Cinematic Storytelling Without Borders: A Look Inside Light Film International

Hrvoje Boljkovac and Igor Mijoljević founded Light Film International in 2001 in Zagreb, Croatia. They set out to break free from the “traditional limitations” of the local film industry and to build a company that offered “cinematic quality with international-level professionalism”.

Two decades later, what began as a small production outfit has evolved into a global production services partner known for delivering award-winning work worldwide.

From Zagreb to Global Reach

From the start, Light Film targeted international clients and steadily expanded beyond its Zagreb base. The company now operates offices in Slovenia, Hungary, and most recently Georgia. Each expansion has extended Light Film’s reach while keeping its core focus intact: crafting cinematic stories that resonate across cultures.

Over the years, Light Film has collaborated with top global brands – experiences that helped shape its creative direction. The team provided production services for major campaigns like Gatorade and Huawei, which Hrvoje says “expanded our creative range and elevated our global profile”.

Gatorade’s project pushed Light Film into high-energy, fast-paced filmmaking, whereas Huawei’s emotional campaign required a focus on intimacy and authenticity. Together these projects reinforced the company’s adaptability and built Light Film’s reputation as “a go-to company for both cinematic and branded storytelling”.

With hubs across Europe, Light Film specialises in seamless productions across diverse locales. Hrvoje and Igor explain that “each region is unique”, and the team works closely with local crews and fixers, adapting to cultural nuances, terrain, and logistics for truly smooth cross-border shoots.

This approach allows Light Film to leverage an incredibly diverse range of landscapes – from coastal towns to alpine forests to ancient ruins – as rich backdrops for its stories. One example was turning the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pula, Croatia, into a gladiator-themed commercial set, a location that brought authenticity and scale no studio could replicate. “The real stone textures, lighting, and historic atmosphere elevated the visuals and made the story more powerful,” say the pair, noting that his team loves “turning locations into characters themselves”.

Expanding into VFX and The Birth of Visual Bounty Hunters

In 2021, Light Film rebranded its animation and VFX division as Visual Bounty Hunters (VBH) – a move that they say “gave [the unit] identity and autonomy”. The newly christened VBH now attracts clients specifically seeking animation, CGI, and game trailers, while continuing to support Light Film’s live-action projects.

This broadened capability opens the door to new sectors like gaming and digital art, making Light Film’s service offering more robust.

Light Film’s reputation for cinematic quality has been cemented by work on some high-profile projects. The studio produced the opening sequence for the 78th Annual Academy Awards and a film for the NBA Finals titled The Legacy of Champions. Both projects were high-pressure assignments with tight deadlines, but the Light Film team rose to the occasion.

For the Oscars opener, they coordinated crews between Croatia and Los Angeles to execute complex VFX under a tight deadline, and for the NBA piece, the team blended historical footage with futuristic motion design. Boljkovac recalls that the team “thrived on the challenge, earning two Emmy awards and proving our ability to deliver at the highest level”.

Behind the scenes, Light Film fosters a collaborative, people-first culture. “We run a flat structure where anyone can propose bold ideas, and we invest in training and tools to empower creative thinking,” says Hrvoje.

Many of the company’s top team members grew from junior roles – a testament to a workplace where trust and mentorship fuel innovation. Despite a serious focus on craft, the team doesn’t forget to have fun. Hrvoje and Igor put it this way: “We’re serious about craft, but we keep a sense of humour and humanity in everything we do.

Having fun and enjoying what we do is becoming more and more important to us as we get older and more experienced.”

Embracing Technology and Sustainability

Light Film eagerly embraces emerging technology and sustainable practices. Hrvoje shares that the studio has “begun using Unreal Engine, virtual scouts, and LED wall studios” – cutting-edge virtual production techniques that “reduce costs, improve creative flexibility, and streamline post-production”.

The team is also experimenting with augmented reality graphics and interactive formats to push storytelling further. On the sustainability front, says Hrvoje and Igor, “We’ve gone largely paperless, use LED lighting, hire local crews to cut travel, and reuse materials wherever possible” to shrink the company’s environmental footprint. Light Film is even working toward carbon-neutral operations as it adopts greener production standards.

After 24 years in business, Light Film isn’t slowing down, it’s pushing forward with more force than ever. Hrvoje envisions continued growth in the next decade – including potential expansion into new regions such as the Middle East or Asia – while bolstering the company’s technological edge.

Plans are underway to develop original intellectual property through the Visual Bounty Hunters division and to build a dedicated virtual production stage that will further modernise its filmmaking process. Just as importantly, Light Film aims to become a carbon-neutral production house and to support the next generation of filmmakers through mentorship and collaboration.

Throughout these ambitions, the team emphasises that the company will stay true to its ethos: “We’ll keep growing globally, while staying grounded in our values and people-first approach.”