Festival gorniškega filma 2024, the International Mountain Film Festival in Ljubljana & Domzale, Slovenia

Slovenia's Festival gorniškega filma will celebrate its its coming of age next week with the international mountain film festival scheduled to run from 12 - 17 February 2024. The event was first organised in 2007 by Silvo Karo and since then it has proven to be highly popular, welcoming large audiences to the small country with an incredibly rich mountaineering tradition. Most of the festival programme takes place in Ljubljana and Domžale; the films compete for the Main Award of the Town of Domžale, as well as awards in each of the four categories (Mountaineering, Climbing, Mountains, Sports and Adventure, and Mountain Nature and Culture). Integral parts of the programme are also lectures, presentations of mountaineering literature, exhibitions, retrospectives, etc

As many as 78 films were submitted to this year's festival, and 35 were selected for the competition program, of which eight focussing on mountaineering, nine on climbing, nine about mountains, sports and adventure, and just as many about mountain nature and culture. As many as seven Slovenian films will be shown on the big screen: the documentary-feature. The films will be judged by an expert jury panel comprised of Marjeta Keršič Svetel, nature conservationist and former creator of the show Mountains and People; Tomaž Jakofčič alpinist and mountain guide; Tom Dauer, German journalist, mountain publicist and filmmaker.

GUESTS
On the anniversary of the first winter ascent of Everest, the memories of the historic 17 February 1980 ascent will be revived by the giants of Polish mountaineering, Krzystof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy. The Ukrainian mountaineer Mikhail Fomin, now living in Slovenia and recipient of two Piolet d'ors for the new route to Talung in the Kangčendzenge massif and for the ascent of the southeast ridge of Anapurna III, will retrace his life in the mountains. The Spanish alpinist Edu Marin will present the second free ascent of the cult climb Eternal Flame in the Karakorum, which he carried out with his brother and father. And young Italian Matteo Della Bordella, protagonist of the film Il Ragno della Patagonia, will talk about minimalist kayaking and climbing expeditions in Greenland, challenges on Bhagirathi IV and the area that he considers holds the most beautiful mountains in the world - Patagonia.

Mina Markovič, formerly Slovenia's most successful sport climber, after ending almost 20 years competition climbing, will explore how she now commbines her love and profession - rock and the psychology of sport. Dušan Škodič, author of the book Triglav je naš, will shed light on the beginnings of organised mountaineering and alpinism in Slovenia on the basis of unexpectedly discovered archives. The multi-awarded videographer, photographer and film director Rožle Bregar will share his love for his second home in Iceland, a corner for research and documentary and commercial creation. One of the best climbers of the eighties, Rado Fabjan, a member of the famous Postojna Four, will impress with his sincerity, depth and simplicity. Last but not least, at Cankarjev dom a photo exhibition of one of the main players of the golden age of Slovenian mountaineering, Silvo Karo, will be on display retracing his career from "the wooden to the golden ice axe".

The complete program can be found on the festival website gorniski.si