PRESS RELEASES

Ljubljana 22 November 2007

PRESS RELEASE NO.16

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AWARD WINNERS

Kingfisher Award
Best film of the Perspectives Section

Windows on Monday
Montag kommen die Fenster
D: Ulrich Köhler; Germany, 2006; 88'

Jury statement:
On a subject that has been filmed and refilmed over and over again, a young director gives us a new, refreshing perspective. The family crisis in the film is not depicted through endless, painful discussions, but expressed through simple everyday objects and sentences. A sensitive work with brilliant performances, it announces the arrival of a very promising talent.

The Kingfisher Award, granted by the main sponsor of the Festival, Mobitel, d.d., was presented by Mr Niko Kušar, Market Communication Department Head.

Audience Award
Golden Reel

Empties
Vratné lahve
D: Jan Svěrák; Czech Republic, GB, Denmark, 2007; 102'

The Golden Reel, granted by the donor of the Festival Tobačna Ljubljana, d.o.o., was presented by Pia Barborič Jurjaševič, General Manager of Tobačna Ljubljana.

FIPRESCI Prize

Just About Love?
Et toi t'es sur qui?
D: Lola Doillon; France, 2007; 82'

The FIPRESCI Prize bestowed by the International Association of Film Critics, was presented by jury member Leo Seosanto. 

Amnesty International Slovenia Award
Best human rights film

XXY
XXY/XXY
D: Lucía Puenzo; Spain, France, Argentine; 2007; 91’

Jury statement:
The selection of best human rights film from the program in which human rights issues had such a strong presence, was a special satisfaction for the Amnesty International jury. The winning film XXY by Lucia Puenzo persuaded the jury to make a unanimous decision. With extremely persuasive film tools, in which we recognize distinctive auctorial cinematic language, the film masters the complex issue that it addresses. With very strong artistic power this film opens and explains the world of youth and growing up with tenderness and in fullness of new poetic realism. At the same time it discloses the topic - universally present and universally invisible in all societies. Intersexuality or sex ambiguity and dilemmas that sexual identity and sexual orientation bring along, are shown in a subtle, intimate human portrait. We are faced with the fact that fear and taboos pave the way to injustice, violence and discrimination. Not that much courage is needed for the acceptance of difference, but most of all: humanity. Through watching the film the taboos fall, prejudices withdraw and make way to acceptance, understanding and feeling.
The Amnesty International Slovenia Award was presented by jury member Nataša Posel. 

ITAK filmfest Award

Postaja
Authors: Matevž Jerman, Matej Bandelj, Matevž Rener, Gregor Vuga and Amir Ahmetovič from Koper

The award grants free admission to all screenings at 19th Liffe 2008 and a unique ITAK sculpture. The award was presented by Karmen Štamulak from Mobitel.

By 17 November 56 films were entered for the Itak Filmfest competition, organised by the 18th Ljubljana International Film Festival LIFFe and Mobitel d.d. Among the ten nominees the jury comprised of Simon Popek, Nejc Gazvoda, Maja Taraniš Gigia and Eva Winkler selected the winner.
The films are available for viewing at the Planet mobile portal.

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Sponsors and partners
In association with the Kolosej kinematografi and Slovenska kinoteka (The Slovenian Cinematheque).
Main sponsor: Mobitel, d.d.
Donor: Tobačna Ljubljana, d.o.o.
Media partner: Delo, d.d.
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Information: Janina Pintar P (01) 2417 146, 041 617 732 E janina.pintar@cd-cc.si 

W www.liffe.si
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Ljubljana, 2 October 2007

PRESS RELEASE 1

7-21 Nov

18th Ljubljana International Film Festival – LIFFe

Advance sales from 23 October!

Ljubljana and Maribor as well will show the most prominent achievements of world cinematographies again during two weeks this autumn. Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe), the biggest event of this kind in Slovenia, will host for the 18th time films from all five continents. They will be screened at the usual venues (Cankarjev dom: Linhart and Kosovel Hall; Kino Komuna, Kinoklub Vič, Kinodvor, Slovene Cinematheque) and also in Hall 5 of Kolosej in Maribor. 

Programme sections

PERSPECTIVES – the official competitive section of new directors competing for Mobitel's Kingfisher Award;
AVANT-PREMIERES – films for Slovene distribution;
KINGS AND QUEENS – works by renowned and awarded masters of contemporary film;
WORLD FILM PANORAMA – festival favourites from five continents;
EXTRAVAGANCE – the so called ‘midnight cinema’ brings daring and titillating contents of diverse genres;
AGAINST THE WIND - radical authors sailing against trends;
FOCUS - an insight into the ‘hottest’ national cinematographies, this year: the really independent American film and the winning Romanian film;
RETROSPECTIVE – an overall presentation of films by an important contemporary cineaste, this year: Roy Andersson and Otar Iosseliani;
TRIBUTE – a short, condensed presentation of an author who has received a fair share of festival and media attention, this year: James Benning.

Awards

Apart from Mobitel's Kingfisher, which is granted to the director of best film of the Perspectives section, and the audiences award Golden Reel, granted by our donor, Tobačna Ljubljana, two other distinctions will be bestowed - FIPRESCI Award (international association of film critics) and Amnesty International Award for best human rights film.

Voting

New: Golden Reel, the audience award,  will this year be bestowed to the best film chosen from all sections, except Avantpremieres.
Spectators will submit their votes when leaving the hall or via their mobile phones. Voting via text messages has been enabled by the main sponsor of the festival, Mobitel, d.d.

