Vladimir Film Festival

November 28, 2024

Photos and words by Marcus Waldron and Noah Halpern-Mcmanus

We first ran an article about Vladimir from our associate Jordan Hill in 2018, then Noah made another article the following year after going back with Jordan. They had such amazing things to say but I always had trouble finding more info about it online. Sometimes I’d ask skaters/ filmmakers, “You know this skate film fest Vladimir?” Usually I’d either hear “no”, or I’d hear incredible stories about what sounded like an
annual meeting of creative skaters from around Europe, full of DIY skating, dance parties, and snorkeling. It felt like I had to just go see for myself. When Noah said he was planning to go back I made it a must.

I asked Adam from Snack Skateboards if he wanted to go and replied, “I’m down if I can submit a film.” A few days later he said he was in, he just had to make his film. He had some old super8 footage he’d been wanting to do something with and started editing. I had full faith in his vision but was a little worried for him when he casually said he was still working on it a couple days before we left. Two days later on Wednesday we get into town late and stumble on a wheat pasting for the festival including a schedule with The Ghosts of SF by Adam Egre playing Thursday 6:30. Adam wasn’t the only one working up till the deadline. Dumb Skateboards premiered their film on the last night of the festival and completed it while there, including footage from the previous days at the fest, and his skate trip to Venice by canoe.

What I found at VFF was everything I’d heard and more. The festival prides itself on being DIY, non corporate, not social media focused. It’s not a skate event even as much as an art film festival based around skating and like-minded principals. People come there to have fun, but there is an incredible amount of respect for each other, the art, the places you visit, the history, and the event itself, that keeps people in check. I can’t give enough thanks to the organizers of this event. They are really doing something special, their way, and keeping it true to their ideas.
-Marcus

Upon leaving Vladimir Film Festival in 2019, it was barely a goodbye and more of a “see you next year” sort of thing. I had been treated to such an amazing week in Croatia it was a foregone conclusion that this would become an annual excursion across the world. Unfortunately, life created some barriers to returning so soon. Namely a global pandemic and snapping my ankle in half. By the time we finally made it back to Fazana, a lot of things had changed, like the Kasarna’s new mural, the major advancements of the DIY, my bodies ability to withstand the long days and late nights, or the unexpected switch from Kunas to Euros, but the spirit of the festival still remained exactly as it was. Magic. The secret might be out about how special this place is, but you’ll never truly understand until you experience it for yourself. Here’s a few tips to set you up for your visit next year.
-Noah

The water heals, but it can also hurt:
The Adriatic sea, just steps away from the town square will make you feel alive again after a long night of dancing. Stop by the bakery, pick up a burek, a coffee, and maybe an Ožujsko or two to take the edge off. Walk it all down to the jetty and you’re sure to run into some dear friends from the previous night. Take some dips and by the afternoon you will feel as good as new, likely even better. However, if you decide to take a stroll into the sea in the middle of the night, tread lightly. Sea urchins are full of poison and can have you sitting with your foot in a bucket of vinegar for the next week, looking at your skateboard collecting dust, wondering when the spines will finally dislodge themselves from your body. Wear water shoes.

The world’s got spots:
In the age of the rub brick, almost anything has become a spot. The films at Vladimir this year were an amazing reminder that there is so much potential in every nook and cranny of the world. Hell, there was a video by Nikitu Kopytin filmed entirely in the mountains of Montenegro, no pavement in sight. They literally skated on trees, dirt roads, and filled cracks with sticks and mud. Ryusuke Nakagawa spent seven years exploring abandoned locales in Japan, skating through doorways, on cabinets, and down hallways. We are reaching the point where skaters are popping into ditches that literally have no ride out and instead just crash into a field of sharp rocks on the water’s edge. YORKSHIRE! So while watching these videos, take some notes to plan your next trip. You’ll likely connect with people from every region, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find a guide to anywhere on the map.

Be gracious, be thankful, and recognize how special this festival is:
Nikola, Marina, Oleg, Marko, and the countless volunteers in Fazana work tirelessly to make this amazing event come to life each year, and they deserve statues in their honor. It’s nothing short of incredible to put this together and stay awake for it all, with so many moving parts, and then literally moving the parts from location to location. Creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone to come together and fall in love with skateboarding, with Croatia, and with each other. You’ll form bonds that can last a lifetime, you’ll learn about difficult subjects through discussions, panels, and documentaries, and gain perspective from people you’d otherwise never get the chance to interact with. You’ll watch amazing films, immerse yourself with amazing art and photographs, and be surrounded by some of the most amazing people you’ll ever meet. How many times have I said amazing? To me, this is so much more than a “skateboard event” and it is all due to the organizers, so as Nikola himself would say; “ladies and gentlemen, give it up, give it up, give it up!”