LJUBLJANA: Slovenia is one of the three countries, beside Croatia and Italy, hosting the Netflix film crew shooting the third season of the hit fantasy drama series The Witcher, based on a book series by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski and starring Henry Cavill. The project is a US/Polish/Hungarian coproduction.

LJUBLJANA: Janez Burger is currently shooting the socially critical drama Observing / Opazovanje, inspired by real events. The film is a coproduction between Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and North Macedonia.

LJUBLJANA: The Slovenian Film Centre has announced production grants of 2.830 m EUR for seven feature films, including three debut features. Additionally, 138,000 EUR has been granted to 11 projects in the development stage.

LJUBLJANA: The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia has opened a public debate on the bill on the Slovenian Film and Audiovisual Centre, with an online consultation. The proposal defines extra-budgetary resources for financing audiovisual activities, raises funds for the promotion of film and AV production, changes the support system, determines the new assembly of the Slovenian Film Centre's (SFC) council, and proposes that the public institution FS Viba film should merge with the SFC.

LJUBLJANA: The Slovenian Film Centre has provided support in the total amount of 565,000 EUR to nine minority full-length feature coproduction projects.

LJUBLJANA: Israeli director Sharon Bar-Ziv has finished shooting the Slovenian/Israeli/German women’s drama Wild Urge. The two-week shoot, which took place in Ljubljana and on a hill called Kurescek, ended on 14 December 2021. The script was co-written by Sharon's sister Noa Bar-Ziv, a therapist specialising in eating and trauma disorders of young women.

LJUBLJANA: Marta Pajek's short animated film Impossible Figures and Other Stories won the Grand Prix of the 18th edition of Slovenia’s festival of animated films Animateka, which was held in Ljubljana from 29 November till 5 December 2021. The Polish/Canadian coproduction also received a cash prize of 1,000 EUR.

LJUBLJANA: The Government of the Republic of Slovenia re-appointed Nataša Bučar for another five-year term in the position of the director of the Slovenian Film Centre (SFC) at its 104th session on Friday 26 November 2021.

LJUBLJANA: The Iranian road film Hit the Road directed by Panah Panahi, the son of acclaimed director Jafar Panahi, won the Kingfisher Award for the best film at the 32nd Ljubljana IFF. This directorial debut with a subtly humorous multi-layered portrait of a loving Iranian family on its unique road trip, has already won at the London Film Festival 2021 and was shown at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

LJUBLJANA: Newly announced Covid prevention measures declared by the Slovenian Government will limit the activities in the field of cinema exhibition. The restrictions include upgrading acceptable mandated masks, presentation of Covid documents, elimination of all food and beverage consumption, and restrictions of seating to 50% capacity with every other seat vacant.