspective markets, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, Verne (formerly Project 3 Mobility) finally presented their ecosystem of urban autonomous mobility to the public. It should all come to life in Zagreb in 2026 in the form of the Rimac robotaxi. Rather ironically, the thing that held it all up was the robotaxi’s “disobedience”.

After the so-called Rimac robotaxi was supposed to be brought before a large crowd, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the Minister of Transport, investors and representatives from numerous cities interested in using the urban mobility concept developed by Verne… the robotaxi’s obedience waned.

“we’re building the future”

There was a problem with the brakes, Mate Rimac, the co-founder of Verne and chief executive officer of the Rimac Group, later explained in a statement. “He who works also makes mistakes,” he said. However, this version of the Rimac robotaxi is only the working version that will, of course, be refined in the coming period. In any case, the concept, which consists of three elements – an autonomous electric vehicle, a software platform and a specialised infrastructure – which is worth a total of 535 million euros, should soon come to life.

Those of us in Zagreb should be able to ride in the Rimac robotaxi as early as 2026. It will boast two seats, the interior of which will be covered by screens, and no steering wheel or brakes. It will be completely powered by artificial intelligence. There is no place for fear, its creators assure. “This car has the largest possible impact zone, which allows it to absorb the energy of any impact,” Rimac pointed out, adding that they paid the greatest possible attention to safety.

In addition to safety, comfort and experience were important to them. Although the taxi is robotic, users will feel as if it is in their own hands. This will enable a number of built-in features.

“Everything we’re developing is quite bold. We’re building the future, and that’s what Jules Verne did. That’s why we decided to use his name,” said Mate Rimac.

the rimac robotaxi will be “cheaper than bolt and uber”

How much will it cost to use? Less than driving with Uber or Bolt, according to Mate Rimac. This, as they say, “revolutionary” project that is being developed in Croatia, should be the initiator of a new and most innovative industry that is currently developing in the world. Its importance was recognised by the government, seeing it included as a project within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan back in 2021.

A total of 179.5 million euros of public money will be thrown at the robotaxi project, with an additional 100 million having been collected from several investors. So far, 89 million euros of public money have been paid out. When the next payments will be made will depend on the dynamics of the project’s development, according to government representatives.

In addition to the Rimac robotaxi, the project also consists of other elements – an infrastructure and software platform. The software platform is actually a user application for ordering a ride and a platform for managing the entire service. The infrastructure, on the other hand, presupposes the construction of a place where the vehicles will be located, inspected, maintained and cleaned.

This infrastructure, which they’ve called the “Mothership” will be in Buzin, revealed Marko Pejković, the chief executive officer of Verne. In addition, he announced that the construction of the production plant is now starting. It will be in Lučko near Zagreb and should be completed in October next year.

testing is to come

“It will be the first factory where autonomous electric vehicles will be produced and delivered to the world,” Pejković pointed out. In the beginning, there should be about a hundred such vehicles on Zagreb’s roads. For the sake of profitability, contracting partnerships with other cities will be key. Intensive work is being done on this.

Pejković added that there is an agreement with eight cities, and they are still negotiating with 30 of them. Among those who will implement the Rimac robotaxi service will be cities from across the rest of the Europe and the Middle East. The testing of the new robotaxis will begin soon, first on an indoor range, and only then on the roads.

The post Rimac Robotaxi to be “Cheaper Than Uber and Bolt” appeared first on Total Croatia.

The main goals of the application are to re-popularise reading among children and to make the time that children today inevitably spend in front of the screen of higher quality and more educational. The face of the new Tales of Mello app is a little chameleon named Mello, with whom children can create over 250,000 different stories, read existing ones actively written by four authors, or listen to them as audio books.

The Tales of Mello app comes from Croatian start-up Daidream, which is based in Vukovar. The author of the idea for Mello is a young man from Vukovar who has been living for a long time in Frankfurt, Nevio Burić. Nevio escaped to Germany with his parents as a child during the Homeland War.

After a successful career working for Silicon Valley companies, all while reading classic fairy tales before bedtime to his children (aged 11, 6 and 1), he came up with the idea of ​​developing an application.

He founded his company in his hometown with developers Dominik Kajba and Zvonimir Kišurek, and the founding team was joined by Jan de Jong, a Dutch-Croatian entrepreneur, the initiator of the digital nomad visa, and a father of four who recognised the app’s potential even in the idea phase. There’s also chief designer German Johann Schrer, who worked for major automotive brands such as BMW and Audi in his career.

the tales of mello app: an answer to the parental dilemmas posed by kids and screens

“The Tales of Mello app was created as a parental answer to the question of whether time children spend in front of screens today can be safe for their development, useful and educational. I started this project with the inspiration and motivation to do something good for my children. Today, technology is an integral part of all of our lives, and for young generations, it’s right there in front of them from a very early age. Our goal isn’t to encourage children to use phones, but when the time comes for children to enter the digital world, then Tales of Mello provides a quality and useful alternative to hyperstimulating video and gaming content.

