Hunnic Summer

When five kids find an ancient artifact at the hotel complex construction site in their village, summer vacation turns into a real adventure and a search for the treasure of Attila the Hun.

Teo (11) spends his summer vacation in a small town in Vojvodina - northern Serbia, where his father, Bogdan (47), is investing in the construction of a large hotel complex. During his stay at Salaš Geza, Teo meets Laslo (11), Srboljub (11), Kenan (11), and Senka (11). He realizes that the hotel construction causes disturbance in the village, as his new friends will lose their homes and the renowned local kayaking club. When the group discovers a mysterious golden object at the construction site, which turns out to be a buckle in the shape of a cricket – the protector of the Hun tribes - a great search for Attila’s lost treasure is on the horizon as well as the possibility of stopping the hotel construction. However, during this adventure, Teo, Laslo, Srboljub, Kenan, and Senka will have to confront not only their own fears and doubts about the local legend of the Hun treasure buried with Attila, but also the interests of a far more powerful enemy, local businessman Ljuban (50), who is determined to push forward the hotel construction. They will face obstacles from Ljuban's son Bane (16) and his buddy Red (16), as well as the peculiar old man Blagoje, involved in the resale of archaeological artifacts. A seemingly childish treasure hunt will turn out to be a significant turning point for the residents of the small town, as well as for the group of five, who will discover the true value of the greatest treasure – friendship.

Directors statement

Part of the local popular culture is a legend about the lost tomb of the famous conqueror Attila the Hun, full of gold, waiting to be found by some local enthusiast somewhere in the villages along Tisza and Danube rivers in Vojvodina. As a member of the generation that grew up watching adventure films and learned about archaeology from Indiana Jones, the idea of making a film that would pay homage to those movies is appealing to me. I believe that contemporary children’s films lack the subgenre of adventure movies, therefore, it is good to offer an adventure in a retro style, which largely takes place outdoors, by the river, in the summer sun. Hunnic Summer draws inspiration from the tradition of children's adventure stories in literature and film from the 80's, where the main characters are actually a group of children. Each character in our group possess liveliness and individuality, but also represent one of the narrative archetypes – they are all equally important to the viewer, but each of them has their own skills, flaws, and virtues. Through the quest for the Hunnic treasure and the dangers they face, each of them will confront their specific personal or family weaknesses, and through the unity of friendship, they will overcome them. The story of Hunnic Summer has the potential to be an entertaining film for the whole family – although primarily aimed at younger audience, the spirit it exudes should also be recognizable to the generation of their parents.

NEDELJKO KOVACIC graduated in Film and TV Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. He completed UNESCO master's program in Cultural Policy and Management at the University of Arts and is currently preparing a doctoral dissertation in Art and Media Theory as part of interdisciplinary doctoral studies. Director and screenwriter: short live-action films eSnuff (2003), Crnokosa (2006), UnderГрад (2015); short documentary films Displaced Lives (2003), Kikindski mamut (2006), Legendary Sevastopol (2014); docudrama TV series Jovanka Broz i tajne službe (10 episodes, RTS, 2021), Drug Marko (10 episodes, RTS, 2023); feature film Vera (2022) and the TV series Vera (10 episodes, RTS, 2023). Director: TV series Šta mi spremaš? (16 episodes, BKTV, 2004), docudrama TV series Motiv (14 episodes, Kurir TV, 2020). He realized numerous TV shows (RTS, B92, BKTV), commercials and music videos, commissioned and promotional films. Nedeljko works as a film and media critic for various print and electronic media.

DirectorNedeljko Kovacic
ProducerMaja Cenic
ScreenwriterKristina Đuković
Production countrySerbia
Production companyMagnus Production
Age9+
Duration100 min
GenresAdventure, Comedy, Family
TypeLive-action
Year2026
Spoken languageSerbian
Total budget€989,663
Financing in place€242,320

Contact persons

Maja Cenic

Magnus Production

maja.cenic@magnusproduction.rs

Company profile

Magnus Production is a young independent production company based in Belgrade, Serbia. Storytelling is our passion and our aim is to engage, educate and entertain through our works. We create authentic, compelling stories, and collaborate with both young creatives and established artists. Our main focus is on producing original feature content for film and television with unique voice and co-production potential, but we are also service providers for international clients.