Croatian stories set to meet the iconic Berlinale Bear

Diva Perković, Joyce Morrell, Vesna Trokter, Charles Billich and Shaun Morrell

The campaign to champion Croatian stories on screen has been making a strong impact on the world stage, from Cannes in France to AFM in the USA, and is now returning to Europe for Berlinale and beyond.

At the helm of Majestic Film and the International Croatian Artists Network stands a proud Croatian advocating for more Croatian stories to be told on the global stage.

The easily identifiable long haired and sharp rock-edged film-and-music industry veteran Steve Ravić is on a mission.

Following a strong international run from the Cannes Film Festival through to the American Film Market in Los Angeles, Berlinale and the European Film Market are the next major industry platforms where the campaign for Croatian stories will be promoted, at the home of the iconic Berlinale Bear. 

While historic Croatian narratives remain a key focus, the internationally acclaimed Australian-Croatian filmmaker Steve Ravić is determined to expand the platform to support aspiring Croatian filmmakers.

Steve Ravić

Through Majestic Film and the International Croatian Artists Network Inc. (ICAN), he is advancing a clear global mission to support Croatian storytellers, elevate Croatian culture, and deliver Croatian-linked screen projects to international standards.

Ravić’s work is defined by a rare combination of creative leadership, production command, and market-facing strategy. His philosophy is straightforward: “a film’s cultural value must be matched with a strong completion, the final craft that makes a story travel, compete, and endure”.

He continues “Croatia is rich with powerful stories, stories of faith, courage, sacrifice, and identity. I’ve always believed these narratives belong on the world stage, so the world can understand exactly why the Croatian heart beats so strongly. I’m committed to helping deliver these stories through powerful cinema, told with emotional truth.”

To strengthen these efforts, Ravić has recruited long-time colleague Neil Johnson, an award-winning, non-Croatian film professional and International director, who will take on leadership roles and help spearhead the initiative alongside Ravić.

Keep a lookout for ICAN — International Croatian Artists Network Inc.

At the centre of Ravić’s cultural mandate is ICAN, built to connect artists, communities, and cultural partners across borders. ICAN is not intended to be just a symbolic brand, it is a working platform being designed to grow support for Croatian artists and their projects, mobilise diaspora engagement, and strengthen pathways for Croatian stories.

Carlos Rincon of Prestige, Steve Ravić and Nico Prontzas of Majestic Film Germany

ICAN will connect communities, cultural partners, and creative initiatives through film, art, and cultural programs. The initiative was created by the Founder and President Steve Ravić in 2025, continuing the groundwork originally established by Majestic Film at Cannes in 2024.

ICAN’s public launch will form part of the 2026 Cannes campaign in May, where artists will be welcomed into the network alongside Croatian artists from Croatia and around the world.

DIVA — a project rescued and completed in Australia by Majestic Film

A major milestone in Majestic Film’s cycle of Croatian stories is the completion of the feature film Diva, a Croatian-language historical drama by SP Film Production based out of Hercegovina and directed by Branko Perić.

After years of effort to keep the project afloat, and amid the risk the film would never be completed—Majestic Film stepped in to stabilise the production and bring it to its final cinematic form. Steve Ravic steered the finishing process, delivering a result that Vesna Trokter of Majestic Film described as “a breakthrough, giving the film its soul through the final craft”.

The completion of Diva was achieved through a concentrated team effort and key contributions from Neil Johnson (USA), Carlo Zdenko Tolj (a returnee from Germany), and the Australia-based team: Vesna Trokter, Ante Ravic, and Steve Ravić.

Vesna and Steve

In a decisive creative addition, Ravić introduced newly discovered talent Diva Perković in a key role. Her performance is regarded as a powerful emotional anchor, complemented by an outstanding lead performance from Ornela Vištica. The film has truly captured audiences’ hearts.

KATARINA: THE LAST QUEEN — in active development

Building on international momentum, Majestic Film announced the development of the true story of Queen Katarina at Cannes 2025. Katarina: The Last Queen is an ambitious historical drama designed for global audiences and rooted in Croatian heritage and European history.

The project reflects Ravić’s long-view strategy: culturally significant stories built with cinematic ambition and international positioning from the outset. The project has attracted interest at the American Film Market from potential co-producers in the United States.

Ravić states “I have a personal ambition to extend the presence of ICAN in Hercegovina so as to be able to tell the world stories from historic Croatian lands in Hercegovina. I am very proud that my heritage is from Buhovo, a village from Široki Brijeg in Hercegovina. I do need to mention that my mother is from the Slavonia region of Croatia from a town called Rešetari and I also have aspirations to do projects to be based out of Slavonia.”

COOKED WITH LOVE — Ravić supports Croatian filmmakers across genres

Majestic Film is also supporting Croatian filmmaker Bruno Bilandžija from Vukovar in Slavonia, whose Cooked With Love is currently in post-production, reinforcing Ravic’s commitment to champion Croatian creators beyond any single genre or format.

The intention is clear: to also back fictional projects that carry both cinematic discipline and international market clarity. Cooked With Love is a mystery-thriller that was filmed in Vukovar.

It follows a broke, hard-edged protagonist who leaves home on a risky overseas assignment he believes will save his family. On arrival, a chance meeting with a captivating woman leads to an elegant dinner that shifts from flirtation to psychological duel.

The encounter flips the hunter into prey, and a simple meal becomes a meticulously staged moral trap. As he’s drawn deeper into a game of riddles, seduction, and threats, the choices before him grow narrower, and far more consequential, than money or pride. The mystery unfolds through tense reversals and escalating stakes, steering him toward a hard truth he has spent years refusing to face.

Ravić declared: “I met with Bruno Bilandžija and the team from VUtopia in Vukovar, and I was astounded by the craftsmanship of these extremely talented filmmakers. I intend to make every effort to have their work seen by a global audience.”

From Cannes to AFM to Berlin — and beyond

From Cannes visibility to AFM momentum and now Berlin’s industry acceleration, Steve Ravić and Majestic Film move into 2026 with a clear objective to escalate interest in cultural screen projects based on Croatian stories, delivered with world-class execution, supported by a network (ICAN) capable of helping to take these stories to the world.

Berlinale 2020 Christa Billich, Steve Ravić, Charles Billich

Other projects include the highly anticipated documentary Faith and Patriotism, created in partnership with Morrell Films (Australia) who teamed up with Majestic Film to produce a unique documentary featuring Marko Perković Thompson, focused on Croatia and its people. Ravić stated: “For generations, the Croatian people fought for more than land; they fought for identity. Through fire and sorrow, they carved a future. And from the ashes of war, a voice emerged, one that told the story through song.”

Ravić continued: “It was a pleasure to team up with Joyce and Shaun Morrell of Morrell Films because they truly understand the significance of this very important film. With award-winning Neil Johnson (Manowar, U2) from the USA and Jason McNamara (Van Halen, Steve Vai) from Japan on board, we are building a truly unique audio-visual masterpiece.”

Other films carrying strong Croatian elements include the documentary Billich 90 celebrating ninety years of Charles Billich, to be released this year, and the highly anticipated biopic My Way, which will be based on the true story of the Croatian-Australian artist extraordinaire Charles Billich, who survived the tyranny of communist Yugoslavia. The biopic has secured a major deal that will see Steve Ravić remain attached as Writer-Director and co-producer.

The next step is a major return to Cannes in May 2026, where Croatian stories will continue to shine at the world’s most glamorous and renowned film event.

By Steven Patrick