Stowe Story Labs Announces Roster for Croatia Writers’ Retreat
Stowe Story Labs is pleased to announce the participant and mentor roster for our 2026 Croatia Writers’ Retreat, which will be held in Lovran, Croatia. The Stowe Story Labs Croatia Writers’ Retreat, made possible through a grant from the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC) and support from the Croatian Screenwriters and Playwrights Guild (SPID), is a five-day script and skill development program designed for top emerging screenwriters and filmmakers. It will be held in Lovran, Croatia. Thank you to our partners The Croatian Audiovisual Centre and the Croatian Screenwriters and Playwrights Guild (SPID).
Congratulations to all.
We look forward to working with this talented group of artists and mentors.
PARTICIPANTS
Luka Alagic (HAVC Fellow) — London, England — Taxi Haron // Neo-Noir Feature
Lana Barić (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — My Home // Dark Comedy, Fantasy Feature
Nikolina Bogdanović (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — The Elephantess // Drama, Magical Realism Feature
Mile Božičević (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — Uncarved // Thriller, Mystery, Crime TV 1 hr
Niamh Gormley — Tyrone, Northern Ireland — Boa Island // Family Drama TV 1 hr
Ari Groobman — Tarzana, CA, USA — Something Good // Dramedy, Coming-of-Age Feature
Grace Hannoy — Los Angeles, CA, USA — Somersault // Romantic Comedy Feature
Brandy Hernandez — Los Angeles, CA, USA — Stigmata Martyr // Horror, Psychological Feature
Ros Jones — Brighton, East Sussex, England — Beneath The Surface // Drama, Crime TV 1 hr
Vanja Juranić (HAVC Fellow) — Berlin, Germany — Borders // Drama Feature
Nikola Kuprešanin (HAVC Fellow) — Split, Croatia — Once Upon a Time in the Balkans // Western Feature
Barbara Mattes (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — Shadows // Drama Feature
Conor McCormick — Meath, Ireland — It Gets Worse // Dark Comedy Feature
Lina Michl (HAVC Fellow) — Dubrovnik, Croatia — Pharma Is A Bitch // Drama, Dark Comedy, Crime TV 1 hr
Barbara Nunberg — Santa Monica, CA, USA — The Wild Years // Drama TV 1 hr
Kelli Reilly — Los Angeles, CA, USA — The Official Rio Document // SciFi, Psychological Drama Feature
Lisa Romagnoli — New York, NY, USA — Off the Beaten Path // Romantic Comedy Feature
Emily Schleiger — Naperville, IL, USA — Lola’s Not Alone // Dramedy TV ½ hr
Kruno Trninić (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — Leon from Zagreb // Mumblecore, Dramedy TV 1 hr
Petar Vukičević (HAVC Fellow) — Zagreb, Croatia — Land of Bulls // Thriller, Drama, Western Feature
Lisa Yankowski — Bronx, NY, USA — Camel Diving // Animated Feature
MENTORS
Eszter Angyalosy — Budapest, Hungary — Screenwriter and Story Editor
Ciara Appelbe — Bray, Ireland — Head of Development, O’Sullivan Productions
Conor Barry — Dublin, Ireland — Creative Producer
Thembisa Cochrane — London, England — Producer and Co-Founder of Caspian Films
Stacey Davis — Birmingham, AL, USA — Screenwriter/Producer/Entertainment Lawyer
Aaron Farrell — Dublin, Ireland — Producer, Head of Drama for Shinawil
Karol Griffiths — London, England — Development Consultant, Script Editor, and Producer
Joe Jeffreys — London, England — Development & Fund Manager, Pretty Tales
Hana Jusic — Zagreb, Croatia — Director
Jelena Paljan — Zagreb, Croatia — Screenwriter
Christian Routh — Catalonia, Spain — Film and Series Consultant
Elma Tataragić — Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Screenwriter, Festival Programmer, Professor
LEAD FACILITATORS
David Rocchio — Stowe, VT, USA — Founder & Director of Stowe Story Labs
David Pope — Lewes, England — Co-Founder, Lead Facilitator/Program Delivery
PROGRAM MANAGERS
Katerina Eichenberger — Atlanta, GA, USA — Deputy Director / Director of Admissions & Enrollment, Stowe Story Labs
Daria Stilin — Zagreb, Croatia — Program & Partnerships Manager – Europe, Stowe Story Labs
