THE FIRTS INTERNATIONAL SPORT FILM FESTIVAL IN SLOVENIA (ISFF SLOVENIA) – A MEMORABLE ALL-SLOVENIAN EVENT
The first International Sport Film Festival in Slovenia (ISFF Slovenia) successfully concluded on June 19 in Rogaška Slatina. In addition to Zveza ŠKL and the Municipality of Rogaška Slatina, the festival’s organisers and partners in Slovenia included the Olympic Committee of Slovenia (OCS), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), and the Ministry of Culture.
The ISFF Slovenia started with visits of schools, which saw a varied selection of films that we prepared with help of Miroljub Vučkovič, the Artistic director of the Festival. After the screening of each film, we provided an interactive conversation with Slovenian Olympic athlete – we tried to show and better understand young people the purpose of sport in a new way. Among the athletes were swimmer Peter John Stevens, former Slovenian gymnast Mitja Petkovšek and Sašo Bertoncelj, judoka Aljaž Sedej and professional golfer Nastja Banovec.
The grand opening of the ISFF Slovenia began on June 16 in Ana’s court, where we also awarded athletes as well as the film and television creators and persons who have made a key contribution to the development of sport in Slovenia and around the world. Let's mention just a few names: the football functionary and president of the European Football Association (UEFA) Mr. Aleksander Čeferin, the president of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations Mr. Bogdan Gabrovec, Sloveninan sports journalists Dejan Obrez and Marjan Lah, director of the Tour of Slovenia Mr. Bogdan Fink, Slovene Athlete Primož Kozmus …
The ISFF Slovenia, which was centre around cultural and Olympic values, learning about the sporting spirit, and exploring Olympism, was also accompanied with sports events for children (BASEBALL 5 International Tournament, Dodgeball competition), exhibitions on the topic of sports, round-table “Women in sport” as the introduction to the Women’s EHF EURO, which will be held in Slovenia in November 2022, screening films under the sky, presentations of sports associations and clubs, and with the visiting our NBA basketball legends. The ISFF Slovenia ended in Hollywood style – by awarding the best sport films and followed by wonderful fireworks.
The Jury, which consisted of Gordan Matić, Manica Ogorevc, Samir Bajrić, Asst. Prof. Boštjan Vrhovec and Metka Dedakovič, awarded the following sport films: On your marks! (Mária Pinčíková, Czech), Zero Dollar Baby (Damir Terešak, Croatia), Fahim, little prince of chess (Pierre-François Martin-Laval, France), 2017 (Goran Vojnović, Slovenia), Footsteps (Vlado Boban / Marko Pavlović, Croatia), promotional film about Football (David Podgornik, Slovenia), Tigers (Ronnie Sandahl, Sweden).
The 2nd ISFF Slovenia International Festival is scheduled to be held from 14th to 17th June 2023 in Rogaška Slatina, the fashionable spa resort in Slovenia.
