MOJA VESNA

The director Sara Kern is available for interviews.

Ten year old MOJA lives with her grief-stricken Slovenian dad and pregnant twenty year old sister VESNA in an outer suburb of Melbourne. Unable to accept the reality of her mother’s sudden passing, Moja focuses on preparing for the baby while Vesna is lost in troubles of her own. Adamant and full of light, Moja pushes on, hoping in vain that Vesna will eventually fill the mother-shaped hole in her life. But Vesna pushes Moja to accept that their mother has in fact died, which causes the relationship between the sisters to strain and as the birth draws closer the grieving family continues to fragment. After meeting Miranda and her quirky daughter Danger, a family very different to her own, Moja’s world begins to open.

Sara Kern (1989) is a Slovenian-born writer and director based in Melbourne, Australia. She graduated in film directing from the University of Ljubljana, The Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television in 2013. Kern worked as a screenwriter for Slovenian National Television’s Children and Youth Program for several years before moving to Australia. Her 2016 short Good Luck Orlo premiered at the 73rd Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at TIFF, Chicago IFF and Seattle IFF. Kern was selected for TIFF Talent Lab (2017), Torino Script Lab (2018) and Cannes’ Cinéfondation Residence (2018) where she developed her debut feature, MOJA VESNA.

The lead roles are played by Loti Kovačič, who had no background in acting and Mackenzie Mazur, acclaimed Slovenian actor Gregor Baković and Claudia Karvan, one of Australia’s most recognized actresses.

Produced by Rok Biček of Cvinger Film, Slovenia, and Gal Greenspan and Sharlene George of Sweetshop & Green, Australia. Co-Producer is Katy Roberts, Australia.

The film is a co-production between Slovenia and Australia and received major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the Slovenian Film Centre. It is financed with support from Film Victoria and the Melbourne International Film Festival’s MIFF Premiere Fund, Radio Television Slovenija (RTV SLO) and The Government’s Office for Slovenians Abroad.
The script was selected for development through the Torino Film Lab and Cannes Cinéfondation Residence, and the film later selected during post-production to be part of First Cut Lab.

Production Companies:
Cvinger Film SLOVENIA www.cvinger-film.si
Sweetshop & Green AUSTRALIA www.sweetshopgreen.com