Island with a view

We don’t need red carpets, rather we offer flying carpets to take our audience to faraway lands

“I wish you keep the festival simple as it is – so fragile, intimate that it is precious.” This words arrived a few days ago by e-mail from Apichatpong Weerasethakul. And, as a matter of fact, they encompass all our wishes for the next year. Let it be like it was as much as it possibly can, is our unusually conservative starting point. The first Isola Cinema festival turned out well, surprisingly for us too, and now we would like to keep it such: we will not even change its date – see you then between May 25 and May 29, 2005. 
What was Isola Cinema and what will it be? A film island where for five days films are shown from faraway shores and where filmmakers, organisers, journalists, audiences mingle without boundaries – they are all one film community. And it was this boundless meeting that “threatened” the Friends section to become soon obsolete or, in other words – in the end the entire festival program looked as one big Friends section. Which is mainly thanks to our dear special guests: the originators of a new film family, a family that with their help we will be expanding each year, and will try to never really part.
And it is already May 2005, it is warmer than last year, the evening air is prepared to suit the open air cinema, we host a new group of filmmakers from the four corners of the world, filmmakers who are ready to share with the whole film island in Izola their images and their souls. We met some of them last year and they came back with new films, some were sent by our last year's guests and some we met on our latest film journeys. Together, we are beginning the continuation of a beautiful friendship…

Vlado Škafar, July 18, 2004-07-19

media

For five days, Izola will turn into an enchanted film island … (Primorski dnevnik)

A small seaside town acquired a new scent – on the very first day of the festival an international draught could be felt. (Tina Lešničar, Delo)

Judging from the start of the festival and the opening ceremony attended by numerous foreign filmmakers, the new-born festival was created with incredible zeal and enthusiasm. /…/ The circle is closed and the purpose is achieved, and Izola, until now somewhat ignored, is becoming a recognisable destination of world cinema thanks to this new festival. Next year we will simply say "let's go to the Island" and we will know what we mean by that. (Marjana Virant, Finance)

At last, Slovenia has got the film festival that it has lacked for so long and that many a film lover wished for when sitting in the summer evenings on the warm Motovun stones or sipping beer in front of the Sarajevo Obala Meeting Point. In short, it got something that "buys" you (not only because of its good program) and that you "buy" back. (Patricija Maličev, Nedelo)

The first Kino Otok festival was so well conceived that it would really be a pity if it did not take root and strongly enrich the film scene on our soil. (Rok Košir, Mag)

After the sold-out opening night, the festival Isola Cinema is delighting us with quality films and a flawless organisation, which is entirely volunteer work. (Meta Česnik, TV Slovenia)

On Tuesday Izola became a film town. What pleases most is the selection of films, the great enthusiasm of the people who organised the festival and numerous renowned guests. (Ingrid Kovač Brus, Radio Slovenia)

The true winner of the festival Isola Cinema is the festival itself, as its very first edition was a great success with foreign guests as well as domestic audiences who responded in considerable numbers. With a quality programme and important foreign guests, a successful organisation and a persistent support of the audience, the Izola film festival might secure itself an important place on the Slovenian as well as European film map. (Martina Vovk, Radio Koper)

Isola Cinema is a small festival hosting big artistic names. What is important here is above all the creative and inspiring atmosphere, which is also due to a very good attendance. (Zemira A. Pečovnik, TV Slovenia)

Phrasing it after Hitchcock, if ever a film festival in Slovenia was the rear window, then this year Isola Cinema caused a draught. (Patricija Maličev, Sobotna priloga)

At the announcement of the winning film, Granny, its leading actress, Olga Onishchenko, said: "Since I take part in the organisation of the film festival in St Petersburg, I know how hard it is to organise a festival, therefore I congratulate the crew of the Izola festival, who succeeded in doing that!" A typical statement delivered in these days hundreds of times by the residents of Izola, the festival's audience as well as its guests. And deservedly so. (Boštjan Lah, Večer)

The first Isola Cinema festival /…/ was in fact a festival of pleasant surprises: the first one is that it was organised in such a short time and that it turned out so well. /…/ Two dozen foreign filmmakers mingled pleasantly with locals. (Miha Brun, Stop)

