- by croatiaweek
- January 15, 2026
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Croatian cinema recorded an outstanding year in 2025, with domestic films attracting a total of 328,526 cinema-goers nationwide. This marks the second-best result since the founding of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), confirming a renewed and sustained audience interest in local productions.
A total of 48 Croatian film titles were screened in cinemas during the year, including 36 premieres. These comprised 22 feature-length fiction films, nine of them minority co-productions, and 14 documentary films, including two minority co-productions.
Together, they delivered one of the strongest performances for Croatian film in over a decade.
The most-watched Croatian film of 2025 was Drugi dnevnik Pauline P. (Pauline P.’s Second Diary), directed by Neven Hitrec and written by Ivan Turković-Krnjak, HAVC said.
(Photo: Drugi dnevnik Pauline P.)
The sequel to the popular children’s film, inspired by the books of Sanja Polak, attracted 74,250 viewers, making it not only the top domestic release but also the sixth most-watched film overall in Croatian cinemas.
Second place went to 260 dana (260 Days), directed by Jakov Sedlar and based on the autobiographical novel by Marijan Gubina, which drew 63,814 viewers.
(260 Dana)
In third place was Igor Bezinović’s award-winning docu-fiction Fiume o Morte!, seen by 38,948 people.
The film also achieved international recognition as Croatia’s Oscar submission and a contender for the European Film Awards.
Children’s film Bumbarovo ljeto (Bumbar’s Summer) ranked fourth with 37,740 viewers, while the documentary Sokol – Nezaustavljiv kao sudbina, about Vukovar hero Velimir Đerek Sokol, secured fifth place with 22,504 viewers.
Sokol (Photo: Press)
Documentary films were a particular highlight of the year, collectively attracting 81,910 cinema-goers. Fiume o Morte! became the most-watched documentary in Croatia since independence, surpassing Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 from 2004.
Fiume o morte! (Photo: Restart)
HAVC Director Chris Marcich described the results as a clear sign of public trust in Croatian cinema, emphasising the importance of nurturing audiences and strengthening emotional connections with national film.
With a market share of 9.26 per cent, Croatian films achieved their third-best result this century, further underlining 2025 as a landmark year for the domestic film industry.