CROATIAN FILM FESTIVAL PULA '98 OFFICIALLY OPENED WITH A BANG

( Editorial: --> 0659 ) PULA, July 29 (Hina) - Traditional fireworks over the city's ancient Roman amphitheatre on Wednesday night marked the official start of this year's Croatian Film Festival, Pula '98. During the next four days, six new Croatian feature films will be shown in the northern Adriatic port city's Arena amphitheatre. Under the patronage of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, the festival was officially opened by presidential envoy Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic. He said the continuity of the Pula festival was being maintained and despite real difficulties, every year it was delivering results for the national film industry. As a medium which draws the largest audience from all forms of art, film is a special area of concern which the Ministry of Culture within the framework of its available capabilities devotes full attention to realising new conditions for the advancement of film authors and artworks, Biskupic said. In this we are encouraged by the knowledge that interest is shown towards Croatian film by the world, because on various occasions it is noticed and highly regarded by foreign experts and audiences, he said. Biskupic added that on the domestic scene there could not be satisfaction with the levels Croatian films were shown and watched, in comparison with foreign productions. That is exactly why one of the important tasks of the future will be to secure conditions under which Croatian films in Croatian cinemas will be presented with the same attention as those arriving from abroad, the Culture Minister said. Pula Mayor Giancarlo Zupic also addressed guests, including Festival council chairman Antun Vrdoljak. He expressed satisfaction that Pula would be again hosting a variety of Croatian film productions and wished all participants great success. Shown to the small audience in the Arena amphitheatre on opening night was the film "Transatlantic", produced by Jadran Film and Croatian Radio Television and directed and written by Mladen Juran. Until August 2 the public in Pula's Arena will also be able to watch Krste Papic's film "Kad mrtvi zapjevaju" ("When the Dead Sing"), Jakov Sedlar's "U agoniji" ("In Agony"), Zeljko Senecic's "Zavaravanje" ("Deception"), Snjezana Tribuson's "Tri muskarca Melite Zganjer" ("Melita Zganjer's Three Men") and Vladimir Tadej's "Kanjon opasnih igara" ("The Canyon of Dangerous Games"). (Hina) mbr 300002 MET jul 98