Every Varaždin Media Fest panel live on YouTube
All panels, presentations and talks are streamed live, in English, on the festival's YouTube channel. Recordings will stay on the channel and will also be published at vmf.hr.
International Multimedia Journalism Festival
Varaždin Media Fest
- Analyses
- Discussions
- Documentary films
- Stand-up and performance
- Rock night
Until the festival opens
The festival opens on 9 October 2026 at 10:00.
- 2 festival days
- 15 public programmes
- 37 participants
- 5 topics
Festival topics
- How free (or not) are the media, and how can they be freed?
- What do we (not) know about media audiences?
- Is artificial intelligence a journalist’s ally or enemy?
- Stop the harassment of women in the media
- The ethics of war reporting: does war journalism still exist?
Analyses, discussions, documentary films
The festival’s professional programme is held in English.
A gift to Varaždin: stand-up and performance in Croatian, plus a rock night
News
All news
“2000 Meters to Andriivka”: Mstyslav Chernov’s film, selected by Đelo Hadžiselimović
The documentary by the director of the Oscar-winning “20 Days in Mariupol” screens on Saturday, 10 October at 18:00, followed by a discussion.
Varaždin Media Fest 2026: two days of analyses, discussions and documentary films
The International Multimedia Journalism Festival takes place on 9–10 October at the Varaždin City Museum – Herzer Palace. Entry to all events is free.
Festival Opening Ceremony
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
With representatives of the Investigative Journalism Center (IJC) and the City of Varaždin.
How Free (or Not) Are the Media, and How Can They Be Freed?
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
Session outline
- Presentation: De-Orbanisation of the Hungarian media – how to free the media from political pressure
- Panel
Participants
Moderator
- Oliver Vujović (and introduction) , Secretary General, South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
Presentation
- Erik Uszkiewicz (and panel) , Project Manager, Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Hungary
Panel
- Branko Čečen , Freelance journalist, Serbia
- Zrinka Vrabec Mojzeš , Journalist, Nacional, Croatia
- Dr Marko Milosavljević , Professor of Journalism and Media Policy, University of Ljubljana
- Anuška Delić , Founder and Editor-in-Chief, investigative and data portal Oštro, Slovenia
- Željko Ivanović , President of the Board of Directors, Daily Press (Vijesti), Montenegro
Engaged Citizens Reporting
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
Presentation of the Engaged Citizens Reporting (ECR) tool.
Participants
Presentation
- Xhorxhina Bami , Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Kosovo
What Do We (Not) Know About the Audience — and Why Does It Matter?
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Host
- Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans
- Language
- English
How well do non-profit, independent media outlets know their audiences, and how do they get to know them? Exploring how audience strategies can increase engagement and build sustainability.
Participants
Moderator
- Milica Pešić , Executive Director, Media Diversity Institute, UK
Panel
- Željko Ivanović , President of the Board of Directors, Daily Press (Vijesti), Montenegro
- Alma Kardović Radetinac , Editor-in-Chief, Mahala Podcast, Novi Pazar, Serbia
The Ethics of War Reporting – Does War Journalism Still Exist?
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
Session outline
- Screening: An episode from the documentary series “Journalists – Witnesses Before the Hague Tribunal” (author/production: Boro Kontić, Mediacentar Sarajevo)
- Panel
Participants
Moderator
- Danica Ilić (and introduction) , Journalist and media trainer, UK/Serbia
Panel
- Boro Kontić , Mediacentar Sarajevo, BiH
- Dragan Golubović , Senior Project Coordinator, Mediacentar Sarajevo, BiH
- Hassan Haidar Diab , Večernji list, Croatia
- Nikola Šolić , Freelance photojournalist, Croatia
- Emmanuelle Chaze (online) , Freelance French correspondent in Ukraine
Book Presentations
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- Croatian
Session outline
- Book: A Guide to Contemporary Croatian Literature – Kristian Novak: Ciganin, ali najljepši (Kristian Novak with book editors Helena de Karina and Kruno Lokotar)
- Book: Osam dana u svibnju (Eight Days in May) – Goran Gavranović, co-author
Participants
Authors
- Kristian Novak , Author
- Goran Gavranović , Co-author
Editors
- Helena de Karina , Editor
- Kruno Lokotar , Editor
Stand-up: Shelf Life
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- Croatian
Participants
Performance
- Peđa Bajović , Stand-up comedian
International Cooperation: Project Presentations
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
Session outline
- Presentation: Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
- Presentation: Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
Participants
Presentation
- Luka Zanoni , Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), Italy
- Giovanni Vale , Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), Croatia
- Xhorxhina Bami , Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Kosovo
Is Artificial Intelligence a Journalist’s Ally or Enemy?
