26. Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož – 3 to 8 October 2023

The Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož provides an insight into the latest audio-visual works produced in Slovenia, and awards the most prominent achievements and artists. The festival is the successor to annual showcases of Slovenian filmmaking established in the 1970s in Celje as the Week of National Film, which, following Slovenia’s independence, renamed the Slovenian Film Marathon and moved to Portorož before becoming the Festival of Slovenian Film the following year and adding the geographic marker in 2021.

The Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož is a cultural and industry event that brings together filmmakers, the professional community, business partners, and enthusiasts. It is an annual gathering where the latest feature, medium-length and short fiction, documentary, animated, and experimental films are screened over six consecutive days. Screenings are accompanied by news conferences and Q&As with filmmakers and other cast and crew members, and increasingly prominent industry events, including subject-specific conferences, filmmaking workshops, co-production meetings and international cooperation. Attended by various local and international guests, the festival also creates ample opportunity to socialise in informal settings as a vital means of interaction and social exchange among filmmakers as well as with the rest of the community.

The festival concludes with the Vesna Awards ceremony, Vesna symbolising the popularity of the heroine of the eponymous 1955 film directed by František Čap. Today, this Czech filmmaker is considered one of the pillars of the history of Slovenian cinema and a prime example of both European cultural exchange and the openness of the Slovenian film industry. The Festival of Slovenian Film is where new approaches of up-and-coming young filmmakers meet the honourable tradition of the legends of Slovenian cinema, an industry increasingly steeped in a broader European film landscape.

During the festival, in collaboration with industry associations, the Slovenian Film Centre annually presents an award for lifetime achievements in cinema. Until the 2022 edition, the most prestigious industry award in Slovenia had been named ‘Badjura Award’, after the prominent filmmaker Metod Badjura. As of this year, we are expanding the name to ‘Milka and Metod Badjura Award’, to highlight the so often overlooked contribution of Milka Badjura as a pioneer of Slovenian cinema and the shared creative drive of Mr and Mrs Badjura, reflecting their creativity, persistence, and passion for cinema.

With matching passion, we are calling out to you to join us in Portorož in October. For the 26th edition of the Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož. In the place which most Slovenian filmmakers have shown to love. In the place where previous editions have demonstrated the attraction of the seaside during the off-season – creatively and weather-wise.

Bojan Labović, Festival Director
www.fsf.si