13-03-2011

Slovenian Cinema Attendance Shows Steady Growth

By Matic Vecko

    LJUBLJANA: Cinema admissions in Slovenia in 2010 continued a trend of steady increase, helped by the success of a hit national film. Slovenian theatres had 2,891,641 admissions in 2010, a 3.5 per cent increase over the previous year. Slovenian cinema attendance has been increasing modestly since 2007.

    The highest grossing film in Slovenia in 2010 was Avatar (released in 2009) with a box office of 893,494 EUR and 165,868 admissions. In second place was the Slovenian movie Going Our Way, which had a box office of 696,636 EUR and 165,975 admissions. The film has become the most successful Slovenian film of all time and the third most successful film of all time in Slovenian film theatres, accumulating over 212,000 admissions while still in theatrical distribution. Shrek Forever After had a box office of 581,642 EUR and 128,820 admissions.

    Only two other Slovenian films were released in theatrical distribution in 2010. The historical drama Piran - Pirano had a box office 46,311 EUR and 11,165 admissions, and the critically acclaimed poetic drama Dad had a box office of only 3,517 EUR and 5,957 admissions.

    In 2010, the Slovenian cinema chain Planet Tuš (www.planet-tus.com) became Slovenia's largest exhibitor with 32 cinema screens and 7,368 seats, although it still has no screens in the capital city. The competing exhibitor company Kolosej kinematografi (www.kolosej.si) has 30 screens in Slovenia with 6,566 seats. Admissions in Kolosej kinematografi theatres accounted for 45 per cent of total admissions, while admissions at Planet Tuš theatres accounted for 41.5 per cent of total admissions in Slovenia. Kinodvor Cinema (www.kinodvor.orgi), the main Slovenian art-house operator, accounted for 2.68 per cent of total admissions.