We regret to inform you that the 5th Isola Cinema will not take place this year.

In the aftermath of the decision by the Slovenian Film Fund to cut all funding for the Isola Cinema festival, we investigated the possibilities of (exceptionally) moving the 5th --possibly “limited”— edition of the festival to September.

Unfortunately, up until today, we still haven't received the official confirmation from the Film Fund as to whether or not they will co-finance Isola Cinema, and if so, to what extend. Since we cannot afford to repeat the situation of last year where some of the basic funding was not secured before the end of October, we have decided to cancel this year’s festival.

We would like to underline that throughout this crisis the Izola municipality has kept on re-confirming their support of the festival. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your letters of support! Read more »

The Slovenian Film Fund has cut all funding to the Isola Cinema festival.

Emmanuel Lefrant, director of Lightcone; Miles McKane, President; and Nicolas Rey, Light Cone’s member of the Board, filmmaker and guest of Isola 2007
dr. Eric de Kuyper, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
Neil Young, Curator, Bradford Film Festival
Marek Hovorka, Festival Director, 12TH JIHLAVA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
Rastko Močnik
Jon Wengström - Curator of Archival Film Collections, The Swedish Film Institute - Stockholm
Jurica Pavičić, Split, programer Motovun FF, novinar Jutarnjeg lista
Oana Stupariu, journalist, Romania
Darko Štrajn
Bart De Ketelaere, Belgium
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M. Igor Prodnik, Slovenian Film Fund

CC: Dr. Vasko Simoniti, Minister of Culture ; Janez Janša, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia

We have heard that the Slovenian Film Fund is about to suppress all financial support to the Isola Film Festival. With all due respect, we consider this decision to be unfair and inconceivable.

The Isola Film Festival is the prototype for a new generation of film festivals, which can only be found in such countries as Slovenia. Other film communities should really envy the energy and intelligence that a festival like Isola conveys. The openness of the programmers, their understanding of what constitutes cinema today, the quality of the organization for which, unlike in many festivals, it clearly appears that the funding is used appropriately for means of bringing together the public, the films and the guests, making it something special.

It would be sad to observe the disappearance of such a pearl among the world of film festivals. Read more »

We would like to draw your attention to the last episode in what seems to be a systematic and persistent governmental policy of trying to root out film culture in Slovenia.

The proposal of the Slovenian Film Fund TO CUT ALL FUNDING for the Isola Cinema festival --with the argument that “its content is inappropriate for co-financing”-- is not only a gross injustice, it is also an insult to film culture, to culture, to intercultural dialogue, as well as to the respect for the legal system of the EU presiding state.

Allow me to demonstrate:

Kino Otok/Isola Cinema is an annual international film festival, that in its four years of existence “has been building a formidable reputation”, as Kieron Corless wrote in Sight & Sound last year. He concluded his festival-report with calling Isola Cinema “a well nigh-perfect festival”. Read more »

2nd International video festival Electric Rats Dream Video Dreams will be going on from 2. - 6.7. 2008 in Celje. Entry form is already in circulation and on web page www.videorats.org, deadline for receiving works is may 25th 2008.

The anniversary edition of the ISOLA CINEMA will NOT take place from May 29th until June 2nd, as reported earlier. The precise dates will be announced shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Stay tuned!