In the realm of cinematic storytelling for young audiences, PomPom Film emerges as a new production company, led by Croatian director and producer Marina Andree Škop, whose portfolio spans over 25 years of experience in producing and directing. (Photo: SPACEHEAD)
Marina’s commitment to children’s content is evident. Since 2011, she has been developing audio-visual young audience projects for Croatian Television, including TV series (SPACELAB), interactive projects for teenagers (RECI) and the transmedia project LET’S PLAY STORY (featured on the Danish Film Institute’s VOD platform for schools) through which Marina demonstrated her understanding of engaging young audiences across different platforms. Together with Dražen Žarković, Škop co-directed and produced the successful feature MY GRANDPA IS AN ALIEN, distributed in 26 countries.
PomPom Film’s recent catalogue underlines their dedication to quality children’s content and includes the co-production BEANIE by Slobodan Maksimović (for which PomPom Film organised school screenings in Croatian cinemas, accumulating about 40,000 admissions) and the short animated BLUE TEDDY BEAR by Marina Andree Škop.
Now PomPom Film is waging a major offensive in 2024, with exciting projects in the pipeline. Like the feature SPACEHEAD (aka GLAVONJA) based on a script by Juraj Raýman, inspired by his personal family story. Directed and produced by creative duo Marina Andree Škop & Vanda Raýmanová, SPACEHEAD seeks to engage children with a story that subtly emphasises the importance of embracing differences. The film’s quirky, highly stylised cinematic tone, combining live-action and animated elements, is inspired by Grandmasters like Roald Dahl or David Walliams. SPACEHEAD is co-produced by PomPom Film, Objectif (Slovakia), Senca Studio (Slovenia) and Air Productions (Latvia).
Other ambitions for 2024 include co-producing 1970 by Darko Lungulov, a Serbian-Hungarian-Croatian film for 14+ audiences, exploring the era of the hippie revolution and the societal changes it brought along. Additionally, PomPom collaborates with the Czech 8Heads Production company on GAMEGIRL, addressing the theme of acceptance through an imaginative coming-of-age story.
PomPom Film’s dedication to crafting meaningful, entertaining, and thought-provoking content remains at the forefront, with films like SPACEHEAD contributing to the rich tapestry of European cinema for children and youth.