When children have already passed the stage of reading traditional fairy tales, the Tales of Mello app can be their safe entry into the digital world so that parents don’t have to worry about whether it will harm them or whether they will be presented with something adequate and inappropriate,” said Nevio Burić. As a refugee from Vukovar, Nevio had far from the happiest childhood. In creating this application, he has actively tried to create a more beautiful and fairy-tale-like world for new generations.

Mello the chameleon motivates children to research, he teaches them about numerous topics and encourages them to be creative. Instead of children being passive consumers of content, the Tales of Mello app encourages them to be actively involved in shaping it.

Mello talks to children in a very special way about the natural world, ecology and sustainable development, as well as other interesting topics. Just like Netflix provides personalised content and Wikipedia provides access to infinite knowledge, Mello offers kids a combination of education and entertainment through creating, reading and listening to digital fairy tales that makes it unique in the market.

In addition to the stories told by Mello the chameleon, of which over 20 new ones arrive every week, “Mello’s library” also includes stories about great minds such as Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein.

first place among 2000 startups

The Tales of Mello app recently won first place in a competition of 2000 start-ups organised by Bayern Media Lab, after which Nevio Burić was called the “Robin Hood of books” by the German media.

“The Tales of Mello app enables every child, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographical location, to access high-quality educational content. That democratises their access to knowledge and raises their level of awareness of important current topics. Mello is a little digital friend for children and their teacher outside the classroom. He promotes the love of reading, and provides support to parents in their education, enabling them to spend quality time with their children through playing and learning. The most interesting thing of all is that children can be the authors and make their family members the heroes of completely personalised stories”, explained Nevio Burić.

the tales of mello app was tested in croatia and germany

Before the launch, the application was tested by over a hundred families from Germany and Croatia. In the development of the app, experts in the field of pedagogy and education were consulted, including the German women Felicitas Blumenthal and Rabea Wiese. Croatian experts in child education and development also gave their opinion during the app’s presentation in Zagreb.

“My position is that the time children spend on the screen should have a limit. Additionally, their very first contact with a screen should be delayed as much as possible. It’s incredibly important to know what children are doing while they are on their phones, and from that point of view, it’s great that the Tales of Mello app is marked as safe for children.

Parents should be the storytellers of fairy tales to their children in as much as is possible, but it’s certainly better for children to be spending time on an educational app like this than who knows where. We need apps like this. It’s clear that as a generation, we’re increasingly leaning in the direction of the screen and we shouldn’t run away from it. Instead, what I constantly emphasise is that we need to have some balance”, said Duško Ilijević, an experienced educator with many years of experience working with children of preschool age. He also emphasised the importance of balanced access to technology in an educational context.

for kids aged from 3 to 12

The Tales of Mello app is intended for children from 3 to 12 years of age, and for independent use after the age of 4. In the first phase, it will be available in Croatian, German and English, and by the end of the year it will be updated with several more European languages. In the future, the goal is to make it available in both Mandarin Chinese and Hindi.

My four children are between the ages of 4 and 11, and I see the Tales of Mello app as an opportunity for them to hang out together, for my eldest son to show my youngest daughter how to create fairy tales, and to accompany her in this learning and creative process. My second oldest daughter, for example, isn’t the biggest fan of reading and I think this is an ideal way to get her interested in it. I’m happy that my children’s time is mostly occupied by activities outside the home and off the screen, but when they use their phones for that one short part of the day, then it’s good that they’ll be doing something useful and imaginative through the Tales of Mello app Of course, it also makes it easier for us as parents and gives us a bit of time for ourselves and our responsibilities, while we know that our children are safe in the digital world,” said Slavica de Jong, mother of four.

partnership with daidream

The partnership with the Daidream company includes many others who recognised the uniqueness of this idea, including Impact Hero, an organisation dedicated to creating a positive social impact through innovative projects and collaborations. The collaboration with WWF Adria, the regional branch of the largest non-profit world organisation for environmental protection, also speaks volumes.

“I’m glad that we could be here today and support the ideas of the excellent young people behind this app. Our colleagues from our international office noticed it and liked it. They liked the presentation of topics that are important to WWF, and so together we started to think about how we might offer our stories, because we have a lot of content, but we need it to be presentated in a simple and receptive way.