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME

Talks with festival guests and filmmakers, round tables
More than 60 guests are invited to the festival each year (directors, actors, screenwriters, producers). They are presented to the audience before the screenings of their films and at discussions afterwards.

16, 17 and 18 November
AUTUMN FILM SCHOOL
Independent Film Yesterday and Today

Ekran magazine and LIFFe will organise a traditional Autumn Film School directly related to the festival's programme. The theme, Independent Film Yesterday and Today, will be partially linked to the selection of American independent film and partially to the current situation of Slovene film production, which forces many of the established directors to use alternative or garage production.

9 and 10 November
ADAPTATIONS

9 November: Tools for transferring a book to a film, seminar
10 November: From a book to a film – adaptations, round table
A round table and a seminar with lecturer Kirsten Harder, European screenplay expert, will be prepared in cooperation with MEDIA desk Slovenia, AGRFT, Let’s Write a Film Initiative and Študentska založba publishing house.
Tools for transferring a book to a film will be presented at the seminar in theory and in practice. Questions will be answered like: When can a book be a basis for a film?, How to put literature into film words?, What is the process of reducing and adding content? As a preparation for the seminar, you can already work with Kirsten Harder in an adaptation of a short story. More information: MEDIA desk Slovenia, E: mediadesk.slo@film-sklad.si.

Exhibition
SPLENDOUR ...
7-17 Nov
Paintings by a promising young paintor Egon Šenk will be displayed at the festival centre. The young artist is undoubtedly part of the best new wave Slovene artists. His merits have been identified by famous Slovene director Maja Weiss, who included his works to her new film, Installation of Love (premiered at 18th LIFF).

LIFFe in Maribor

Film lovers from Maribor will be able to see approximately 30 films in their city (two screenings a day). The programme will comprise one third of total LIFFe programme and will include all festival sections.

Festival activities in Maribor will be presented in detail at a press conference held on 24 October at 12:00 in Kolosej Maribor. 

Press conferences

Detailed programme of this year's LIFF will be presented at a press conference held on Tuesday, 23 October at 11:00 in Cankarjev dom.
Festival activities in Maribor will be presented at a press conference held on 24 October at 12:00 in Kolosej in Maribor.
Join us!

Sponsors and partners

18th LIFFe is created in cooperation with Kolosej kinematografi and Slovene Cinemateque.
Main sponsor: Mobitel, d.d.
Donor: Tobačna Ljubljana, d.o.o.
Media sponsor: Delo, d.d.

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Join us in the renovated 2nd Foyer of Cankarjev dom, where you will find press centre, box office, discussion podium and festival entertainment place all in one spot. 

Tickets

• screenings before 18:00 – 3,80 EUR
• after 18:00 – 4,80 EUR
• Kolosej Maribor 4,20 EUR

Catalogue (publication 23 Oct): 6 EUR.

Discounts
Advance sales from 23 October until 6 November inclusive 
• Secondary/ university students: screenings before 18:00 – 2.80 EUR, after 18:00 – 3.80 EUR
• Secondary/university students – Kolosej Maribor: 3,30 EUR
• A set of 6 tickets for different films - 20 %
• A set of 9 tickets for different films - 25 % 
• A set of 12 tickets for different films - 25 % and a gift: catalogue of the 18th LIFFe
Regular sales from 7 to 21 November 
• Secondary/ university students: screenings before 18:00 – 3 EUR, after 18:00 – 4 EUR
• Secondary/university students – Kolosej Maribor: 3,50 EUR
• A set of 6 tickets for different films - 10 %
• A set of 9 tickets for different films - 15 %
• A set of 12 tickets for different films - 15 % and a gift: catalogue of the 18th LIFFe
Discounts are applicable at all festival venues. Discounts are non-combinable. 

Warm-up before the festival
Internet videoshop iTIVI

iTIVI (www.itivi.si) is one of festival partners this year, offering its customers a collection of more than  170 films from previous festivals, a special internet corner dedicated to the LIFF experience and electronic LIFF-news. It offers a unique warmup before the beginning of the festival. The intention of this partnership is to bring good films to the homes of film lovers and enable special offers (prepared by Cankarjev dom and iTIVI) for the users of iTIVI and visitors of LIFFe.

LIFFE SPECIAL SELECTION

Slovene Cinematheque and Kinodvor will screen films from previous festivals before the beginning of LIFF as part of the LIFFE Special Selection series.

Slovene Cinematheque Hall
LIFFe – special selection (1990–97)
A selection of films that reined the screens at previous festivals has been prepared in Slovene Cinematheque. We will revive the memory of the beginnings of the festival – films will be screened that give more than just momentary pleasure; films that attracted our attention already then and have become fill classics, at least some of them. The retrospective will offer almost 60 films and will take place from 16 October until 30 November 2007.  

Kinodvor
LIFFe – special selection (2002–06)
To spice up the mood before the festival, films will be screened in Kinodvor from 25 October until 6 November that were screened at the festival in years 2002 - 2006.
The programme comprises available winning films and selected best films that were distributed in Slovenia. 40 films of various genres will be screened.

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Information 
Janina Pintar                 T (01) 2417 146      E  janina.pintar@cd-cc.si
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Press accreditations

The simplest way to submit your request is at our web page www.liffe.si (novinarji / akreditacije). If possible, please submit your request this way.

You will be able to submit your request at press conferences held on 23 Oct in CD and 24 Oct in Maribor. Deadline for submitting your request: 26 Oct. 2007.