-Who is Željko Mirković?

Dr. Željko Mirković is a highly acclaimed and internationally recognized filmmaker whose documentary work has earned over 136 awards from festivals and competitions around the world. His feature documentaries The Second Meeting and Tesla Nation were both officially Oscar-qualified, a rare distinction that speaks to the global reach and artistic credibility of his work.
Alongside his filmmaking career, Dr. Mirković is an Associate Research Professor at the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Connecticut, where he brings together media, communication, and entrepreneurial storytelling to study how narratives can shape culture and innovation.
He also holds a PhD in the field of documentary film, in which he explored how documentary storytelling can function as a form of soft power — a way for nations, communities, and ideas to influence the world not through force, but through compelling, human-centered narratives.
Together, his academic research and award-winning films demonstrate how documentary can be both an artistic medium and a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy and global understanding.”

Filmography

Documentaries – Film Director, Producer & Scriptwriter

• “He is UCONN- Big Red” (26 min.) University of Connecticut, 2025.
• “Innovation in Connecticut” (56 min.) University of Connecticut, 2024.
• “Saban Bajramovic- My Journey” (56 min.) Optimistic film, 2024

• “Srpsko Kolo, Boston” (30 min.) Optimistic film, 2024.
• “Niki Pilic- The Legend” (54 min.) GMBH, France, 2023/2024.
• “Soldiers’ Loves Forever” (54 min.) Zastava film, Optimistic film, 2022.
• “Serb National Federation” (30 min.), Optimistic film, 2022.
• “Tesla Nation.” (83 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2018.
• “The Promise.” (74 mins.) SEETV Belgium – Optimistic Film. 2016.
• “Svetislav Pesic – More Than a Coach.” (75 mins.) Intermedianetwork. 2015.
• “The Second Meeting.” (86 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2013.
• “Lajko Felix, In Search for Myself.” (25 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2011.
• “I Will Marry the Whole Village.” (57 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2010.
• “The Long Road Through Balkan History.” (58 mins.) SEETV Belgium. 2010.
• “Old Man in His 26th.” (25 mins.) TV Vojvodina. 2010.
• “Why for Sculpture.” (25 mins.) TV Vojvodina. 2009.
• “Kosovo Diary.” (99 mins.) SEETV Belgium. 2008.
• “The 21st Second.” (56 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2008.
• “Muharem, Music The Eyes of Life.” (28 mins.) Optimistic Film. 2005.
• “My World.” (52 mins.) 2002.
• “Nastasia.” (17 mins.) 2001.
• “From Nis to Serbia: It’s Now or Never.” (12 mins.) 2000.
• “The Loves of the Soldiers.” (25 mins.). 2000.
  Documentary TV Series – TV Director / Script Writer/Producer
• “Srpsko Kolo” (10 x25) – Arenna Channels Group – Optimistic Film, 2024.
• “Tesla Nation” / season 3/ (10 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film, 2023.
• “My Dear Friend Science with Vladimir Cmiljanovic- Basel University, Switzerland” – (3 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2022.
• “Tesla Nation” / season 2/ (10 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2021.
• “My Dear Friend Science with Gordana Vunjak Novakovic- Columbia University” – (10 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2021.
• “My Dear Friend Science with Vladan Vuletic- MIT and Harvard University” – (10 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2020.
• “My Dear Friend Science with Jelena Kovacevic- NYU Tandon.” – (5 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2021.
• “My Dear Friend Science with Zoric Pantic- Wentworth University” – (5 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2021.
• “Tesla Nation” / season 1/ (10 x 25 mins.) Radio Television of Serbia – Optimistic Film. 2018-2019.
• “YouTubers in Serbia.” (5 x45 min.) Radio Television of Vojvodina – Optimistic Film. 2015 – 2016.
• “Meet the Ambassadors in Serbia.” (22 x 45 mins.) Radio Television of Vojvodina – Optimistic Film. 2014 – 2015.
• “My Dreams.” (5 x 45 mins.) Radio Television of Vojvodina – Optimistic Film. 2013.
  Video Storytelling campaigns
• “Welcome to UConn” (social media campaign, 43 x 1 min. short films presented by CT Governor, Senator, UConn President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Professors, Students, Successful UConn Entrepreneurs and Alumni) University of Connecticut, CT, USA, 2024.
• “Swiss Rockets” (social media campaign, 30 x 2 min. short films about CEO, Founders, Scientists, Investors, Researchers, Staff, Swiss and International Partners, Academics, Biotech Leaders and Professionals), Swiss Rockets- Optimistic film, Switzerland, 2024.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

