Promotional film Međimurje tourist board "Međimurje Green Destination with Ben Fogle" won the Grand Prix of the Batumi International Tourist Film Festival, which took place in Georgia during the first three days of October.
In explaining the award to Međimurci as the overall winners of the festival, the judging panel stated, among other things, that the promotional film accompanying the tour of the world-famous adventurer and travel writer, a great advocate of sustainability and ecology, Ben Fogle, "in its rhythm, style and message, completely deviates from the current trendy productions of such works".
- It is clearly visible from the film that it is aimed at an audience that has the patience to watch a six-minute film and that is interested in a truly sustainable tourism product, and Mr. Fogle's personality gives it an additional stamp., it says in the explanation.
The main actor of the promotional film, Ben Fogle, was guided through the story of Međimurje by the Međimurje nature conservationist Mihaela Mesarić, the director of the Tourist Board of St. Martin na Mura David Novinšćak. The writer and cantor Vladimir Mihaljević, as a ferryman, hosted Ben Fogle at the Žabnič mill, he was hosted by the owners of OPG - ova Geler and Pozojev vračak, Ivanka Horvat and Mirjana Biber Hren, while the students of the Štrigova Elementary School took him to Magđerkina breg, a location with a unique organ on wind. The president of the Association of Međimurje horse breeders, Matija Ladić, also provided valuable help during the filming of the film.
The curiosity in the creation of the award-winning promotional film - the work of the multiple winner of the most prestigious award in the television world, the Emmy, Boško Bobyij Grubić, with the camera of Marin Vidović and the music of Lacij Varga and Marko Žerjav - is that the entire film was shot in just one day, which Ben Fogle spent in Međimurje, and where he agreed to come because of the green and sustainable orientation of Međimurje tourism. Ben Fogle is known as a great fighter of sustainability and autochthonousness, so he agrees to do promotional materials exclusively for destinations that adhere to these values.
- I am extremely glad that we managed to shoot this beautiful Međimurje postcard in a very limited time and with the great professionalism of Ben Fogle. I'm glad that they recognized us at the festival in Georgia, but Međimurje is truly beautiful and I'm looking forward to spending even more time there, especially when the production of the feature film about Zrinski and Frankopan, Urotnic, begins., says director Grubić.
Rudi Grula, director of the Tourist Board of Međimurje County, is pleased with the award, which came a few days after the global association of travel journalists and travel writers from 30 countries around the world, awarded Međimurje its annual "Golden Apple" award, also based primarily on sustainability, and then on a number of other demanding criteria.
- At such a festival, at a high level, to win an award is an extraordinary honor. I am very happy that together with Bobby Grubić we got such a result. In addition to being a great promotion of our Međimurje, the award is also the beginning of this work's journey to many other tourist film festivals, to which we are invited during our stay in Georgia. I am also glad that the jury recognized our intention not to shoot a tiktok format, but a documentary short film that addresses an audience interested in green tourism, slow travel and escape from the busy urban rhythm of life, concluded Rudi Grula.