Over the next period, we’ll place our 20 stories on the Tales of Mello app, and then these wonderful people will present them in an innovative way. We scientists sometimes don’t know how to present things in a nice way, so we need storytellers like Daidream and this app,” said Dunja Mazocco Drvar, the director of environmental protection at WWF Adria.

The headquarters of the Daidream company are in the very heart Vukovar. Last week, the Tales of Mello app was presented for the first time in front of Vukovar’s children and the local community. Naturally, there were very positive reactions from the schoolchildren and the primary school teaching staff alike.

european publishing houses are involved

Long before the launch of the Tales of Mello app, numerous business contacts and agreed collaborations were made, among others with the largest European publishing houses. The names of said institutions will be revealed soon.

“Finally, our goal isn’t for printed books to lose their charm and importance in the upbringing and development of children, but to connect the digital world with the children’s world of imagination and fairy tales. We want one of the world’s top stories to bear a Croatian signature. We want to have healthy expansion and growth, we want to employ dozens more young people from Vukovar. We want to offer many more useful, educational and fun children’s products in the future through the Mello brand”, concluded Nevio Burić.

The Tales of Mello appwill be available to download from the Play Store for Android devices from July the 1st. A version for iOS devices will also be launched in the coming period.

The post Tales of Mello App: A Safe & Educational Path to the Digital World appeared first on Total Croatia.

can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in film making?

The desire for writing and acting emerged for me in the sixth grade of elementary school. I realized a play with a friend from class, and we participated in a municipal competition. After that, ideas kept coming, and for my own pleasure, I wrote dialogues. During high school, I became interested in editing and filming. Everything was a kind of hobby with an increasing longing to engage in filmmaking, so towards the end of high school, I applied for a screenwriting workshop and became a member of a theater group. However, it wasn’t until after high school that I dedicated myself more concretely to acting, directing, and screenwriting, gaining acting experience in front of the camera for television. I studied at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Zagreb, but according to the Bologna model of studying, I also attended some film courses at the Academy of Dramatic Art and the Faculty of Education in Zagreb. Additionally, I would like to mention the course on Greek philosophy and the German language at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.

You are currently working on the development of the film Hunting Tesla. Could you provide a brief overview of the movie and its central theme?

Hunting Tesla is a family drama with elements of comedy and action. According to esteemed experts, it is an entirely original authorial work that Croatian cinematography has not yet seen, but also foreign. From a technical standpoint, it far surpasses in quality despite a very limited budget. The tagline and a more detailed description of the plot on international crowdfunding platform Bona Fides Invest reveal a lot, but almost nothing. Additionally, I can only add that viewers will be highly engaged because we managed to make the film somewhat interactive. I won’t say “as if they are there”, but rather “that they are there”. The cinema hall is part of the story itself and part of the set design.

What inspired you to choose Nikola Tesla as the focal point for your family movie?

I would like the viewers to speak about it. There are several reasons, and I hope that, as the author, I will be able to convey this clearly to them. On the other hand, I sought a name known worldwide to make the plot closer to the foreign audience. That’s why the main character bears the international name Michael, or Croatian Mihael. Similarly, the Italian surname Bruni, which is also carried by members of the Italian minority in Croatia and a certain number around the world. I chose the other names as the author based on my own preferences, but it so happened that some of those names are international as well. Furthermore, when mentioning all of this, there are also some universally recognized concepts and elements within the plot. The settings are carefully chosen, and there is a reason the story unfolds not only in Croatia but also in New York and London.

Why did you decide to launch a crowdfunding campaign for Hunting Tesla? Can you share some insights into the goals and objectives of your crowdfunding campaign?

Crowdfunding campaigns of this type are more popular in, for example, the USA than in Croatia, but we are witnessing an increasing presence of this fundraising method in our country as well. I see an opportunity to raise awareness about the project and encourage support through this method, along with other fundraising approaches. We have set a high goal for Croatian standards since we are not funded by the Ministry of Culture, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), or the national television. For our benefactors, individuals, and certain business directors, this is a staggering amount—332,000.00 euros. In a way, we are breaking new ground because few dare to invest in a film or donate for a potentially poor product, and there are valid reasons for that mindset. The answer is simple: most Croatian films turn out poorly, primarily due to weak storytelling and a lack of experience, and secondly, due to budget constraints. Additionally, many are disappointed due to nepotism, rigged competitions, or misappropriation of funds. My conscience is clear because I can only be held accountable for the storytelling aspect. However, this is unlikely to happen. The reason for this is the wonderful film artists and technicians I have gathered, who have advised, guided, and helped me in some aspects, providing good directorial and production solutions.

What kind of support and feedback have you received from your community so far?