“Long before his international film career, Željko Mirković was already deeply creatively engaged. From his high-school years, he was involved in a wide range of artistic and cultural activities that shaped the way he tells stories today. During that formative period, he developed a strong appreciation for both European auteur cinema and classic American filmmaking, a dual influence that can still be seen in his work — blending European emotional depth and reflection with American narrative clarity and pacing.
That early, continuous engagement with culture, storytelling, and film created the foundation for the filmmaker and scholar he would later become.”

-Tell us about your project “Innovation in Connecticut”.

Innovation in Connecticut is a documentary initiative launched under the leadership of UConn President Dr. Radenka Maric and directed by Dr. Željko Mirković to present the University of Connecticut as a central engine of scientific, technological, and economic innovation.
At its core, the film is about how research universities drive real-world progress. It presents UConn not simply as a campus, but as a living innovation ecosystem — where scientists, engineers, physicians, entrepreneurs, and students collaborate to solve problems that affect:

• public health
• advanced manufacturing
• energy and sustainability
• digital and biomedical technologies
• workforce development
  The documentary situates UConn’s research inside a larger story: Connecticut’s transformation from a traditional industrial state into a modern, knowledge-driven economy. It shows how university-based innovation connects directly to startups, established industries, hospitals, and state and federal agencies.
  Rather than treating science as something abstract, the film frames it as a tool for improving lives, strengthening communities, and ensuring economic resilience.

Why this story matters for UConn

For UConn, the documentary is about identity and mission.
It presents UConn as:

• a nationally competitive research institution
• a magnet for top scientists and students
• a hub where ideas move from lab to marketplace
  Under Dr. Maric’s presidency, UConn has emphasized innovation, interdisciplinarity, and public impact. The film reflects that vision by showing that UConn’s research is not isolated inside laboratories — it is actively shaping medicine, engineering, business, and public policy.
  In other words, the documentary answers the question:
  Why does UConn matter beyond its classrooms?
  And the answer it gives is:
  Because UConn is a generator of the ideas, technologies, and talent that Connecticut and the nation depend on.

Why it matters for Connecticut

Connecticut has long been known for aerospace, defense, medicine, insurance, and manufacturing. But to stay competitive, those industries must continually innovate.
The documentary shows UConn as the backbone of that innovation pipeline:

• educating the future workforce
• conducting breakthrough research
• supporting startups and tech transfer
• attracting federal and private investment
  By highlighting UConn’s research impact, the film makes a broader argument:
  Investing in science is not just an academic decision — it is an economic strategy for the entire state.
  The film therefore becomes not just a university documentary, but a portrait of Connecticut’s future.

Why it matters for the United States
At a national level, the film aligns with a major U.S. priority:
keeping America globally competitive in science, technology, and innovation.

Universities like UConn play a critical role in:

• medical discoveries
• advanced materials
• cybersecurity
• clean energy
• artificial intelligence
  By focusing on one state and one university, the documentary makes a bigger point:
  America’s strength is built locally — through regional innovation hubs that feed into the national research and technology system.
  UConn becomes a case study for how public universities support national security, economic leadership, and scientific advancement.
  How the documentary reflects Dr. Željko Mirković’s filmmaking style
  Dr. Željko Mirković is internationally recognized for a documentary style that blends:
• visual storytelling
• human-centered narratives
• a cinematic sense of place
• intellectual depth
  Rather than relying on dry explanations, his films typically:
• follow people
• reveal environments
• and allow images, motion, and sound to carry meaning
  In Innovation in Connecticut, that approach is especially powerful.
  Science is often hard to communicate — it can feel abstract or intimidating.
  Mirković’s style counters that by showing:
• scientists at work
• students in labs
• machines, instruments, and experiments in motion
• the physical spaces where discovery happens
  This makes innovation visible and tangible, not just theoretical.
  How Mirković’s style helps tell the story of science
  Mirković does not treat science as just data or results.
  He treats it as a human and creative process.
  Through his lens:
• researchers become storytellers
• laboratories become stages
• experiments become visual narratives
  This aligns perfectly with the film’s mission:
  to show that innovation is not a slogan — it is something people do every day.
  His cinematic approach gives science:
• emotion
• rhythm
• visual beauty
  That makes the message more persuasive: science is not only useful — it is inspiring.
  The deeper message of the documentary
  Ultimately, Innovation in Connecticut is saying something very simple and very powerful:

Science is the foundation of the future.
For UConn, it means leadership in research.
For Connecticut, it means economic renewal.
For the United States, it means global competitiveness.
By combining Dr. Maric’s strategic vision with Dr. Mirković’s cinematic storytelling, the documentary becomes more than an institutional film.
It becomes a statement about why investing in knowledge, discovery, and innovation is essential for society.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

“Željko Mirković’s artistic roots are shaped by a rich dialogue between European and American cinema. He has long admired the poetic humanism of Italian masters such as Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Vittorio De Sica, and Giuseppe Tornatore, as well as the radical storytelling of the French New Wave. At the same time, he has been deeply influenced by Russian filmmakers including Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Eisenstein, whose work expanded cinema into philosophy, memory, and spiritual inquiry.
From the United States, he draws inspiration from directors and documentarians such as Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Jim Jarmusch, and Ken Burns, whose films shaped his understanding of history, character, and the power of long-form storytelling. Together, these traditions became the foundation of his distinctive documentary style — often described as ‘documentary fairy tales’ — films that respect real human stories while carrying strong messages of peace, empathy, and cultural connection, grounded in the belief that we are all one.

Today, Dr. Mirković continues this work as an Associate Research Professor at the University of Connecticut, where he explores how storytelling, innovation, and visual communication can shape society. His recent focus on science documentaries reflects his belief that science offers some of the most powerful and hopeful narratives of our time — stories that expand knowledge, improve lives, and point toward a more positive future.
This same philosophy inspired the founding of his production company, Optimistic Film — a name that reflects his worldview: that through culture, understanding, and shared stories, people across the world can live together with deeper respect and optimism.”

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

Today, Dr. Mirković works as an Associate Research Professor at the University of Connecticut, where he also teaches a forward-looking course on how to make films using smartphones. He believes that the future of cinema will be shaped by new tools, devices, and formats, but that true filmmaking will always rest on the timeless principles of classical cinema — storytelling, composition, rhythm, and emotional truth. New technologies may change how films are made, but how we tell stories is what ultimately creates meaning and lasting value.
This philosophy also drives his recent focus on science documentaries, where innovation and discovery provide endless new stories that shape human life in positive ways. It is the same spirit that inspired him to found Optimistic Film, a company built on the belief that through storytelling, understanding, and shared culture, people across the world can live together with deeper respect and optimism.”

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

The Wild Filmmaker Platform represents an important and timely space for independent documentary voices, and I express my sincere respect for its commitment to supporting bold, original, and socially engaged storytelling.
With more than 25 years of experience in documentary filmmaking, Dr. Mirkovic brings a deep understanding of the creative, ethical, and practical dimensions of nonfiction cinema. This long-standing professional practice, combined with active membership in the International Documentary Association (IDA), the European Film Academy, and the European Documentary Network (EDN), reflects a strong engagement with the global documentary community and its highest professional standards.
I warmly encourage the Wild Filmmaker Platform to continue expanding its connections with other filmmakers’ platforms, networks, and international organizations. By building bridges across communities, Wild Filmmaker can further strengthen opportunities for collaboration, visibility, and creative exchange, helping independent filmmakers reach wider audiences and develop more impactful work.
Such openness and cooperation are essential for the future of documentary cinema, and I look forward to seeing the Wild Filmmaker Platform grow as a dynamic hub for filmmakers around the world.