4th CROATIAN
FILM FESTIVAL
Will be held in Tokyo
from November 14th to 27th, 2025!
8 Croatian films will be screened!

GREETINGS


Croatia is a popular tourist destination within Europe as an EU Member State. However, in Japan, although it is known in some circles as a football powerhouse, it is not a well-known country due to low traffic, and little known about the country.
The JAPAN CROATIA SOCIETY, a general incorporated association, has been hosting the JAPAN CROATIA FILM FESTIVAL since 2021, aiming to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the public and private sectors of Japan and Croatia through film.
This year, 2025, we will be holding the 3rd JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL in Croatia and the 4th CROATIAN FILM FESTIVAL in Japan.
Because films reflect a country’s historical background and various cultural elements, we hope that by watching Croatian films, as many Japanese people as possible will be exposed to and become interested in Croatia, increasing travel between Japan and Croatia and contributing to the development of exchanges between the two countries.
Previously, the festival has been held over three days, but the 4th CROATIAN FILM FESTIVAL will significantly extend its duration.
To provide an opportunity for visitors to experience Croatia more closely and deepen their knowledge, we will be holding cultural seminars and other events every day during the festival, as well as selling Croatian goods, wine, and other products.
By attending the CROATIAN FILM FESTIVAL, you can experience Croatia in its entirety without leaving Japan.
We sincerely welcome you to visit.
Edouard Tripković-Katayama,
representative director “JAPAN CROATIA SOCIETY”
FILMS
YouTube Playlist
* 6. Onceuponia is not included
All the Operators are currently unavailable
Svi operateri su trenutno zauzeti / 現在、すべてのオペレーターが対応中です
- Year: 2025
- Duration: 112′
- Genre : Animation, Sci-Fi, Drama

Roman Novotny, once a respected screenwriter, is now a forgotten author who reluctantly accepts a job at the bizarre tourist resort called Simula Peninsula.
There, under the leadership of the enigmatic Doctor Doppler, a strange experiment is taking place: a simulated “cinematic” resort where guests play pre-written roles, and the screenwriters — “operators” — create their stories anew every day.
At the heart of the fictional drama are Klara and her fiancé, whose relationship is falling apart, and an enigmatic figure wearing a porcelain mask, Persona — the only character fully aware that they are all inside a film.
The work of Dalibor Barić, a director who achieved Croatia’s first-ever entry into the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and was honoured with selection among the top 28 films.
Balkanika
Balkanika / バルカニカ
- Year: 2021
- Duration: 118′
- Genre: Action

A drug smuggling crew from Bosnia-Herzegovina faces chaos when a Syrian migrant’s explosives attract ISIS terrorists into the country, forcing them into a deadly game of loyalty and survival on the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia border.
Salsa
Šalša / シャルシャ
- Year : 2024
- Duration: 100′
- Genre : Comedy, Horror

A student on the run from a bad employer comes to a remote island to harvest tomatoes, but there awaits a team of goofy people, one true love and a fight for his life.
When Santa was a Communist
Djed Mraz u Bosni / ボスニアにやってきたサンタクロース
- Year : 2024
- Duration: 86′
- Genre: Comedy, Social

An acting troupe tries to bring the joy and sparkle of Santa Claus to children in post-war Bosnia, but the shadows of the past do not rest……
Journal of Paulina P.
Dnevnik Pauline P. / パウリナ・P.の日記
- Year: 2024
- Duration : 96′
- Genre : Comedy

This is a story about Paulina P. in which we follow her adventures in class and at home, as well as all the problems she successfully overcomes during the school year.
The movie is based on a famous children’s book in which she talks about her friendship, love, and family-related problems through comic situations.
The plot of the movie itself is set in the real world……
Onceuponia
ワンスアポニア
- Year: 2025
- Duration: 5’11”
- Genre: Animation

“A myth after the end of myths.”
An inverse fairytale set after the world has ended.
Onceuponia is not a place but a myth of the time before fallout, retold in fragments. Fairytale elements survive only as distorted echoes — symbols of loss, grief, and trauma.
A ragged gang of archetypes — the Child, the Queen, the Fool, the Beast, the Outcast — drift across the post-apocalyptic plain. They are seekers, though they don’t know what they seek. They carry fragments of the fairytale world in their gestures, clothes, and rituals, but none of it whole.
The work of Dalibor Barić, a director who achieved Croatia’s first-ever entry into the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and was honoured with selection among the top 28 films.
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti / 黙ってはいられなかった男
- Year: 2024
- Duration: 14′
- Genre: Drama