On one hand, I am very satisfied because raising €195,000.00, both in cash and in the value of services, is a job well done. This Bona Fides Invest campaign and some individuals will be a winning combination. On the other hand, I am honestly saddened. Certain recipients, closely related to this topic, have rudely rejected us or merely made a symbolic gesture of solidarity. However, I was shocked by the contributions of certain individuals, from whom I did not expect as much. Each of us has played this first or second role, consciously or unconsciously, in life. That’s just how it is, so I don’t allow emotions to overpower me.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working on the Hunting Tesla movie so far?

Watching the rough cut of the film from start to finish in the editing room. I feel a great sense of peace in my heart, knowing that we have done a great job. With even greater enthusiasm and passion, we continue with post-production and additional filming.

Can you tell us about the team behind Hunting Tesla and how everyone came together for this project? Are there any notable collaborations or partnerships that have played a significant role in the development of the movie?

I reached out to two actors, Ivan Ožegović and Pere Eranović, to recommend actors they know and to assist me in disseminating a general casting call to actors to apply for auditions. We held auditions in a hotel in Zagreb and another one in Split. I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of applicants. Through Pere Eranović and some other friends in the television industry, I was introduced to the director of photography, Ivan Trpimir Lozić, and all the other film artists and technicians. I believe I found the contact information of cinematographer Boštjan Vučak only through the internet. As mentioned earlier, some members of the team advised and guided me to ensure that the story and filming process were even more professional and of higher quality, and for that, I am sincerely grateful to them! We have become great friends, like true brothers. We meet, hang out, and sometimes work on other projects together. I can only add some quotes from a few of them:

“Ante, this is the most beautiful film set I’ve ever been on!” – costume designer Nina Silobrčić.

“This is a completely different film set. I’ve been on all sorts of sets. This is a lovely and unusual experience.” – academic actress Jadranka Krajina

“I didn’t expect everything to unfold like this. At first, I thought it was a student film, but this is a real film, man. And the people, the number of friends I’m working with now and how close we’ve become!” – academic sound master Boris Stanić.

How do you envision Hunting Tesla making an impact? What do you hope the audience takes away from the movie once it’s completed?

“The movie Hunting Tesla will dazzle the world and remain remembered just as the great scientist Nikola Tesla dazzled and remained remembered.” Who said that? You’ll find out when you watch the film. Ha-ha-ha! The film will enrich and uplift viewers, encourage them to think about several life values, and save someone’s life, marriage, or family. Although it is not a religious or activist work.

After you make the film, what are your further plans for its distribution and screening?

We will screen the film in cinemas and other venues in more than 50 cities and in over 50 municipalities. Of these, more than 10 screenings will include a thematic panel discussion on the role of art. We definitely plan to collaborate with official distributors and exhibitors. Additionally, we are currently looking at around seven,  both domestic and international, festivals. We will not forget Croats in the diaspora either.

Is there anything else you would like to share with potential donors or the broader community interested in Hunting Tesla?

Join us and shine in the world like Nikola Tesla. And in the world of every individual. Bring with us into the world of man a work that will rest him, make him laugh, heal his wounds, thrill him, and give him peace. Become a producer with your gift!

The post Hunting Tesla: Interview with Ante Čaljkušić appeared first on Total Croatia.

The awards came for cooperation with the Association of Croatian Judges, a project that resulted in the largest and well-deserved increase in judges’ salaries in recent history, and an improvement in the financial status of the third branch of government after more than twenty years.

An international jury composed of as many as 51 renowned communication experts evaluated projects from all over the world, and awarded Manjgura two bronze Polaris in the Non-Governmental Organizations category for Governance and Policy change. No gold was awarded in both categories.

“We are extremely proud of this recognition of ten months of work, especially when we know what kind of campaigns were in this competition. The individual approach and comprehensive solutions that Manjgura offers to clients proved to be a winning combination this time as well. We also thank the judges for their trust, we are proud to have helped correct a long-standing injustice”, said Krešimir Macan, director of Manjgura, head of the team, which also included senior consultant Anamarija Hrvoić Đurić and junior consultant Dora Novak.

With these awards, Manjgura continues the winning streak that began by winning the Grand PRrix of the Croatian Public Relations Association for the project Prodajni Mindset: The Wolf of Wall Street. The third and fourth finals of this year are coming soon – for the IPRA GWA award, also known as the PR Oscar, which is also the world’s oldest competition in the field of public relations, for both of the aforementioned works – The Wolf of Wall Street and the Association of Croatian Judges.

