Erik is a 9-year-old boy, living in a youth home because of his problematic parents. Beanie is his nickname. His only wish is to go home for Christmas. Instead, he gets to spend the holiday with a wealthy family and their 7-year-old daughter Lučka, who wishes for a puppy and a sister. In the middle of the night, Erik and Lučka encounter Santa in the family’s living room. Full of hopes, they hide in his car, but Santa gets rid of them in the middle of the city. This is the beginning of an extraordinary adventure.
“For me, working with Kaja and Gaj was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When we started shooting, I saw them as talented kids, by the end of it they had become extraordinary actors and great friends. I enjoyed their honesty, incredible performance and endurance every single day,” says director Slobodan Maksimović in a statement.
Young newcomers Gaj Črnič and Kaja Podreberšek star in the film together with many well known Slovenian film actors.
Beanie was produced by Ida Weiss through Slovenian Senca Studio and coproduced by Adolf El Assal through Wady Films (Luxembourg), Vanda Raýmanová through Objectif (Slovakia), Marina Andree Škop and Darija Kulenović Gudan through Studio Dim (Croatia), RTV Slovenija and RTVS (Slovakia). The Slovenian Film Centre, the Film Fund Luxembourg, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Croatian public television HRT, Eurimages, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the Ministry of Public Administration and the RE-ACT regional fund supported the project. Studio Viba Film provided technical support.
The film is scheduled for release in Slovenian cinemas on 17 November, distributed by Fivia.
Princ Films (USA) is handling the sales.
Director Slobodan Maksimović (1975) was born in Sarajevo. He graduated in film directing from the AGRFT. His short films have won over 30 international awards. His debut feature Thanks for Sunderland (2012, produced by RTV Slovenija) received the Best Slovenian Film Award. His second feature Nika (2016, produced by Nora Production Group in coproduction with RTV Slovenija), screened worldwide and received the Best Youth Film Award at the Motovun Film Festival.
Production Information:
Producer:
Senca Studio (Slovenia)
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Coproducers:
Wady Films (Luxembourg)
Objectif (Slovakia)
Studio Dim (Croatia)
RTV Slovenija (Slovenia)
RTVS (Slovakia)
Credits:
Director: Slobodan Maksimović
Screenwriter: Saša Eržen
DoP: Sven Pepeonik
Editor: Jurij Moškon
Production designer: Mateja Medvedić
Costume designer: Carmen di Pinto
Make-up artist: Eva Uršič
Composer: Michal Novinski
Sound designers: Michel Schillings, Jeroen Truijens, Luca Theis
Production sound mixer: Arnaud Mellet
Supervisor of animation and visual effects: Michal Struss
Cast: Gaj Črnič, Kaja Podreberšek, Ajda Smrekar, Mojca Fatur, Frano Mašković, René Štúr, Mila Maksimović, Tilen Kolbe, Emil Kulović, Klemen Slakonja, Zala Đurić Ribič, Jernej Kuntner, Klemen Klemen, Jaka Fon, Lotos Vincenc Šparovec, Nina Valič, Primož Pirnat
