Since each Pula Film Festival includes screenings of all the locally produced feature films made in the preceding 12 months (which is made possible due to the local film industry's relatively low output), everyone involved in making them is considered automatically qualified for the Golden Arena award.
The awards are given by the jury of five or six members, usually consisting of prominent filmmakers and film critics.
Some festival editions also had Best Actor winners as voted by audiences, but these are not considered Golden Arena awards.
Also, in the 1950s and 1960s awards in the acting category were given for actors' whole body of work in the preceding year so some of the more prolific recipients are officially listed as having won the Golden Arena award for several films made that year.
The following is a list of winners of the Golden Arena for Best Actor at the Pula Film Festival.