The Polaris Prize is awarded under the auspices of the European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC), the International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC) and the Latin American Association of Political Consultants (ALCP). The organizers explain that Polaris is another name for the North Star, the brightest star visible in the northern hemisphere. Just as it has guided humanity and many researchers and leaders to their goals for thousands of years, so political advisors guide candidates, political parties, movements and leaders today.

The post Manjgura Agency Wins 2 International Awards in London appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/VL/Zoran Vitas writes, Croatian distilleries enjoyed an excellent performance at the IWSC, International Wine and Spirits Competition in London. As many as 25 medals from the prestigious competition were taken back to Croatia, and two of them were the highest possible – Gold Outstanding.

This means that Croatian distilleries left a special impression on the jury, whose hundred members came together in the iconic British capital, compared to the others in the competition. In the stone fruit brandy (rakija) category, the Gold Outstanding medal was won by Viljamovka of the Šimić distillery from Požega in Slavonia, achieving 98 points.

“Deliciously bold, with a strong punch of ripe apricot right on the nose, complemented by the subtle uniqueness of fermentation. The palate is offered clear notes of apricot with a hint of pepper, leading to a long, spicy finish,” the jury claimed. The same distinction went to the brandy Martin Albus from Lješnjak PP Orahovica, which achieved a higher score (99) in the nut brandy category.

“Indulge in the essence of hazelnut intertwined with rich cocoa and fresh citrus. Perfectly judged sweetness and harmoniously integrated alcohol carry complex layers of flavour, supported by a rich truffle base with plenty of freshly cracked hazelnut. There’s a rich intensity like a chocolate spread without too much bitterness or sugar, before a harmonious, long-lasting finish”, the jury said about the distillate from Orahovica.

More roaring success for Croatian distilleries from Slavonia soon arrived, as brandy Jedna dujja ​​Obrta Romić from Osijek achieved 95 points in the fruit with seeds category and also received gold. “Fruit and peppery aromas lead to a palate full of orchard fruit and baking spices. Light notes of wild honey balance the tannic fruit, culminating in a long, satisfying, floral finish,” says the jury for this rich Slavonian brandy.

Gold was also won in the category of classic gins. It was taken home by the Poetica distillery from Vrgorac with 96 points, which is one point higher than Old Pilot’s rating from back 2019 in the same competition. That means that we now have the new best-rated Croatian gin in history.

“Green cardamom and Indian spices, with hints of citrus. The powerful palate is perfectly balanced with the wonderful complexity of cardamom which is very well integrated. Its character shines with the addition of water”, praised the judges for the gin that comes from the Dalmatian hinterland.

Both Croatian distilleries also won silver medals, and were very close to taking home gold. Obrt Romić received 93 points for its One Apple Barrique, and 90 points for its One Grape Muscat Barrique. Poetica scored 91 points for its Limited Barrel Aged Old Tom Gin aged in thorn barrels of the Gašpar winery, 92 for its Olive infused Gin infused with Brač olives, 90 for its Summer Bonnet Gin infused with the famous Vrgorac strawberries. The Šimić distillery also received 94 points for its Šljivovica and 90 points for its impressive Viljamovka.

There is also an interesting cultural phenomenon in this the whole story – Krka Monastery won three silvers for its brandies – Loza took home 91 points, Loza Mediterraneo was awarded 91 points, and Loza Travarica enjoyed 90 points.

Let’s round off the story of the success of Croatian distilleries with the winning of silver with two more gins. The Gavran distillery received 91 points for its Raven’s London Dry Gin, and 90 points went to Edelweisser for its Velebit Infused Gin. The fact that Croatia has become quite the force in gin making has also been evidenced by the six bronze medals that Croatian distilleries have duly received.

It’s also interesting to note that the Edelweisser distillery received two awards for its Dalmatian Dry Gin, bronze in the category of classic gins, and silver in the category of mixtures where gins are mixed with excellent Franklin & Sons tonic. Bronzes were also awarded to the Vislander winery and distillery for its Issa Citrus Dry Gin, the Brač distillery s778 Heritage was awarded for its London Dry Gin, as was the K Distillery from Vojnić for its own London Dry Gin.

The bronze went to the Old Gods Distillery for its Svarin London Dry Gin and to the Blazar Tech distillery for The Code Gin. Distillery Šimić took home bronze for its Dunjevaca Barrique, and Šušnjar did the same for its Šljivovica.

Quite remarkably, Croatia didn’t take home gold in the wine section this year, but there were 10 medals won, including two silvers won by Agrolaguna for its Festigia Malvazija Istrian vintage 2023, and for Festigia Blanc De Moi Brut 2017 sparkling wine.

The post Croatian Distilleries Take Home Numerous IWSC London Awards appeared first on Total Croatia.