1993, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A passenger train is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them.
Slice of Life
スライス・オブ・ライフ
- Year: 2019
- Duration: 25′
- Genre: Sci-Fi

“Slice of Life” is an original short Science Fiction film.
Story about a low-life drug dealer who tries to turn his life around, but finds himself at the mercy of fate when he encounters a cop with an agenda of his own. The whole film is made the old school way like the legendary Sci-Fi movies of the 80’s).
Think miniatures, matte paintings, rear projections – You won’t find any CGI here!
Slice Of Life is a love letter to the Science Fiction genre of the 80’s. We invite you to follow our journey back to the future envisioned by the 80’s!
VENUE
Morc Asagaya
2-12-19-B1F, Asagaya-kita,
Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan
3 minute walk from North Exit of Asagaya Station on JR Chuo line.
SCHEDULE
Friday, 14 Nov.
| 17:00 – | Opening Ceremony Morc Ue (upper floor) |
| 17:20 – 19:15 | Opening Screening All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
| 19:30 – 21:30 | Opening Reception Detail Cafe “Tenjinkarakusa” |
Saturday, 15 Nov.
| 11:00 – 12:40 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Event Cafe “Tenjinkarakusa” |
| 18:00 – 18:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 19:10〜 20:40 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min 1h26min |
Sunday, 16 Nov.
| 11:00 – 12:40 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 14:00 – 16:00 *Registration begins at 13:30 | Special Event Guest : Izumi Yamaguchi (Actress / Singer) Cafe “Tenjinkarakusa” |
| 18:00 – 18:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 18:50 – 19:20 | Mini Event Guest : Hiroshi Ogino (Animation Producer) Morc Ue (upper floor) |
| 20:00 – 21:55 | All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
Monday, 17 Nov.
| 15:30 – 17:15 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:40 – 19:10 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min |
| 20:00 – 20:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 20:50 – 21:20 | Mini Event Guest : Taichi Suzuki (Director) Tomizo Nobe (Actor) Morc Ue (upper floor) |
Tuesday, 18 Nov.
| 15:30 – 17:15 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:40 – 19:10 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min |
| 20:00 – 20:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 20:50 – 21:20 | Mini Event Edouard Tripković-Katayama (Representative director “JAPAN CROATIA SOCIETY” ) “Croatian culture and gourmet travel – truffle: the local speciality” Morc Ue (upper floor) |
Wednesday, 19 Nov.
| 15:30 – 17:15 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:40 – 19:10 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min |
| 20:00 – 20:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 20:50 – 21:20 | Mini Event PR from the Dubrovnik and Neretva Country Turist Board Morc Ue (upper floor) |
Thursday, 20 Nov.
| 15:30 – 17:15 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:40 – 19:10 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min |
| 20:00 – 20:50 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
Friday, 21 Nov.
| 15:00 – 16:40 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 17:00 – 18:30 | When Santa was a Communist 1h26min |
| 18:50 – 20:45 | All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
| 20:45 -21:15 | Mini Event PR from the Dubrovnik Turist Board Morc Ue (upper floor) |
Saturday, 22 Nov.
| 10:30 – 12:10 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 14:00 – 16:00 *Registration begins at 13:30 | This event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Details |
| 17:20 – 18:10 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 18:10 – 18:40 | Mini Event NEW Edouard Tripković-Katayama (Representative director “JAPAN CROATIA SOCIETY” ) “The Allure of Kvarner“ Morc Ue (upper floor) |
| 19:00 – 21:05 | Balkanika 1h58min |
Sunday, 23 Nov.
| 10:30 – 12:10 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 14:00 – 16:00 *Registration begins at 13:30 | Special Event Guest: Yuji NUKUI (Filmmaker / Photographer) Cafe “Tenjinkarakusa” |
| 17:20 – 18:10 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 18:10 – 18:40 | Mini Event Guest: Masayuki Kuramoto (Director / Producer) Morc Ue (upper floor) |
| 19:00 – 21:05 | Balkanika 1h58min |
Monday, 24 Nov.
| 10:30 – 12:10 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 14:00 – 16:00 *Registration begins at 13:30 | This event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Details |
