New International Recognition for Croatia’s Video Featuring John Malkovich

The Croatian tourism promotional video “CROATIA – I hear it’s beautiful”, starring John Malkovich, has won the Grand Prix as well as first prize in the Promotional Film category at the Art & Travel International Film Festival (ATIFF 2026) in Tbilisi, held from 26 to 30 September.

The renowned festival brings together cinema, contemporary art and international travel, attracting prominent filmmakers and winners of prestigious film awards, as well as representatives of the tourism and media industries from the United States, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Türkiye, Greece, Spain and other countries.

“We are delighted with this award and this latest international recognition, as it confirms the quality and creative value of a project through which we present Croatia in a different, contemporary and emotional way. It is particularly significant that the award comes from a festival that brings together film, art and tourism and attracts numerous international professionals from these fields. We believe that content of this kind can help bring Croatia closer to global audiences while highlighting its diversity, authenticity and appeal,” said Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

This year’s ATIFF edition places particular emphasis on the importance of creative storytelling, content production and new approaches to presenting tourism destinations. The Croatian tourism promotional video reflects these trends by showcasing the country through a contemporary cinematic language, a personal story and humour.

This marks the third international award for the Croatian tourism promotional film. It previously received the prestigious Grand Prix for Best Tourism Film, the festival’s highest honour, at the 5th BH Tourism Film Festival in Sarajevo, while at the TEF Tourism and Ethnographic Film Festival on the island of Krk, it received the Award for Outstanding Film Achievement.