SlovenščinaOnly a few days separate us from the fourth edition of the International Sport Film Festival in Rogaška Slatina, which will take place this year from June 18th to 20th.
This year, the festival once again combines film, sport, tourism, and education, offering an exceptional program for all generations. For three days, Rogaška Slatina will become a hub of cinematic art, sports stories, and youthful creativity. The festival program is designed to intertwine film screenings, creative and educational workshops, and meetings with top athletes and cultural figures. Special attention will be paid to young people, who will be able to get a close look at the world of film and participate in various educational activities.
The festival will kick off on Wednesday, June 18th, at 8:30 AM, with film screenings for primary and secondary schools at the Cultural Centre Rogaška Slatina. In the morning, selected sports films will also be shown at the Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana, where students and visitors will reflect on the meaning of sport as history, inspiration, and cultural expression.
The central event of the day will be the Grand Opening Ceremony of the festival, taking place at 7:00 PM at Ana’s Court. On this occasion, awards will be presented to deserving individuals in the fields of sport, culture, and social inclusion. Among the award recipients will be Dejan Zavec, boxing legend; Rašo Nesterović, former NBA basketball player; Miro Cerar, Olympian and icon of Slovenian sport; and Sergio Tavčar, one of the most recognizable cross-border sports journalists. Awards will also be received by Tone Barič, founder of the largest European handball festival Eurofest; Milena Štular, initiator and co-founder of the Botrstvo project; Mateja Pustovrh Pintar, Olympian and table tennis medalist; and entrepreneur Silvo Pečjak, a long-time supporter of sport. Prizes will also be awarded to Ernest Jazbinšek, athlete, former president of the Slovenian Federation for Sports for the Disabled and successful writer, and Mitja Rotovnik, long-time director of Cankarjev Dom and cultural strategist. The opening ceremony will also be attended by Ivo Daneu, FICTS General Secretary Enzo Cappiello, and the Mayor of Rogaška Slatina, Branko Kidrič. The festive address will be delivered by Maja Pak, M.Sc., Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board.
Thursday, June 19th, will be dedicated to education and discussion. In the morning, film screenings and workshops will take place in Rogaška Slatina at the Cultural Centre, while in Maribor, students of the 2nd Grammar School will enjoy film screenings and participate in a round table discussion on Sport and Film.
At 11:00 AM, a trip around Rogaška Slatina and its surroundings will be organized for festival guests, with a particularly attractive visit to the largest observation tower Kristal, Afrodita company, Rogaška Glassworks, and the Pomona educational trail.
In the evening, the festival activities will return to the Cultural Centre hall in Rogaška Slatina for another football evening. After watching the Russian football film Fedya, we will socialize with Marinko Galić, a former Slovenian national football team player. Football clubs from Rogaška Slatina, Rogatec, and Šmarje pri Jelšah, and of course all lovers of good film, are also invited to the event. The film will be followed by a relaxed get-together with a discussion titled Sport, Culture, Tourism, and Gastronomy, enhanced by a reception hosted by the Gaja Association.
On Friday, June 20th, the Children’s Mini Olympics will begin at 9:00 AM in front of the 2nd Primary School in Rogaška Slatina. The event will feature the mascot Foksi, and numerous top Slovenian athletes will also attend. Among them will be alpine skier Žan Kranjec, climber Sara Čopar, archer Žiga Ravnikar, and ski mountaineer Klemen Španring, all members of the Slovenian Armed Forces sports team. Also present will be the Mayor of Rogaška Slatina, Mr. Branko Kidrič, the principal of the 2nd Primary School, Ms. Milena Vreš, and renowned Olympians, who will address the young participants and encourage them to engage in sports activities. In the afternoon, a 3×3 basketball tournament will be organized by the Rogaška Slatina Basketball Club.
Meanwhile, in the morning, film screenings for primary school students and a film workshop for high school students will take place at the Rogaška Slatina Secondary School.
The closing evening of the film festival will begin at 7:00 PM with the screening of the film Dragon from Koseze, a documentary about Goran Dragić. It will continue with a ceremonial address and awards for deserving individuals in sport and culture, which will be received by three exceptional guests: basketball player Goran Dragić, national football team coach Matjaž Kek, and director and literary historian Matjaž Berger. Three important personalities, each from their field.
Following this, we will present festival awards for the best films in seven categories and for the best short films to primary, secondary, and tertiary schools in the Slovenian Tourist Board’s project “Tradition in Trend,” which was organized this year in collaboration with our festival to jointly encourage as many young creators as possible for future work. The festival’s conclusion will be enlivened by a lottery for audience tickets, with prizes from business partners including McDonald’s, Gorenje, and others.
The festival, led by Vojko Korošec, continues to pursue a clear goal this year – to encourage creativity, connection, and to emphasize the importance of community, the exchange of ideas, and the values that sport and culture disseminate through film. Rogaška Slatina will thus become a global center for sports film, a center of inspiration, cooperation, and the future for a few days.
All events are free and open to the public. The closing ceremony will be held at the Cultural Centre; seating is limited. Entry will no longer be possible once seats are filled. All who wish to experience the pulse of art, energy, and community are invited to join us in Rogaška Slatina.
