Svadba (Photo: Press)
The Croatian film Svadba (The Wedding) has made cinema history, achieving the strongest opening ever recorded for a domestic film in Croatia.
From its Zagreb premiere on 20 January through to the end of its first weekend in cinemas, the film attracted 170,496 viewers in Croatia, setting a new all-time record for a Croatian production, the Croatian Audiovisual Center said.
Written and directed by Igor Šeregi, and produced by Eclectica, Svadba has generated unprecedented audience interest.
“I am extremely proud of the entire team in front of and behind the camera and thrilled by the audience reaction,” said Šeregi. “This is a reward for everyone’s hard work, and I hope these numbers will encourage the production of more domestic comedies and commercially oriented films.”
Producer Ivan Kelava highlighted the scale of the achievement, noting that such success exceeded expectations.
“Despite all our efforts, it was difficult to anticipate the extent of this ‘Svadba-mania’. I would like to thank all our partners and, above all, the audience, from Zagreb and other major cities to every smaller community in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. If the film managed to lift people’s spirits, even for 97 minutes, then we have achieved our goal,” Kelava said.
The film’s success was driven by an exceptionally strong marketing and distribution strategy led by Blitz Group, which ensured Svadba was positioned as a must-see cinematic event.
According to Hrvoje Krstulović, President of the Management Board of Blitz Group, more than 70,000 tickets were sold before the film’s first official screening.
“This result is not a coincidence,” Krstulović said. “It is the outcome of a shared vision, close collaboration and precise execution across all levels, from distribution and production to creative teams. Above all, it reflects the exceptional quality and scale of the film itself.”
(Photo: Press)
The record-breaking opening has been welcomed as a positive signal for the Croatian audiovisual sector.
Chris Marcich, Director of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), said the result demonstrates strong public interest in domestic film.
“This outstanding achievement confirms that audiences have a deep interest in Croatian cinema. Projects with strong commercial potential, alongside more intimate author-driven works, contribute greatly to the diversity and creativity of our film industry,” Marcich said.
Beyond Croatia, Svadba also recorded remarkable results in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it attracted 49,067 viewers during its opening weekend. This brings the film’s total regional audience to 219,563 viewers so far.
CineStar cinemas reported selling 154,016 tickets across their venues alone, with an additional 65,547 tickets sold through other cinemas in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following gala premieres in Zagreb, Banja Luka and Sarajevo, the film is set to premiere in Belgrade on 28 January, Novi Sad on 29 January, and Ljubljana in early February.
According to Blitz, Svadba has surpassed even major Hollywood releases in Croatia. By comparison, Avengers: Endgame attracted approximately 90,000 viewers during its opening weekend in the country in 2019.
The film features a prominent ensemble cast including Rene Bitorajac, Dragan Bjelogrlić, Linda Begonja, Vesna Trivalić, Anđelka Stević Žugić, Roko Sikavica, Nika Grbelja, Marko Grabež, Seka Sablić and Srđan “Žika” Todorović, alongside many leading Croatian and regional actors.
Svadba (Photo: Press)
Svadba was produced by Eclectica and Viktorija Film, with producers Ivan Kelava and Marko Jocić. The creative team includes cinematographer Tomislav Sutlar, editor Lea Mileta, composer Dubravko Robić, sound designer Ivan Zelić, production designer Jana Piacun, costume designer Paula Čule, and make-up artist Snježana Gorup.
The film was co-financed by HAVC, the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, and HRT, with distribution handled by Duplicato in Croatia and Blitz in Bosnia and Herzegovina.