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Ivan's Game

IVAN’S GAME is a biographical documentary which covers the life story of one of the greatest Croatian football players of all time: Ivan Gudelj. The film follows Ivan’s meteoric rise and the tragic end of his career at the height of his fame when he got ill from hepatitis B virus that nearly killed him. It is a story of an exceptional man who lost everything because of the illness, but eventually won his life's game. The film poses the following questions to its viewers: how can you continue your life when the whole world collapses around you like a house of cards? How do you flip the score in a game that’s already lost? Is there life after football?

  • Tomislav Zaja
    Director
  • Tomislav Zaja
    Writer
  • Tomislav Zaja
    Producer
  • Jasenko Rasol
    Cinematographer
  • Vanja Siruček
    Editor
  • Vjeran Šalamon
    Composer & Sound Designer
  • Hrvoje Radnić
    Sound Recordist
  • Jurica Goričanec
    Aerial Photography
  • Tomislav Stojanović
    Colorist
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Ivanova igra
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    51 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Croatia
  • Country of Filming:
    Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia
  • Language:
    Croatian
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Paris Play Film Festival 2020
    Paris
    France
    French premiere
    Nomination for the best documentary
  • Interdoc 2020
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    Russian premiere
    Official program
  • South East European Film Festival 2020
    Los Angeles
    United States
    North American premiere
    Official program
  • Athens Marathon Film Festival 2020
    Athens
    Greece
    Greek premiere
    Official program
  • Near Nazareth Film Festival 2020
    Nazareth
    Israel
    Israeli premiere
    Official program
  • Austria International Film Festival 2020

    Austria
    Austrian premiere
    Best Sports Documentary
  • Garden Route International Film Festival 2020
    Knysna
    South Africa
    South African premiere
    Official program
  • Ananse International Film Festival 2020

    Ghana
    Ghanaian premiere
    Official program
  • International Sound & Film Music Festival 2020
    Pula
    Croatia
    Official program
  • Liburnia Film Festival 2020
    Opatija
    Croatia
    Official program
  • San Pedro International Film Festival 2020
    San Pedro
    United States
    Official program
  • Days of Croatian Cinema 2020
    Zagreb
    Croatia
    Official program
  • East Europe International Film Festival 2020
    Warsaw
    Poland
    Polish premiere
    Official program
  • Diorama International Film Festival 2020
    New Delhi
    India
    Indian premiere
    Official program
  • European Cinema Festival 2020
    Madrid
    Spain
    December 5, 2020
  • BKK DOC 2020
    Bangkok
    Thailand
    Thai premiere
    Official program
  • Chambal International Film Festival 2021
    Kata
    India
    Indian premiere
    Official program
  • Kenya International Sports Film Festival 2021
    Nairobi
    Kenya
  • APOX Film Festival 2021
    Mali Losinj
    Croatia
  • Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival 2021
    Palermo
    Italy
  • West Europe International Film Festival: Brussels Edition 2021
    Brussels
    Belgium
    Belgian premiere
  • International Sports Film Festival Zlatibor 2021
    Zlatibor
    Serbia
    Serbian premiere
    Best sports documentary
  • Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs 2021
    Milan
    Italy
    November 12, 2021
    Italian premiere
  • Houston International Sports Film Festival 2022
    Houston
    United States
    February 6, 2022
  • City Gold Gondola Fest 2022
    Nis
    Serbia
    August 28, 2022
    Best Sports Film
  • Snow Leopard International Film Festival 2022
    Madrid
    Spain
    October 10, 2022
    Spanish premiere
  • Dubai Festival 2023
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    May 24, 2023
    UAE premiere
  • Star International Film Festival 2023
  • Tabriz Cinema Awards 2023

    Best documentary
  • Puente Cinematográfico International Film Festival 2024

    Best sports film
Distribution Information
  • T-Film
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Tomislav Zaja

Earned his master’s degree in documentary film direction at the FAMU in Prague. As a producer and/or writer and director, over the past 30 years he has made about fifty documentaries and four feature-length fiction films. He is the recipient of many Croatian and international awards and honors. He is a member of International Documentary Association.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I have learned much from Ivan. He prompted me to think about my own life, goals and the accomplishments I want to achieve, and whether there are any limits except for those we impose upon ourselves. This is a film about hope. To make this hope a reality requires, in life as in football, the finest play and skill, almost an art.