The film by the Istria Tourist Board “Istria -Weekend as it should be”, which promotes the Istrian peninsula as a desirable destination, has won an award at the international TRAVEL FILM festival, which gathers the best international travelogue, outdoor, sport, nature and adventure movies.

At the centre of the story told through the medium of film is a collection of urban professionals who spend their weekend in an idyllic Istrian setting, away from the stress and everyday hustle and bustle. With great wine, good company, good music and beautiful nature, the find moments of freedom, enjoyment and connectedness – precisely as “they should be”. The film also relates athe generational story of achieving a balance between ambition and the need for escape, between professional duty and the need for respite, while speaking out about what makes Istria the perfect destination for achieving balance in life.

This authentic message and the film’s modern visual approach have brought it the award for the best advertising video at the TRAVEL FILM international film festival! “Istria – weekend as it should be” has won the recognition of esteem global directors, producers and movie professionals from nine countries, from the USA and Canada, to Italy, Spain, France and Japan.

Among them are Kurt Jacobsen, editor and documentarist and movie contributor for the Chicago Reader and The Guardian; Gianluca Cerasola, director and producer of documentaries all over the world, the first man who filmed at the Interantional Space Station; Bill VanDerKloot, multiple award-winning director and producer, the winner of the Emmy and Peabody award; and Marko and Alex Ayling, aka the Vagabrothers, the authors of one of the leading YouTube travel channels with subscribers from more than 140 countries. 

“This international award is further confirmation of the success and brand recognition of Istria’s tourist promotion, through a powerful synergy of cinematic art and authentic Istrian experiences”, said Denis Ivošević, the director of the Istria Tourist Board, while thanking everyone who collaborated on the project: “The concept of the film builds on Istria’s umbrella slogan “As it should be”, which is often creatively adapted to different experiences and stories, such as “Life as it should be”, “Gourmet Getaway as it should be”, “Magic as it should be”, etc. By an exceptional and inspirational synergy by all the authors who participated in the film’s creation, the destination concept is translated into a vivid cinematic story about Istria”.

Creatively produced by Studio Tumpić/Prenc from Rovinj, this interesting cinematic work portrays Istria as the ideal destination for a short getaway from everyday life, easily accessible, while also rich with sensations, tastes and moment worth experiencing.

The promotional film was directed by Nevio Marasović, famous for his films “The Show Must Go On” (2010), “Vis-à-vis” (2013) and “Comic Sans” (2018), while it’s producers are Tiha Gudac and Vanja Vascarac.

[07/11/2025]