Film "Heritage of Zadar County" wins award at TEF Fest Krk 2026: second place among county promotional films
The promotional film "Heritage of Zadar County", produced by Diadora TV for the Zadar County Tourist Board, won second prize in the Best County Promotional Film category at the fourth Tourism and Ethnographic Film Festival, TEF Fest Krk 2026. The festival took place from September 22 to 25 on the island of Krk, bringing together filmmakers, tourist boards and representatives of cultural institutions from Croatia and abroad. According to the official results published by the organizers, the award was presented in a competition of Croatian tourism films, within the category dedicated to showcasing counties. The award-winning production explores the cultural, historical and traditional heritage of the Zadar region and its role in shaping the destination's identity. The recognition comes at a time when tourist boards are increasingly focusing on content that introduces visitors not only to natural attractions but also to the history and way of life of individual regions.
Second prize for the Zadar film, first prize for a promotional production about Istria
In the official list of awards published by the Association Tragom hrvatske baštine, the organizer of TEF Fest, the film "Heritage of Zadar County" is listed as the winner of second prize in the "Best County Promotional Film" category. First prize in the same category went to "Istria, Weekend as It Should Be", produced by the Istria County Tourist Board, while third prize was awarded to "Imagine an Adventure!" by the Karlovac County Tourist Board. The Zadar film thus secured second place among the award-winning county promotional productions. The results also demonstrate the diversity of approaches to presenting regional identity in contemporary tourism film production. Rather than competing within a single advertising format, the festival compares cinematic stories that differ in their themes, storytelling methods and choices of what to highlight to audiences.
The award for the Zadar film also recognizes the Zadar County Tourist Board, which submitted it to the festival, and the creators at Diadora TV, who were responsible for its production. According to the description accompanying the announcement of the award, the film relies on a visual presentation of heritage that connects different historical periods, local customs and the county's cultural landscape. This approach moves away from presenting the destination exclusively through its coastline and summer holidays, instead emphasizing its distinctive cultural character. The film format also allows the story to reach audiences who may not previously have been familiar with individual towns, islands or inland areas. The award itself is not a measure of future tourist traffic, but it does increase the visibility of the work invested in portraying the region's heritage.
Vanja Čvrljak: heritage is the foundation of a destination's authenticity
Vanja Čvrljak, director of the Zadar County Tourist Board, commenting on the festival recognition, emphasized that cultural, historical and traditional heritage has a dual value: it forms part of the region's identity while also providing a foundation for developing a richer tourism offering. As he explained, the intention was to bring this value closer to a wider audience through a contemporary and appealing cinematic approach. He particularly stressed that heritage is not merely a reminder of the past, but "the foundation of the authenticity and distinctiveness of our destination". He described the award as an additional incentive to continue promoting cultural values and developing an offering that connects heritage, culture and the experience of a place. His statement reflects a broader direction in tourism promotion, in which local stories, crafts and customs are gaining greater prominence alongside traditional themes of nature and relaxation.
Čvrljak took over as director of the county tourist board in 2026, following a decision by the Tourist Council on April 30. According to official information from the board itself, the organization coordinates destination development and promotion at the regional level and brings together local tourist boards. The film is therefore not merely an individual promotional resource, but also part of an effort to present the area's diverse heritage under a shared regional identity. Such an approach may be particularly important for smaller communities that lack the international recognition of Zadar but possess historical sites, customs or traditional skills of interest to visitors. The extent to which the festival recognition translates into actual visits to individual heritage sites can only be assessed through future promotional activities and tourism results.
Four-day festival featuring 84 films in the official program
The fourth edition of TEF Fest ran from September 22 to 25, 2026, with the program spread across four days and two locations, Malinska and the town of Krk, for the first time. Organizers announced that a total of 130 film submissions had been received, of which 84 were selected for the official festival program. Filmmakers from Croatia, seven other European countries and Australia participated, presenting works focused on tourism, ethnography and documentary filmmaking. Screenings in Malinska took place at the DUBoak Maritime Heritage Interpretation Centre, while part of the program in the town of Krk was held at the local cinema. The closing ceremony and awards presentation took place on September 25, two days before World Tourism Day, which is celebrated on September 27.
The festival program was not limited to competitive screenings. According to the organizers' report, audiences could attend discussions with filmmakers, lectures and activities connected with tradition and the interpretation of cultural heritage for tourism. The final program also featured a discussion entitled "How Reality Stole Our Script", with journalist and television editor Martina Validžić and Australian director of Croatian descent Peter Pecotić, moderated by writer and university professor Nikola Petković. Among the award-winning titles was Pecotić's film "Countryman", which received recognition in the international documentary competition. The program thus connected tourism promotion with documentary storytelling and questions about how filmmakers portray real communities, their stories and their customs.
Why cultural heritage matters for presenting the Zadar region
Zadar County encompasses the historic city of Zadar, numerous coastal and island settlements, and inland areas with diverse cultural landscapes. In its overview of history and culture, the regional tourist board particularly highlights the heritage of the Liburnians, the Roman period, medieval state and ecclesiastical centers, and later architectural layers. This diversity explains why the region's history cannot be reduced to a single landmark or one form of tradition. It is an area where ancient remains, pre-Romanesque architecture, fortifications and living intangible heritage coexist within relatively short distances. A promotional film telling the story of the entire county can therefore serve as a starting point for discovering different places, rather than just its largest city.
