Slovenščina2nd Day of the ISFF Festival (June 18, 2026): Rogaška Slatina, Ljubljana, Maribor
Today, the festival highlights unfolded simultaneously across three different cities.
In Rogaška Slatina, the Cultural Center hosted screenings of 14 films, 5 of which were part of the morning program dedicated to school youth. The screenings were followed by engaging discussions about the films’ content, messages, impressions, and new perspectives. The young audience also had the unique opportunity to meet the protagonist of the film The Fight—a 15-year-old female boxer who worked tirelessly to carve out her place in a male-dominated sport. She shared with the young viewers that she, too, had moments of doubt about whether to keep going, but is now incredibly proud of her perseverance. She encouraged the audience to fight for their dreams, as the hard work eventually rewards you with immense pride and self-satisfaction. In the evening, the audience watched the film about the Slovenian national volleyball team, Brothers of the Court – The Beginning, right after enjoying a live broadcast from the pre-premiere event of the same film at the Odiseja cinema in Ljubljana.
In Ljubljana, festival films were screened throughout the entire day, with nearly 800 school children attending the morning sessions. They were visited by top athletes from the Slovenian Armed Forces and the renowned Slovenian alpinist Viki Grošelj. The moderators introduced the guests and led an inspiring discussion with the youth, linking it to the themes of the films they had just watched. In the evening, one of the halls hosted a screening of short promotional films created by primary and secondary schools as part of the Tourist Association of Slovenia’s project Turizmu pomaga lastna glava (Tourism Helped by Our Own Heads), featuring this year’s theme, AquaVibe. For the second consecutive year, the ISFF Festival featured the winners in its official festival catalog and rewarded them with special gifts provided by its sponsor, Steklarna Rogaška. That same evening, the freshly renovated halls of Odiseja hosted the aforementioned premiere of the movie about the Slovenian national volleyball team, with most team members attending the event. The premiere was followed by a delightful gathering featuring treats from Pekarna Pečjak and beverages from Dana, accompanied by a musical performance by singer Kiti and guitarist Jakob, both members of the five-piece band Bioreaktor.
Meanwhile, Maribor was also buzzing with festival energy, specifically at the II. gimnazija Maribor, widely recognized as a cultural hub among high schools. As part of the ISFF program, they first hosted the Film School with Ms. Mojco Pernat, followed by the screening of two selected festival films, 23 Seconds and Invasion of Qatar. The Indonesian director of the film 23 Seconds traveled all the way from Rogaška Slatina to join them. The students prepared questions in English and engaged in a lively discussion with him. The highlight of the event was a surprise live video call, during which the students got the chance to talk directly with the film’s lead actor.
The second day of the festival thus concluded in the spirit of remarkable international connections, inspiring sports stories, and the unforgettable creative energy of the younger generation