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
“The Good, the Bad, and the Inevitable”: presentation of the Olympus AI system for optimising media organisation workflows.
Participants
Presentation
- Vladimir Leličanin , System developer and creator, Serbia
- Ilir Gaši , Journalist, Serbia
- Branko Čečen , Freelance journalist, Serbia
Women in Media
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- English
Stopping workplace harassment in the media sector in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Session outline
- Presentation: Results of the regional study “Women in Media: Forms of Workplace Harassment in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina”
- Panel
Participants
Panel
- Maja Sever , Trade Union of Croatian Journalists
- Selma Zulić Šiljak , Mediacentar Sarajevo, BiH
- Darko Šper , Branch Union of Culture, Art and Media “Nezavisnost”, Serbia
Shared Threats, Shared Defence
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Host
- SEENPM & MDI
- Language
- English
Security risks journalists face in tense and volatile situations and strategies used to protect themselves and their work.
Participants
Moderator
- Bojana Mrkić , Mediacentar Sarajevo, BiH
Panel
- Irena Pejić , Journalist, Mašina, Serbia
- Dorian Matlija (online) , Lawyer and media freedom activist, Res Publica, Albania
- Jona Cenameri , Investigative and fact-checking journalist, Faktoje, Albania
Reporting on War Crimes: Lessons Learned and New Challenges
Recording
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Host
- MDI & The Reckoning Project (TRP)
- Language
- English
Participants
Moderator
- Danica Ilić , Journalist and media trainer, UK/Serbia
Guests
- Mykhaylo Shtekel , Media Partnership Coordinator, The Reckoning Project
Selected by Đelo Hadžiselimović: “2000 Meters to Andriivka”
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- Croatian
Documentary film directed by Mstyslav Chernov. Film presentation and post-screening discussion moderated by Đelo Hadžiselimović.
Participants
Moderator
- Đelo Hadžiselimović
Performance: “What Doesn’t Kill You…”
A participatory lecture performance and live installation
- Venue
- Varaždin City Museum – Herzer PalaceFranjevački trg 10, 42000 Varaždin
- Language
- Croatian
“What Doesn’t Kill You…” is about the way digital platforms deliberately exploit human emotions. Algorithmic systems are not designed to spread truth or empathy. They are optimised to provoke hateful comments and controversy, playing knowingly on our laughter, anger and shame. In such a system toxic content generates the most engagement and profit, while users, drawn in by the appearance of fun and play, become willing accomplices in quiet, automated violence.
Ana Katulić is an actress and performer whose work sits at the intersection of text, personal experience and documentary testimony. She examines gender roles, social standing and the representation of women in contemporary society, focusing on the tension between women’s present-day experience and the patriarchal patterns we inherit through tradition, and on how those deeply rooted codes continue to shape intimate relationships, behaviour and social perceptions. At the festival she has previously performed “Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje” (2021) and “Ruž za usne i čokolada” (2022).
Participants
Performance
- Ana Katulić , Actress and performer
Musical Treat: Mark Osman & Dinko Likar Acoustic Duo
- Venue
- Pub Medina škrinjaUlica Ivana Kukuljevića Sakcinskog 13, 42000 Varaždin
The duo entertains with a repertoire of their own, energy and virtuoso musicianship. The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi, Queen and Dire Straits, alongside Bijelo dugme, Divlje jagode, Atomsko sklonište and Cota G4, are among the acts whose hits they perform.
Participants
Performance
- Mark Osman
- Dinko Likar
