{"id":20205,"date":"2026-04-25T13:25:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T11:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceeanimation.eu\/?post_type=news&p=20205"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:29:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T11:29:47","slug":"ceea-talks-jure-busic-on-animation-in-croatia","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ceeanimation.eu\/news\/ceea-talks-jure-busic-on-animation-in-croatia\/","title":{"rendered":"CEEA Talks: Jure Bu\u0161i\u0107 on Animation in Croatia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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If it sometimes feels like too few animated films are coming out of Croatia, it\u2019s worth noting that one man is doing his part to change that, with no fewer than eight projects currently in development. Jure Bu\u0161i\u0107 (Jaka Productions) is making the most of every opportunity: he\u2019s pitching at the CEE Animation Forum, participating in the CEEA Workshop with BROTHER DEER, and meanwhile, working towards something larger, a stronger, more versatile Croatian animation landscape.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is there a better way to shine a spotlight on Croatian animation than through the man who is represented at the CEE Animation Forum twice?<\/strong>
\nJure Bu\u0161i\u0107: I was surprised! I applied with two projects, and didn\u2019t expect them both to be selected.<\/p>\n

Jaka Productions isn\u2019t exactly known as a company specialising in animation, but on stage, you said you currently have eight (!) animation projects in the pipeline.
\n<\/strong>Bu\u0161i\u0107: My father was a painter; perhaps that is where my childhood fascination with pictures and animation comes from. But it was never a part of my career plan; I mainly worked with live action and documentaries. Until I produced my first stop motion short film seven years ago, THE BALLAD OF PIPE AND NECKLACE by Martin Babic, and found it both exciting and relaxing. Live action often requires a large crew, perhaps as many as 100 people, whereas the process for an animated film is much more peaceful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Do you mean that producing animated films is for lazy people?<\/strong>
\nBu\u0161i\u0107: Definitely not! It requires time and patience. Every project brings new challenges, different authors, different techniques\u2026 It\u2019s always a matter of experimenting. I take care of the festival distribution for my shorts, and was surprised by the number of festival selections for THE BALLAD OF PIPE AND NECKLACE. For live-action shorts, I struggled to find 20 festivals. But my first animated film was selected for more than 100 festivals and collected 10 awards. The same applies to our latest film, THE SHADOW, by Petra Baleki\u0107. Animation travels so easily! Afterwards, several animation filmmakers approached me: \u201cYou did a great job for Martin Babic; we want to work with you too.\u201d And here I am, with several animated titles in production.<\/p>\n

Do they all come in different styles and for different target audiences?
\n<\/strong>Bu\u0161i\u0107: Most of them are 2D animations, one is in 3D, another combines stop-motion and 2D, and Martin Babic is working on a new stop-motion project. EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY by Dora Peji\u0107 Bach received an award at the CEE Animation Forum, and the short film SCHERZO is directed by emerging talent Dorotea Radu\u0161i\u0107. For both projects, we are looking for European co-producers. This year, we completed two Slovenian shorts, which are now beginning their festival run: THE GIRL WHO WASN’T AFRAID OF BEARS by Lea Vu\u010dko, and IN A FARAWAY FOREST: APPLE OF DISCORD by Timon Leder. All of these projects can serve as a stepping stone towards producing a feature or a TV series. Animation has a strong artistic aura in Croatia, and these artists are not used to working with the larger crews required for feature production. That\u2019s why short films remain a way to build a high-quality talent pool for more ambitious projects in the future.<\/p>\n

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