| 17:20 – 18:10 | Slice of Life 25min The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 14min Onceuponia 15min11sec |
| 18:10 – 18:40 | Mini Event Guest: Takanori Ukishima (Owner Chef of “sakeria BANCO”) Morc Ue (upper floor) |
| 19:00 – 21:05 | Balkanika 1h58min |
Tuesday, 25 Nov.
| 15:00 – 16:45 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:10 – 19:15 | Balkanika 1h58min |
| 19:40 – 21:35 | All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
Wednesday, 26 Nov.
| 15:00 – 16:45 | Salsa 1h40min |
| 17:10 – 19:15 | Balkanika 1h58min |
| 19:40 – 21:35 | All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
| 21:35 – 22:05 | This event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. |
Thursday, 27 Nov.
| 13:10 – 15:05 | All the Operators are currently unavailable 1h52min |
| 15:20 – 17:00 | Journal of Paulina P. 1h36min |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Award Ceremony |
EVENTS
We welcome you with a heartwarming special events!
During the film festival, Special Events will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at the same venue (Cafe “Tenjinkarakusa”) as the opening reception.
Special Events
We also offer a range of croatian products. Please look forward to these too!
Everyday, you can enjoy alongside the screenings!
We will host daily events within the theatre.
These include film commentary sessions, talk events featuring directors and producers, and a wealth of exclusive insights and experiences that allow you to delve deeper into both the films and Croatia. We hope you will enjoy!
Mini Events
We also offer a range of croatian products. Please look forward to these too!
We will be exhibiting and selling products!
We offer a range of croatian goods and foods, and products provided by special event guests!
Items to be exhibited and sold
Opening Reception
The opening reception for the film festival will be held on Friday 14th November, starting at 19:30 after the screenings!
The venue is cafe “Tenjinkarakusa”, newly opened in Morc Asagaya. It offers a space where you can feel the warmth of trees while still in the city.
- 2,000 JPY (1 person / 2 drinks and snacks included)
(@tenninkarakusa_morc)
Instagram
Official SNS Accounts
Please follow our official social media channels for updates on event details and other information.
TICKETS
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Enquiries in English or Croatian are welcome.
For Japanese websites, you can use the translation function of your internet browser.
Ticket Fee
Tickets for screening
- 1,500 JPY (1 person・1 film)
Various Discounts
- Over-sixties or Students: 1,300 JPY
- Children under elementary school age: 500 JPY
- Disability discount: for accompanying person
- Morc Asagaya Members: 1,200 JPY
※ Every Monday, Every Thursday, Service Day(1st of every month) : 1,000 JPY
- To apply the discount, proof of eligibility must be presented at the venue on the day. For details, please refer to the information provided under “Ticket Purchase Methods and Important Notes“. (in Japanese)
- For details on membership, please refer to the “Membership Information” (in Japanese) of Morc Asagaya.
Discounted Passes :
- Three-visit pass : 4,200 JPY
- All-day pass : 10,000 JPY
Tickets for Events
- Opening Reception :
2,000 JPY (1 person / 2 drinks and snacks included) - Special Event:
4,000 JPY (1 person / 1 event)
How to purchase tickets
- Bookings and purchases via 1.Morc Asagaya Website, 2. Peatix,
3. Quartet Onlineor 4. at the venue reception. - Those wishing to attend the event should make bookings or purchases via 2. Peatix or 4. at the venue reception.
1. Morc Asagaya Website
- Tickets for screenings up to and including the day of the event, and for up to seven days thereafter, may be purchased online.
- Payment is accepted by credit card only (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club).
- Online reservations may be made up to 30 minutes before the start of each screening.
- For further details, please refer to the information provided under “Ticket Purchase Methods and Important Notes“. (in Japanese)
2. Peatix:
- Some discount tickets are not sold on peatix. Please purchase them on 1.Morc Asagaya Website.
- Discounted passes and tickets for events are also available.
3. Quartet Online:
- Payment is by bank transfer. Please confirm the transfer details and deadline as stated in the email.
- Your booking will be confirmed once the transfer is verified.
- Please note that refunds are not issued for cancellations.
4. At the venue reception:
Tickets can be purchased at the venue.
- Please pay in cash for purchases



















