Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož – 13. to 18. oktober 2026 

The Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož is a showcase of contemporary Slovenian audiovisual production, culminating in awards presented for outstanding achievements and the most distinguished filmmakers and creators. Today’s festival is the successor to the Week of Domestic Film, established in Celje in the 1970s, which after Slovenia’s independence was renamed the Slovenian Film Marathon and relocated to Portorož. The following year it adopted the name Slovenian Film Festival, and in 2021 the geographical designation “Portorož” was officially added.

The Festival slovenskega filma Portorož is both a cultural and professional event where filmmakers, industry professionals, business partners, and film enthusiasts come together. Each year, over the course of six consecutive days, the festival presents the latest productions in feature, documentary, animated, experimental, full-length, medium-length, and short film formats. Following the screenings, press conferences and discussions with filmmakers take place, while an important part of the festival is also its professional program, featuring thematic conferences, film workshops, co-production meetings, and international collaboration initiatives. Guests from Slovenia and abroad are invited to attend, and the festival also encourages informal networking and the exchange of ideas among filmmakers as well as between filmmakers and the wider public.

The festival’s main award, the Vesna Award, symbolizes the enduring popularity of the heroine from the legendary film Vesna, directed in 1955 by František Čap. Today, the Czech director is regarded as one of the pillars of Slovenian film history and a shining example of European cultural interconnectedness and the openness of Slovenian film production. The Festival slovenskega filma Portorož connects the fresh approaches of younger generations of filmmakers with the legacy of the great names in Slovenian film history, which is becoming increasingly intertwined with European and global cinema.

In cooperation with professional film associations, the Slovenian Film Centre annually presents a Lifetime Achievement Award to a selected filmmaker at the festival. Until the festival’s 25th edition, this prestigious Slovenian professional award was known as the Badjura Award, named after the renowned filmmaker Metod Badjura. In 2023, a proposal to expand the award’s name was officially adopted. Thus, at the 26th Festival slovenskega filma Portorož, the Milka and Metod Badjura Award was presented for the first time. Through this change, the festival sought to highlight the often-overlooked contribution of Milka Badjura to the development of Slovenian cinematography and to emphasize the shared creative strength of the Badjuras, whose work was defined by creativity, perseverance, and a passion for film.

This October, we once again invite you to visit Portorož and join us in celebrating Slovenian cinema. This year’s edition is especially significant, as the 29th Festival of Slovenian Film serves as a kind of overture to the celebration of the festival’s 30th anniversary, which we look forward to marking next year.

Bojan Labović, Festival Director

www.fsf.si