The Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival has been exploring the art of film since 2004, discovering various film expressions in the company of filmmakers and an audience of all generations. Our programme is centred on world, European and Slovenian auteur cinema, which we understand as both art and an influential medium that reflects society, culture and life in general. We endeavour to raise key questions about and in relation to film, without imposing the answers; rather, we encourage an in-depth dialogue and critical reflection.

A decade ago, we at Kino Otok decided not to continue with the competition section and so we no longer confer any awards. Today, the festival is thus an open space for showing and mediating films, one that promotes the equality of different expressions and modes of reflection that broaden our views and freshen our thoughts. A carefully curated programme of each edition includes around eighty films of all lengths, most of which are shown in Slovenia for the first time. The festival’s Mediterranean character is manifested in the balance between ease and temperament, which functions as our magic formula – whoever visits us wants to return again and again.

The main part of Kino Otok – Isola Cinema takes place for five days in the first week of June in Izola, but some of the screenings and meetings with filmmakers also take place beyond those days at the Slovenian Cinematheque and Kinodvor City Cinema in Ljubljana and at the art cinemas in Cerknica, Idrija, Sežana and Tolmin.

The Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival is:

• an exciting film programme that takes place under the stars in the Arrigoni Open-air Cinema and Manzioli Open.air Cinema, and in the haven of the Odeon Art Cinema and the House of Culture,
• a selection of short films by rising independent filmmakers in a relaxed atmosphere of Video on the Beach,
• Submarine – a programme of films and activities for children, young people and families,
• PRO Otok – a programme for film professionals and all who are interested in a film’s path from the idea to the screen and beyond,
• the festival feel in Izola’s streets, the artistic atmosphere in Izola’s galleries and the evening music programme on the Lighthouse beach,
• a programme of select festival films in Ljubljana, Cerknica, Idrija, Sežana and Tolmin,
• is Slovenia’s first film festival to move towards zero waste

In 2022, Kino Otok was the first Slovenian film festival to move towards zero waste. While this doesn’t mean that the festival produces no waste at all, we aim to reduce its amount as much as possible and do our best sorting it. Making the zero-waste commitment is part of our overall effort to reduce the environmental impact of our organisation. 

Also, Kino Otok has been integrating the Moving Cinema methodology, since 2018, Kino Otok provides young programmers with the opportunity to actively contribute to the festival’s programming. With that spirit, in 2023, Kino Otok launched the Young Programmers for Young Audiences! European Film Festival Network (Young4Film), alongside the Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival, the Vilnius International Short Film Festival, Piccolo Grande Cinema and the Cinehill (ex Motovun) Film Festival.