The head of state inaugurated a Croatian Film Festival at Havana’s Infanta Movie Theater. The event, which will run until September 24th, will offer a panorama of the life of that people in the past, recent years, and at present, with a selection that includes films since the days Croatia was part of Yugoslavia.

Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto thanked organizers for their efforts in organizing this exhibition and praised the boost given by Croatia to its cinema, as well as the program its Parliament has started to preserve its film heritage and to encourage production by new filmmakers.

He thanked Croatian authorities for having invited Cuba as Guest of Honor for the Dubrovnik Film Festival in 2008 and assured that the recent signing of a memorandum of cultural cooperation between the two countries lays the foundations to establish a plan of action for bilateral cultural exchanges.

He also underlined that the Cuban people are eager to know everything about new cultural productions and affirmed that the Croatian film festival is a contribution to diversify the taste of Cuban movie lovers.

The Croatian Film Festival in Havana was opened with the screening of the film “El jinete” (The Rider), by Branco Ivanida, which focuses on historical conflicts of mid 18th century.

The Croatian President -on an official visit to Cuba- has carried out an intense working program, which included visits to the Latin American School of Medicine, the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Museum of the Revolution, all of them located in the Cuban capital.

He also met with Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon and participated in the signing of accords between Cuba and Croatia.