Among the most recognizable examples of architectural heritage is the Church of St. Donatus in Zadar, a monumental ninth-century building situated beside the remains of the ancient Roman Forum. According to the Zadar County Tourist Board, elements of ancient architecture were incorporated into the church itself, making the relationship between the Roman and early medieval periods visible within a single building. Zadar's historic center also includes the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, ecclesiastical collections and numerous traces of the changes the city has undergone over the centuries. The Archaeological Museum Zadar, founded in 1832, preserves collections dating from prehistory to the Middle Ages and plays an important role in understanding the broader history of northern Dalmatia. These monuments demonstrate why exploring Zadar's heritage involves considerably more than a brief tour of the city's best-known landmarks.
From Zadar's UNESCO-listed fortifications to Pag lace
UNESCO also confirms the international significance of part of the region's architectural heritage. Since 2017, Zadar's defensive system has been inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of the serial property "Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries", which includes sites in Croatia, Italy and Montenegro. According to UNESCO's explanation, these systems illustrate the development of bastioned fortifications and defensive architecture during a period when changes in weaponry influenced how cities were built and protected. The Zadar component of this property is therefore valuable as a historical and architectural record of a much wider Mediterranean region. However, UNESCO status does not automatically extend to the entire city or every cultural landmark in the county, but specifically to the protected section of the defensive system.
Intangible heritage offers a different perspective on regional identity. Pag lace, the traditional craft of needle lacemaking on the island of Pag, forms part of the element "Lacemaking in Croatia", inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO emphasizes that knowledge of this craft is passed down through generations and that the tradition is closely connected with everyday life and the cultural identity of the community. In June 2026, the town of Pag also hosted the 15th International Lace Festival, with the participation of lacemakers and representatives of cultural organizations from several European countries, according to an announcement by the City of Pag. This example demonstrates how heritage can simultaneously be an object of protection, a living skill and a component of cultural events, without reducing its value exclusively to its appeal to tourists.
The tradition of klapa singing has also been preserved throughout the wider Dalmatian region and was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in 2012. This multipart vocal tradition is based on collective singing, oral transmission and local musical practices. In Zadar County, the cultural landscape is further shaped by the customs of coastal communities, island settlements and the heritage of Ravni Kotari and Bukovica. In Nin, for example, pre-Romanesque churches and the historic town center testify to the area's importance in early medieval history, as also highlighted by the region's official tourism presentation. Together with the traditions of the islands and coastal towns, this heritage provides a substantial foundation for tourism and cultural programs that do not depend exclusively on the summer months.
Film promotion and the development of cultural tourism
Promotional films in tourism serve a different purpose from traditional travel guides. Rather than providing an exhaustive list of sites, they aim to inspire interest in a particular destination through a concise story and showcase what makes it distinctive. When the subject is cultural heritage, this approach can create opportunities to introduce smaller museums, traditional workshops, local events and places that rarely receive attention in international tourism promotion. However, the long-term benefits also depend on whether interested visitors can find high-quality information, professional guided tours and experiences that respect local communities and the heritage itself. A festival award is therefore primarily recognition of the visibility of the film production, and only a potential starting point for broader results.
The importance of a diverse range of tourism experiences becomes particularly evident in a region that receives large numbers of visitors. According to provisional figures published by the Zadar County Tourist Board in early October 2026, the tourism year's results up to that point amounted to almost 2.06 million arrivals and more than 15 million overnight stays. Compared with the equivalent period of the previous year, arrivals had increased by approximately 0.5 percent and overnight stays by 1.5 percent, with the qualification that the figures were not yet final. These data do not demonstrate any impact of the award-winning film, but they provide a measure of the tourism environment in which additional reasons to visit are being promoted. Developing cultural routes and activities outside the peak summer season could contribute to a more evenly distributed interest in towns, islands and inland areas, provided that such projects are implemented in cooperation with local heritage stakeholders.
Film available on the county tourist board's channel
According to information from the Zadar County Tourist Board, the film "Heritage of Zadar County" is available to watch on its official YouTube channel. This means that its festival screening is not the only opportunity for audiences to discover the film's subject: digital availability allows interested visitors who did not attend the program on Krk to watch it as well. For travelers who wish to explore cultural sites and traditional experiences after watching the film, it is useful to connect information about landmarks, museums and events with practical sightseeing plans. They can also consider accommodation options in Zadar County, particularly when a visit includes several destinations along the coast, on the islands and inland. The second prize won at TEF Fest Krk 2026 remains a concrete international festival recognition for a film whose central theme is the value of cultural heritage as an integral part of the contemporary identity of the Zadar region.
Sources:
- Association Tragom hrvatske baštine - official report and complete list of TEF Fest Krk 2026 awards (link)
- Association Tragom hrvatske baštine - program of the fourth festival edition, dates and locations (link)
- Zadar County Tourist Board - information about the organization and its director Vanja Čvrljak (link)
- Zadar County Tourist Board - historical and cultural heritage of the region (link)
- Zadar Tourist Board - information about the Archaeological Museum and its collections (link)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Venetian defensive systems and the Zadar site (link)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - lacemaking in Croatia and the Pag lace tradition (link)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - klapa singing of Dalmatia (link)
- City of Pag - 15th International Lace Festival, June 2026 (link)
- Antena Zadar / Zadar County Tourist Board - provisional tourism season indicators for 2026 (link)