The feature-length debut, which grew out of a short film project, tells the story of a family confronted with secrets and conflicts after their grandmother's death.
The final shot of the feature-length film "Nonina Villa" was captured at Zagreb's Hangar studio, marking the end of production for Filip Dizdar's directorial and screenwriting debut. He co-wrote the screenplay with actor Antonio Scarpa.
The project initially came to life in 2025 as a short film, but the exceptional reception from audiences and critics prompted the creators to develop the story into a much more extensive work. The film explores family secrets, fractured relationships, and unexpected twists.
"The film 'Nonina Villa' is a wild and wonderful journey that has been ongoing for over a year. It all started with a call for short films from the Istria County and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre. After we shot the short film, audience reactions were extremely positive. The actors breathed special life into every character, which gave us immense inspiration and motivation to turn it into a feature film. This is my first feature-length film, and I am incredibly happy that it is 'Nonina Villa.' None of this would have been possible without the wonderful and tireless crew in front of and behind the camera," director Filip Dizdar told Glas Istre.
At the heart of the story is a family gathering in an old Istrian villa after the death of grandmother Kata, where the inheritance is to be divided. However, instead of a peaceful resolution of the past, long-suppressed conflicts and secrets surface, and the situation is further complicated by the arrival of a mysterious man who claims to have been an important figure in Kata's life. Filming took place on authentic locations throughout Istria, as well as in Jastrebarsko and Zagreb.
The lead roles are played by Antonio Scarpa, Barbara Vicković, Matilda Sorić, Dominik Čičak, Branko Perišić, and Lucija Alfier. For the feature-length version, they were joined by more well-known names such as Andrija Kuzmanović, Goran Vinčić, Arija Rizvić, Domagoj Janković, Antonija Julija Blaće, Matija Kačan, Marina Žužić, Davor Pavić, and Luka Juričić.
The film's visual identity is crafted by director of photography Matija Petrović. Production design is credited to Yelisabet Anastasia Santibanez Božić, while costume design is by Katja Kliba and Sanja Guštin. The sound design was shaped by Krešimir Rodić and Alis Aljic, with makeup by Robert Kozjak and Anela Sokolec, and hair styling by Ina Čeko.
The film is produced by Kompas Production, in collaboration with Croatian production companies The Comedian, Luxar Media, and Wolfgang&Dolly. The project gains a regional dimension through partners Kofilm from Serbia and the citizens' association Artum from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Financial support was provided by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), Istria County, the Tourist Board of Vrsar Municipality and Vrsar Municipality, the City of Poreč, the Tourist Board of Tar-Vabriga and Tar-Vabriga Municipality, Sveti Lovreč Municipality, and the City and Tourist Board of Jastrebarsko.
