A community created art showcase held over several weeks with Croatian culture, celebrated the richness of Croatian heritage in Australia as the Croatian Creative Industries event brought together film, visual art and creativity with three key events:
🎬 Croatian Film Festival - Perth held at the @ The Backlot theatre - West Perth from October 31st, across November and on 14th January 2026 with the film DIVA.
🎨 Artist Exhibition - Croatian Community Art Showcase. Held at the WA Croatian Community Centre, Saturday November 1st, 12pm - 5pm and the:
🏆 The Croatian Creative Industries Awards Dinner that was held on
Saturday November 1st 6pm.
Celebrating the talent of Croatian creatives across generations and disciplines, provided an opportunity to connect, celebrate and showcase our Croatian heritage. We also hosted Sydney United team to Perth prior to their Bayswater game for the Australian Championship.
This exhibition was dedicated to showcase and celebrate the artistic achievements of Australian artists with Croatian heritage. This event honours the rich cultural connections and creative talents within our community, providing a platform for artists to share their unique vision and journey. The submissions were paintings, sculptures, photography, digital art, crochet and embroidery.
Winners will be showcased at the 2026 Meeting-G2 in Croatia.
Friday 31st October,
Saturday 1st November and Sunday 23rd November 2025
@ The Backlot theatre
21 Simpson St, West Perth
Experience Croatian heritage created films!
The festival featured films ranging from contemporary works to new inspirations, offering something for everyone.
Croatian Film Festival Captivates Perth with Powerful Stories of Heritage
The 2025 Croatian Film Festival lit up The Backlot theatre in West Perth last month, drawing packed houses across memorable days: Opening Friday 31 October, across November and finishing in January 2026 with the film DIVA. Audiences were left speechless by the Oscar-eligible drama Unspoken, Mariana Rudan’s multi-award-winning tour de force. The filmmaker herself joined a riveting live Q&A, sharing the intensely personal journey behind this gut-wrenching masterpiece that lingered long after the credits rolled.
The electrifying biopic Dražen proved the undisputed highlight, chronicling the meteoric rise and tragic fall of basketball icon Dražen Petrović, The film’s raw portrayal of genius, obsession and loneliness had viewers in tears. Australian actor Valentin Perkovic, part of the stellar cast alongside Domagoj Nižić and Zrinka Cvitešić, captivated the crowd in a post-screening interview, reflecting on bringing this Croatian legend to the screen.
Families flocked to the delightful animated adventure Cricket and Antoinette, the Pula Film Festival triple-winner that reimagined the classic fable with irresistible charm and toe-tapping music.
Documentaries Countryman and Hrvati Naši Ljudi — featuring Ron Gomboc, Marinko Pecotic and Luke Jurcevic — and the multi-award-winning BILLICH: Beyond The Canvas rounded out a program that bridged Croatia and Australia with heart, humour and unflinching honesty. A triumphant celebration of Croatian cinema and spirit.
Multi award winning, Oscar eligible Unspoken, a gut‑wrenching tour de force that lingers long after the lights come up. We held a live interview with Mariana Rudan to discuss her journey with the creation of this exciting film.
This electrifying biopic traces the meteoric rise and heartbreaking fall of Croatian basketball icon Dražen Petrović. From the cracked seaside courts of Šibenik to the roaring arenas of Real Madrid and the NBA, Petrović’s ruthless work ethic and volcanic love for the game lift him to global stardom and slowly consume him. Šerbedžija zeroes in on the man behind the legend: the playful son, the restless perfectionist, and the pioneer who shattered European ceilings in America yet wrestled with loneliness off‑court. Every victory is shadowed by the “curse” of his obsession, building toward the fateful 1993 crash that silenced his swagger but ignited an immortal legacy. We held a live interview with Valentin Perkovic about his experience being an actor in this film. Valentin is also an Australian actor across many international films including DIVA and BILLICH Beyond the Canvas.
Directors: Danilo Šerbedžija and Ljubo Zdjelarević
Cast: Domagoj Nižić, Zrinka Cvitešić, Dragan Mićanović, Pavel Matuško
Duration: 1 Hr 40 min
Country of Origin: Croatia
Rating: PG 13+
Director: Luka Rukavina, Kristijan Milic, Dino Krpan
Cast: Tara Thaller, Marko Petric, Hrvoje Keckes
Duration: 1 HR 22 Min
Country of Origin: Croatia
Rating: G (Adventure, Family Movie, Fable)
Pula Film Festival Winner Best Screenplay, Best Music Score, Audience Award, Pulcinella Awards Best Animated Feature Nominee.
Here is a new take on the famous fairy tale first told by Aesop and Jean de la Fontaine. Ket, a guitar playing cricket, leads a band to entertain the carefree bugs. Nearby lives Antoinette, heiress of the anthill where music is forbidden and only discipline and hard work are allowed. By accident they meet and an affection grows between them. The ant girl tries to warn the crickets of the upcoming winter, to no avail. When Antheodor, an over-ambitious ant, kidnaps Antoinette, it's Ket and his friends who come to her rescue.
Retracing his late father’s footsteps, a traveler from the urban coast embarks on a 10,000km road trip around Northern Australia. In remote desert country he encounters an emerging Warumungu artist whose father was also a migrant.​
From Australia - a surprise list of documentary interviews with Ron Gomboc, Marinko Pecotic and Luke Jurcevic.
Filmed in 2024 across Australia.
by Nikola Mihaljovic
Explore the dazzling unconventional private lives of Charles and his glamorous wife Christa as we invite you to experience their domain, up close and personal.
Discover the cosmic visions channeled by the living legend of the art world and experience the bravado of the Billich lifestyle as we reveal the complete untold story from beyond the canvas.
United States Motion Picture Alliance
2022 Winner Best Documentary Film
Best Documentary
Steve Ravic (producer)
WA Croatian Community Centre
Wednesday January 14th
6:15pm
Alfred Rd
North Fremantle
Ph: 0409 395 315
We welcome our patron from Perth, Swan Valley and judge Ron Gomboc with his 22nd exhibition at Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi this year and also next year his 22nd year at Cottesloe Beach. Designer of Australia's equivalent of the OSCAR awards the Australian Film Institute, AACTA - Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts awards.
Congratulations to Ron for his 13th year as the designer of the award with the body of the statuette cast in 22 karat gold received by Australia's leading performers.
The story of the AACTA statuette - read here
Visit Gomboc Gallery
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JOONDALUP DC 6919
Western Australia, Australia
Phone: +61 409395315
