Response to the governmental cut of all funding for Isola Cinema
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.
Films distributed by our organization (one of the main distributor of experimental cinema in Europe) were shown in Isola and among the film-makers present, we certainly had the feeling that it was just the beginning of future exchanges and collaborations.
In consequence, we strongly support the demand of Kino Otok / Isola Cinema that the funding for the Isola Film Festival be maintained, if not extended, to ensure its future.
Best regards,
For Light Cone,
Emmanuel Lefrant, director of Light Cone, filmmaker
Miles McKane, President of Light Cone, filmmaker
Nicolas Rey, Light Cone’s member of the Board, filmmaker and guest of Isola 2007
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To: igor.prodnik@gov.si
Dear Sir,
As a Belgian and French scholar, Dutch cinematheque director, filmmaker,...
I would like to aks you very sincerly:
PLEASE STOP THIS PROVINCIAL ATTITUDE TO (FILM)CULTURE!
Are you or are you not aspiring to be on the level with your European partners?
So please, stop this intriguing , this bickering and show a large and tolerant,and stimulating approach to culture!!!
How do you think we see your country from abroad?... No better than a small town view on what culture should or should not be!
Yours faithfully,
dr. Eric de Kuyper
ex deputy director Dutch Cinémathèque
Member of the board of the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique
Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
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Dear Dr Simoniti
Please forgive my writing in English.
I was surprised, saddened and disappointed to hear of the Slovenian Film Fund's proposal to cut all funding to the Kino Otok / Isola Cinema festival, which I have attended each year since 2005. (I attended initially solely in a journalistic capacity, but since 2006 have semi-informally "advised" the organisers on programming matters.)
This event has quickly established itself as one of the most artistically valid of European film festivals, and - given its admirable championing of "non-mainstream" fare - seems to me very much deserving of help from governmental funds. To be described as "a well-nigh perfect film festival" by an august, exacting, and internationally-respected publication such as Sight and Sound magazine is, needless to say, an achievement of which all Slovenians should be proud.
In the light of this, I would have expected the SFF's support for the event to have increased this year - at the worst, remained at the same levels as before. To reduce such funding would have struck me as a negative step.
To reduce said funding to zero, therefore, seems to me a truly baffling and worrying development - one that gives an unfortunate (and, I am sure, misleading) impression of the current Slovenian government's attitude towards the arts.
I do hope that the SFF will be able to reconsider this decision.
Yours sincerely / Z lepimi pozdravi
Neil Young
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Dear Mr. Janez Janša,
dear Mr. Vasko Simoniti,
dear Mr. Igor Prodnik,
I want to personally support the forthcoming edition of the Isola Cinema Festival,
which is very important and vibrant European film event.
Culture is very important - reflecting and enriching - part of our life.
And cinematography as a massive culture dominantly influences every modern society.
That is why is so important to support in European context such a specific film festival as Isola is,
because the reflection of the most inspiring and innovative films is the key part of the programme.
I would like to kindly ask you to support this event at least with the same amount of money as in the last year.
Isola Cinema Festival is really one of culture events all Slovenians could be proud of.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and for reversing the decision about the financial support.
With my best regards,
Marek Hovorka
Festival Director
12TH JIHLAVA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL / OCT 24-29 2008
JANA MASARYKA 16 / 586 01 JIHLAVA / CZECH REPUBLIC
M: +420 774 101 656 / WWW.DOKUMENT-FESTIVAL.CZ
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Darko Štrajn
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Isola cinema i u Hrvatskoj ima visoku reputaciju zbog svog kvalitetno selektiranog programa i uvaženih autora-gostiju. Stoga s nevjericom pratimo odluku filmskih vlasti u Sloveniji da srežu ionako malu potpore vašem festivalu. U siromašnijoj Hrvatskoj čak i mali, posve lokalni festivali dobivaju potporu veću od one koju je dobivala Izola.
Jurica Pavičić, Split, programer Motovun FF, novinar Jutarnjeg lista
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Shame on the systematic and persistent governmental policy of trying to root out film culture in Slovenia. Isola Cinema Festival is an unique event that you should be proud that takes place in Slovenia.
Isola Cinema is a film festival that has "intercultural dialogue" on top of its agenda and your decision is an insult to the mere idea of intercultural dialogue. This is all the more painful, considering that 2008 is the "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue", and considering that this is happening in the country currently presiding the European Union. With this decision you not only discredit the concept of diversity but also the respect that one has to offer to those who are different. Using a simple syllogism, with the condition your inept official persona and I`m not even qualifing you as a personality have logical and filosofical skills to understand it, your refusal becomes synonymous with rasism and discrimination towards filmmakers and cinephils of the entire world!
Hope does die last!
Oana Stupariu, journalist, Romania
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I was perplexed and disheartened at the news that the Isola Cinema Festival’s financial application for its fifth edition has been turned down by the Slovenian Film Fund.
Despite its brief existence, the Isola Cinema Festival has rapidly gained a reputation of being an exemplary event for promoting important cinema from lesser-known parts of the world, and therefore being instrumental in the all-important dialogue of different cinema cultures. The high-profile festival has had an impressive line-up of directors present at previous editions, such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Abderrahmane Sissako, Abolfazl Jalili who are all among the finest film-makers of the world.
It would be a sad loss to film culture if the festival wouldn’t get enough support to realise its fifth edition, and I urge the commission to reconsider its decision.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Wengström - Curator of Archival Film Collections, The Swedish Film Institute - Stockholm
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Dragi Koen, drage kolegice in dragi kolegi pri Kinu Otok,
odlocitev, da Filmski sklad ne podpre Kina Otok, je vandalizem. Uničuje kulturno ustanovo, ki je v kratkem času odprla popolnoma nova obzorja filmskemu in širšemu kulturnemu življenju v Sloveniji. Za tako herostratstvo je vsaka beseda odveč. Organizirati moramo široko in glasno politično akcijo, s katero bomo odstranili to uničevalsko politiko.
S solidarnim pozdravom,
Rastko Močnik
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Mister Prodnik,
we urge you to keep the Isola filmfestival alive. The news of your unfortunate advice has spread across your borders and raised some eyebrows, that's for sure!
We keep the faith that your beautiful country will do all it can to give the festival every chance!
Bart De Ketelaere
Belgium
