Farewell to Our Dear Matea

With profound sadness, we say goodbye to our dear colleague, friend, and producer, Matea Milić.

Producer Matea Milić passed away at the age of 45 after a brave battle with illness.

Matea graduated in Art History and Slovak Language and Literature from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb. She joined the production company Hulahop in 2012 as office manager, and in 2015 became producer of the World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb.

Through her knowledge, dedication, and outstanding organisational skills, Matea made an invaluable contribution to the growth and development of Animafest. With the same care and passion, she built international partnerships, developed the Animafest PRO professional programme, led the Rise & Shine pitching laboratory for emerging filmmakers and, since its founding in 2020, coordinated the international Animation Festival Network. As a member of the Croatian Producers Association, she represented the association within the CEE Animation initiative and contributed her knowledge and experience to numerous international selection committees and festival juries.

But beyond all of her professional accomplishments, we will remember Matea first and foremost for the person she was. She was the heart of our team, warm, thoughtful, and endlessly generous with her time and care, always there to help, listen, or find a solution. Her warmth, her smile, and her genuine kindness created an environment where work felt like so much more than work, and colleagues became friends.

Her professionalism, reliability, and humanity have left a lasting mark not only on Hulahop and Animafest Zagreb, but on the Croatian and international animation community as a whole. We will remember everything she helped build, but even more the way she did it, with kindness, humility, and an open heart.

On behalf of everyone at Hulahop and Animafest, we extend our deepest condolences to Matea's family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of sharing a part of their lives with Matea.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, 10 August 2026, at 12:00, in the Great Hall of the Crematorium at Mirogoj Cemetery, Zagreb.