PORTOROŽ: The Slovenian/Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian coproduction Riders / Jezdeca began shooting on 19 May 2019. The road drama about two best friends in their mid-twenties is the first feature by 32-years-old Slovenian director Dominik Mencej.

LJUBLJANA: FNE spoke with 2019 Producer on the Move Rok Biček representing Slovenia. His feature directorial debut Class Enemy (2013, Triglav film) premiered and received the Feodora Award at the Venice Critics' Week in 2013 and was a LUX Prize finalist. Rok subsequently established his own production company Cvinger Film, which produced his award-winning documentary The Family (2017). He coproduced Olmo Omerzu's Winter Flies (2018, endorfilm), which was selected for the Karlovy Vary Official Competition in 2018.

LJUBLJANA: Vinko Möderndorfer started shooting the Slovenian/Serbian coproduction Deadlock / Zastoj on 22 March 2019. The story focuses on a tragic event which brings together two married couples from different social backgrounds.

LJUBLJANA: Zoran Poznič was appointed new Minister of Culture of Slovenia by the National Assembly on 8 March 2019. Among his priorities he stated the adoption of the so-called Law on Cultural Euro, the preparation and adoption of new media legislation and the adoption of the National Programme for Culture (NPK) for the period from 2020 to 2026.

LJUBLJANA: The Slovenian Minister of Culture Dejan Prešiček has resigned only four months after his appointment. During his mandate he promised a substantial funding increase for culture and film production from both the state budget and European funds.

The first results show that Slovenian cinema admissions in 2018 increased by around 4% and the total box office increased by 8%. Admissions for domestic films decreased by almost 20%, although more titles were released, and the box office dropped by more than 31%.

LJUBLJANA: The Slovenian Film Center (SFC) expects a substantial rise in state funding in 2019 and in the years to come. The budget is expected to increase by approximately 6 m EUR in the next three years. The final film budget for 2019 will be announced by the government by the end of January 2019.

LJUBLJANA: Admissions for domestic films decreased by almost 20% in Slovenia, although more titles were released. Total admissions increased by approximately 4%, while total box office increased by 8%.

LJUBLJANA: Prešeren Award 2019, the top Slovenian accolade for arts, will go to filmmaker Filip Robar Dorin and costume designer Bjanka Adžić Ursulov. Only two filmmakers have been awarded the Prešeren Award since Slovenian Independency in 1991 - directors Matjaž Klopčič in 1995 and Karpo Godina in 2006 for their lifetime achievements.

LJUBLJANA: The Slovenian parliamentary Culture Committee has voted unanimously to call on the Culture Ministry to gradually increase the annual budget for film production from 4.5 m to 11 m EUR by 2022.