Although he is studying graphic design, senior MFA student Dejan Mraovi? has been making short films at Ohio University ever since he developed a love for movies at the school.
One of his most recent shorts, Rocky the Boss, a parody on the Rocky film series and the relationship between Rocky and Adrian, was recently accepted into the 12th Dhaka International Film Festival.
Before being selected for Dhaka, Mraovi?’s short film was selected to play in Athens’ International Film and Video Festival last year.
“When you create art, it’s really awesome when someone recognizes your film as art and puts it into their collection,” Mraovi? said.
In addition to directing the short film, Mraovi? also wrote, edited, produced and starred as Rocky himself.
Mraovi?’s childhood love of the Rocky films, as well as his love for rooting for the underdog, was his main inspiration for the film.
“Dejan always had an infatuation with American cinema,” said Chris Luesson, a 2010 OU MFA graduate and the cinematographer for the film.
“I was ecstatic upon hearing about our acceptance into the Dhaka International Film Festival,” Luessen said. “Dejan always calls me from Athens whenever we are accepted for a new festival and on that particular day I was in class and saw two or three missed calls from him, so I knew something was up.”
When asked to participate in Mraovi?’s “half tribute, half spoof” of the Rocky films, Luessen said that he “couldn’t say no.”
In addition to Rocky the Boss, Mraovi? first short film, Bicycle, also found success in being chosen to compete in the 6th International Cycling Film Festival. He recently finished his fourth short film and is currently working on
his fifth.
Mraovi? credits his success in filmmaking to his experiences in Serbia as a journalist and photographer, as well as the strong support from the School of Film at Ohio University.
Namely, Mraovi? thanked OU professor Rajko Grli? for his support in both film and graphic design and credited him as “the most famous and successful Croatian director ever.”
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