Motovun is a hill village in central Istria. The population of the village itself is 531, with a total of 983 residents in the municipality. Since 1999, Motovun has hosted the international Motovun Film Festival for independent and avant-garde films from the U.S. and Europe. The river Mirna flows below the hill and on the other side of the river there is the famous Motovun forest. This area differs completely not only from the nearby forests, but also from those of the entire surrounding karst region because of its wild life, moist soil and rich-with-prized-black-and-white truffles (Tuber magnatum), which grows successfully there. Since this fungus grows underground, it is gathered with the aid of specially trained dogs or pigs.
