SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY in Istra, Croatia
Can you guess where I've been SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY now?
Istria as said by the Italians + Istra the Croatians. Croatia claims 90% of the peninsula so we'll go with majority.
Our journey begins with our local host, Matija Vizintin from Motovun, a hilltop fortressed city which in ancient times was also home to the Celts + Illyrians. He warned us to get our waistlines ready the culinary journey of a lifetime...
Outside of the fortress walls, we took electric bikes down a winding dirt path that was formerly a railroad where we found ourselves SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY at the new Roxanich Winery + Design Hotel. This biodynamic winery is family owned and run by four talented sisters. In this episode, we harvest grapes and learn from one sister, Sara Rozanic how Istra should be on every wine connoisseur's bucket list. Don’t miss tasting their delicious + drinkable wine at their gorgeous hotel pool set above the vineyards.
As they say, it’s all in the timing. Luckily for us, it’s truffle season in Istra. The region averages 10 tons of black + white truffles each year and is considered one the world’s largest collection of truffles! We went deep into the famous Motovun Forest truffle hunting with Karlic Tartufi and our charismatic local host + sniffing puppies found two white truffles. Our local host, Ivana Karlic Ban, took us back to their restaurant to learn to make several dishes with fresh truffles. Too much of a good thing, does not apply when it comes to truffles!
I don't know if there is a prettier coastal town than Rovinj, a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. Our local host, Aneli Radovan, took us through old town which is a tangle of cobbled streets leading to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, which dominates the skyline.
For a sunset that will steal your heart, with the best views of the islands, yachts in port and the town of Rovinj - head to the rooftop pool of Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, part of Maistra Collection, a Leading Hotels of the World and Virtuoso.
Pack a bag + journey on,
Michaela Guzy + The OTPYM Traveling Team
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Michaela GuzyDirectorOH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy
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Michaela GuzyWriterOH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy
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Michaela GuzyProducerOH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy
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Scott TinkhamProducerOH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Television
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Runtime:7 minutes 47 seconds
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Completion Date:March 23, 2024
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Production Budget:12,500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:Croatia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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International Tourism Film Festival AfricaJohannesburg
South Africa
June 14, 2024
World Premiere
Finalist - (cannot announce winning until June 14, 2024)
Distribution Information
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M/LUX APP on Samsung +, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, mobile iOS, and Android, as well as at www.mluxnetwork.com or www.modernluxurymedia.comDistributorCountry: WorldwideRights: Video on Demand
MICHAELA GUZY is the founder of the editorial content house, OhThePeopleYouMeet (OTPYM) focusing on PEOPLE, PLACES + PURPOSES which she founded in 2012 after departing her corporate job as the VP/Global Travel + Strategic Development for American Express Publishing. OTPYM's production arm currently produces three shows, an exclusive Medical Tourism series + TV segments across the USA and Canada.
In her award winning series, “OH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy”, she curates the local hosts you are supposed to meet when traveling -- from local chefs, designers and artists, to her award winning film featuring Dr. Jane Goodall. Her show has appeared on American Airlines In Flight, KTLA+ (Channel 5 Los Angeles) + Thrive Global. Seasons 1 + 2 are currently in flight on Qatar Airways (globally) and available to 135M HH on the M/LUX APP on Samsung +, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, mobile iOS, and Android,www.mluxnetwork.com and www.modernluxurymedia.com. Season 3 begins airing May 15, 2024. The series has won awards including: International Tourism Film Festival Africa, Johannesburg, Director’s Choice Award 2023 (International Tourism Film Festival Africa, Cape Town), Silver Wreath for Sustainable Tourism Advocacy 2023 (International Tourism Film Festival Africa, Cape Town), Finalist (The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York City) and Best in Show (Hospitality Sales & Marketing International, New York City).
In response to COVID-19 she launched a NEW trending visual podcast called InspirationStation to showcase REAL PEOPLE + REAL STORIES reaching NEXT GEN audiences globally. Each conversation is intended to cause us to ask questions, create dialogue and inspire us to connect on a human to human level on topics that impact bigger than themselves. 125+ episodes and over 10 million+ views and counting!
In 2020, Michaela gave up her home in NYC and boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to document the world reopening safely in her new viral series, SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY. With #RevengeTravel upon us, this intentionally “houseless not homeless” jetset gypsy happily lies her head on many a hotel pillow and invites viewers to snuggle in with her and her local hosts. As of May 2024, the series will air on M/LUX and is receiving its first award at International Travel Film Festival Africa (ITFFA).
MICHAELA is asked to speak at travel industry conferences across the globe, she taught a travel storytelling course at New York University School of Professional Studies (2017-2020) and appears as a sustainable travel, human connection and wellbeing expert on multiple morning shows across the country, Canada and Singapore including: CBS New York; KTLA; PIX 11 New York; WJLA Good Morning Washington DC; HoustonLife; NBC: LA, SF, Dallas, Chicago + NYC; Miami's The CW and WTNH Good Morning Connecticut.
“During the dark days of the pandemic, when I almost lost my business, I lost my love and my home, I realized I had an important role in working alongside the travel industry to get the world back on the road again, safely. I poured my heart and soul into the ever changing storytelling around being a single woman navigating the globe as the world reopened. In a million years, I would have never guessed how viral the show would become or that I would still be houseless four years later! Every crisis breeds innovation and it's so exciting to see how “SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY” continues to evolve post pandemic,” says Michaela Guzy, Executive Producer + Curator of Local Hosts.
Guzy adds, “The real question is, can you guess where we are ‘SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY’ next?”
