On 23 November 2021, the Zveza ŠKL (School Basketball League) organisation officially obtained a licence for Slovenia from FICTS, the world’s largest festival of sports documentary and feature films (https://www.sportmoviestv.com/en/). Slovenia thus joined a film community of 20 countries and became the 21st country to provide a venue for the international festival. Slovenia obtained the licence for a period of 10 years and with it the exclusive right to hold the sports film festival under the auspices of the FICTS.

The international FICTS festival unites 125 member countries from around the globe and is held in 20 countries (with Slovenia now becoming the 21st) spanning five continents. The festival’s lead partner is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its chair is Prof Franco Ascani, member of the IOC Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission.

In addition to Zveza ŠKL, the festival’s organisers and partners in Slovenia include the Olympic Committee of Slovenia (OCS), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), the Institute and Academy of Multimedia (IAM), and the host town of Rogaška Slatina. The festival will through the slogan »Culture Through Sport« promote cultural and Olympic values, learning about the sporting spirit, and exploring Olympism.

The festival’s repertoire will comprise around 35 to 40 feature-length films and documentaries on the topic of sports and Olympism, with several international films from the entire FICTS family, including some of the winning films from previous festivals. The best films of the festival will receive the Grand Prix award and the right to represent Slovenia at the final FICTS film festival in Milan, the city of the festival’s founder.

The purpose of the festival:
- Promoting sporting values such as sporting spirit, respect, friendship, loyalty, belonging to a team, through movies.
- Encouraging sports filmmakers.
- To make people aware of the importance of playing sports and physical activity.
- Present sports information to decision-making organizations in related fields.
- To present sport as an instrument for connecting people and strengthening social relations.
- Promotion of Slovenian sports and sports tourism in Slovenia.

Awards & Prizes

ISFF AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
ISFF AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
ISFF AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
ISFF ORGANIZER AWARD TO BEST-RATED FILM
ISFF YOUNG JURY AWARD
ISFF GRAND PRIX

Rules & Terms

I. APPLICATION CONDITIONS
Production companies, producers, directors, individuals, public and private institutes, societies, associations and other organisations from Slovenia and abroad are eligible to apply for the call. We accept films of all genres and lengths. The only content-related condition is that the film should relate to sports. Films may be entered for the competitive part of the programme or the accompanying programmes. A film can be entered in the competitive programme provided the premiere screening took place after 1 January 2019. There are no time constraints for entries in the accompanying programmes.

All the films entered will be reviewed by the Festival’s programme selector; if deemed appropriate for screening at the Festival, they will be classified into corresponding award categories. Films selected for accompanying programmes will be classified for special screenings. All the incoming films will be viewed by the selector, who shall put together the programme in cooperation with the organisational committee and the Festival Director.

Applicants will be notified of selection by 15 May 2023, by email.
The applicants of films qualified for the Festival will be asked to send a copy of their film in DCP format, along with all the promotional materials, posters, flyers, banners, website links, film synopsis, etc., all of which will be used to promote the screening at the Festival. Submission deadline of materials: till 31 May 2023.
The Festival participants allow the organisers to use their copyright work to promote the International Sport Film Festival Slovenia. The Festival organiser undertakes to handle the applicants’ data carefully and in line with the Personal Data Protection Act. By applying to the Festival, the participants also state that the details provided on the entry form are true and accurate, and that they will refrain from any actions that might cause material or moral damage to the reputation and interests of the organiser and others involved.

II. MINIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Format (screening): DCP 2K or 4K (unencrypted), HD file (ProRes, H264... )
2. Speed 24 or 25 fps
3. DCP (encrypted, unencrypted)
4. Aspect Ratio: 1:1.85, 1:2.39, 16:9
5. Audio 5.1, Stereo
6. Subtitles: English translation of subtitles in .srt format, time-coded;
time codes must match the film version being screened