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This year’s 71st Berlin International Film Festival is a “hybrid event”, taking place in two stages – the online presentation of the official programme for the film industry representatives will last from 1 to 5 March; while the audiences will be able to see the selected films live between 9 and 20 June. Three Slovenians have qualified for the nineteenth edition of the Berlinale Talents, dedicated to discovering new film authors from all over the world: the producer Nina Robnik as well as the screenwriters and directors Darko Štante and Urban Zorko. These talents have been selected from among 3,000 applicants from 65 countries, while the motto of this year’s edition was Dreams.

The main international award at the most important short film festival went to a Slovenian film. On Saturday, 6 February, the 43rd Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, which took place remotely as of 29 January, came to an end. The main international award at this most important short film festival went to a Slovenian film. The short film Sisters by the directress Katarina Rešek – Kukla, which also had its world premiere at this festival, participated in the competition programme consisting of 78 films.

On Tuesday, 26 January 2021, the shooting of the new Slovenian live-action feature Wake Me by the director Marko Šantić began in Jesenice. Because of temporary amnesia, the film’s protagonist Rok returns from an idyllic tourist town to the city where he grew up. He does not remember his girlfriend Rina or his problematic past. While striving to protect his younger brother Jure from bad company, he is forced to face his former life yet again.

For the first time, this year’s 73rd Film Market in Cannes will be held online from 22 to 26 June. The Slovenian Film Centre will present three Slovenian features at the virtual film market (Market Screenings 2020). The screenings are mainly intended for the festival selectors, who can ensure that the films have the best possible international festival premieres.

On Monday, 15 June, the shooting of the feature The Space Within Us by the director Rahela Jagrič Pirc, who also co-wrote the script with Darja Medić, began. The Space Within Us is a coming-of-age drama, set in the small town of Kostanjevica na Krki. The story revolves around a 14-year-old dark-skinned boy Toby, who accompanies his mother Kristina as she returns to her home village in Slovenia. Kristina, who has not visited for several years, surprises even her mother Gizela with her sudden arrival and big news about an exhibition in the local art gallery.