THE SMILE (based on true story)

In Zagreb, 1898, the middle-aged Vlaho Bukovac is determined to leave his home because of envy and intrigues of environment, and move to his native Cavtat (near Dubrovnik) with his young wife Jelica and children. There, he remembers his exciting life and the incredible events through which he developed into a great painter, until he receives a message that he became professor at the Academy in Prague. Asked by student in Prague what's the secret of his success, Vlaho just smiles.

  • Marina Tetarić Prusec
    Writer
  • Marina Tetarić Prusec
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Number of Pages:
    98
  • Country of Origin:
    Croatia
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Official Selection of Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards, Italy, 2020
  • Official Selection at International Screenplay Competition ISC@JIFF (Mind to Audience), Jaipur, India, 2021
  • In Top 10 finalists of Film Festival LA Under the Stars, Los Angeles, 2021 (in competition of more than 1000 submissions from worldwide)
  • In Hot 100 Best Screenplays at the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, LA, 2021
  • ISC Semi-Finalist (between 1846 submissions), New York, 2023
Writer Biography - Marina Tetarić Prusec

Marina Tetarić Prusec is a Croatian film director.

Born in Zagreb, Croatia. She graduated from Drama, Film and Television Academy in Zagreb – film and television directing (mentor: Oscar Winner Dušan Vukotić), also studied sociology.

Two times she won prizes for screenplays in Sarajevo, so there directed two films.

A few years she directs a series of documentary and documentary-features for the Croatian National Television. She is developing in writing scripts and in directing of all kinds of forms (short forms, commercials, documentaries and features).

A few years she works in the Ministry of Defense RH – in Public Relations Department which includes film-TV studio. There she works as civil person in developing production of documentaries, documentary-features, spots, clips, coverages. She works as director, writer, in production.

In 2001 and 2003 she went to Rome in Italy, where she presents Croatia at the International Film Festival Eserciti e Popoli. There, in 2001 for her documentary “Under The Horizon“ she won First prize for the best film in its category (in competition of 70 countries worlwide).

Today she works in the independent productions.

For directing film "Tunnel", she received the Silver Award at So You Think You Can Act, a competition exclusively targeted to recognize the talent of directors and actors from around the world, US, 2019. With the same she entered the Official Selection of The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase, 2020, and also the New York Lift-Off Film Festival, 2021.

Her screenplays for feature films are at the top of film festivals most in the US, then in India, Russia, Singapore:

"Wild Time" is selected in Top 10 finalists at the European International Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, 2019 (in competition of more than 600 projects), and also is nominated at Jaipur IFF, India, 2020.

"Superincognito" is selected into the Official Selection of Film Festival LA Under the Stars, Los Angeles, 2020 (in competition of more than 1500 submissions), and also is nominated at New Delhi Film Festival-NDFF, India, 2021.

SF "Connection" won as Best Treatment at the Script and Storyboard Showcase, Los Angeles, 2020.

"Flyby" is the finalist of the European IFF in St. Petersburg, Russia, 2020 (in competition of more than 800 projects), and also is selected in Top 7 finalists of the Film Festival Hollywood Art and Movie Awards, 2021.

"The Smile" is nominated at International Screenplay Competition ISC@JIFF (Mind to Audience), Jaipur, India, 2021, and also is selected in Top 10 finalists of Film Festival LA Under the Stars, Los Angeles, 2021 (in competition of more than 1000 submissions).

“Flight to Eternity” won as Best Treatment at the World Film Carnival, Singapore, 2021.

“Flyby” and “The Smile” entered the Hot 100 Best Screenplays at the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, LA, 2021.

At invitation of the festival organizers, she participated in a script panel at the Hollywood Art and Movie Awards, 2021.

For directing film "Flight of the Sky Masters" she received the Exceptional Merit Award at the Nature Without Borders film festival, US, 2022.

For the third time, she entered the prestigious list of Hot 100 Best Screenplays, this time with the project "Range", at the Capital Fund SC, LA, 2022.

“Wild Time” is the finalist (with Excellence Award), “Flyby” and “The Smile” are semi-finalists of the International Screenwriting Competition (between 1846 submissions), New York, 2023. At the same competition, "Range" is a semi-finalist, NY 2024.

And for the fourth time she enters the prestigious list of Hot 100 Winners, with the project "Flight to Eternity", at Capital Fund SC, Los Angeles, 2023.

She is married, has two sons.

Filmography:

• DOG, feature film

• TIME FOR HUMANITY, documentary-feature film

• THE UNUTILISED, feature film

• HOMELESS PEOPLE, documentary

• FOR PEACE AND LOVE, documentary-feature film

• INVALIDS OF WAR, documentary

• GOD LIKES ROCK'N'ROLL, TOO, documentary-feature film

• LONGING TO RETURN TO BOSNIA, documentary-feature film

• DIARY OF A COMBATANT, documentary-feature film

• SOS CHILDREN VILLAGE – CROATIA, documentary

• INVALIDS OF WAR RETURN HOME, documentary

• KRAPINA, BIG SMALL TOWN, documentary

• UNDER THE HORIZON, documentary

• TEN, documentary

• TUNNEL, documentary

• MENU, documentary

• FLIGHT OF THE SKY MASTERS, documentary

• HOUSE UNDER THE SUN, serial about architecture

• FARM, docusoap

Contact:

marinatetaricprusec@gmail.com

Add Writer Biography