{mosimage}The €2 million film is co-produced by Fastnet Films of Dublin (www.fastnetfilms.com) and minority co-producer Cine Works from Helsinki (www.cineworks.fi). Production of the film was financially and technically supported by the Slovenian Film Fund (www.film-sklad.si), Viba Film studio (www.vibafilm.si) and TV Slovenia (www.rtvslo.si). International funding comes from the Irish Film Board (www.irishfilmboard.ie) and the Finnish Film Foundation (www.ses.fi)), with support from Eurimages and the EU programme Media Plus.

Fortissimo Films from Amsterdam (www.fortissimo.nl) is handling world rights, and Slovenian distribution is through Cinemania group (www.creativa.si). The film will premier in 2010.

Producer Jozko Rutar said Circus Fantasticus will be a large-scale co-production in collaboration with many countries. "The creative team consists of internationally recognized film artists. Director of photography Marek Divis is from the Czech Republic, the costume designer is Slovenian Alan Hranitelj, the film's producers are are myself, Morgan Bushe from Ireland, and Petri Rossi from Finland. The actors are top-quality circus artists from Slovenia, Finland, Russia, Netherland, France, China, Germany and Canada. The leading male role will be in hands of Croatian actor Leon Lucev."

Circus fantasticus explores the question of survival in wartime though a group of circus artists who arrive at a place destroyed by war and intermingle with the locals who are marked by the consequences of war. "The film is structured around nine chapters; each tackles one of the essential elements of human existence: Fear, Fire, Life, Air, Love, Water, Death, Earth, and God. This is a film about feelings, atmosphere, sensibility, and surreality. My intention is to make an audio-visually fascinating film without any dialog. Words in war just don't have any sense." said Burger.

Rehearsals for the film began in late 2008.

Production Credits:

Circus Fantasticus

Production Company: Staragara (www.staragara.com)

Co-production: Fastnet Films (www.fastnetfilms.com) and Cine Works (www.cineworks.fi)

Co-funding: Slovenian Film Fund (www.film-sklad.si), TV Slovenia (www.rtvslo.si), Viba Film (www.vibafilm.si), Irish Film Board (www.irishfilmboard.ie), Finnish Film Foundation (www.ses.fi), EURIMAGES and Media Plus.

World sales: Fortissimo Films (www.fortissimo.nl)

Slovenian distribution: Cinemania group (www.creativa.si)

Director: Janez Burger

Screenwriter: Janez Burger

Producers: Jozko Rutar, Morgan Bushe, Petri Rossi

Director of Photography: Marek Divis

Film Editor: Milos Kalusek

Art director: Vasja Kokelj, Andraz Trkman

Costume design: Alan Hranitel

Cast:

Leon Lucev

Ravil Sultanov