Kino Otok ended in a pleasant atmosphere, among all those who attended it and in a few days grew fond of it. (Tjaša Lotrič, TV Koper-Capodistria)

Late spring, 2004. An ancient fishing town on the Mediterranean. For a few days Izola becomes what it once used to be. It becomes an island, the Cinema Island, a refuge for those who long for a different kind of cinema. A place for meeting, communicating and connecting. An island of sun, colours, music and warmth, where there is space for people too and not only for their credit cards. 
The concept of the Isola Cinema festival is tailored to fit its visitors. Indeed, it was a festival without boundaries between filmmakers and audiences. For the whole week, the festival's guests strolled the streets of Izola and were at the disposal of passers-by for any kind of question about life, cinema and anything else. The absence of that barrier as well as the sincere dedication of the young festival crew created an intimate atmosphere and made the stay in Izola even more pleasant. (ŽVPL, Matjaž Ličer)

A festival that in its first edition made it clear that it is serious about gaining international audience and also that it will be friendly to young audience (free camping) and will offer pleasant company. Thus, Kino Otok is one of the few Slovenian film projects that in the future can transcend national boundaries in terms of its significance. Let us hope that it will succeed and that we will meet again next year in Izola. (Filmofil)

guests

It's wonderful, at least after arriving from Cannes, where the festival is big, commercial. Here, people are kinder and much more enthusiastic about cinema. It reminds me of a Japanese festival, the first I ever took part in. I feel great in Izola and that's largely due to a special feeling of intimacy and ease kindled by the people here. Apichatpong Weerasethakul

I feel as if I hadn't been at a festival, but rather at home. Where I am surrounded by good people, I feel at home. And that is how I feel in Izola. Olga Oniščenko

To make an example, in the evening, at the Izola lighthouse you can meet a Senegalese director, who is dancing, you find him interesting and the next day you go and see his film. That's my approach and why shouldn't it work for the festival as well? The very first edition of the festival had guests that only few festivals manage to host. And that means that the festival has good karma! Jan Cvitkovič

The most wonderful thing about this festival is that it's made by very young people who rejoice at the films and the directors that are here. So, these are people who care. And it’s good that people can come so close to the filmmakers. I mean, they are not mythical creatures, believe me. Olaf Möller

It was great to be in Izola and I'll never forget it. Please keep in touch. I'm back in my town in Poponguine... Great! All the best, Moussa 

It was a very special experience to be with all of you in Izola and the energy I felt run through the festival and the organisation was truly special. Thank you for inviting me to be there and looking after us so well. Muzaffar, Meera and Sama

I remember the days that I spent in Izola as very wonderful and exciting. It is one of the best affectionate festivals that I attended so far and I also congratulate you personally for making the Izola festival a memorable one. Please get in touch with me for any help from India. I am only glad to extend it to you. Shaji

At the Palić festival (where I had to accept the position of the board president) we copied (not to say stole) the idea from Izola, that is to hold every evening a midnight film party at the lake. It is run by a young director, Tolnai Sabolcz, and when I was praising your festival, he asked me if it was possible to make a program – Palić Hosting Izola – as he is very interested in Kaurismäki's documentary about Brazilian music and some other films; you should talk to him. And we would also like to invite you two, three to come and be our guests, to eat fish goulash and greasy Vojvodina food and drink spritzer.
So? Best, Želimir

Dear festival, it was really nice to attend you. Thanks! The program was great! And the company and the picnic! Your faithful fan, Rada Šešić

Whereas in other arts, let’s say in literature, you can go to a bookshop and buy the book, with film you don’t have this opportunity, so you have to have film festivals. Girish Kasaravalli

The atmosphere at the festival was marvellous. I liked very much the close, familiar relationship between participants and organisers of the festival. But I missed the presence of foreign journalists, who could present the festival abroad as well. Ali-Reza Amini

Izola is a perfect location, it’s one week after Cannes and right now there is nothing that exists after Cannes. We need new blood, new people, new interests to keep cinema alive otherwise everything will just become commerce. Asa Mader

Hello and thanks for coming. It’s nice to be here in Izola. Actually I was here for the first time 32 years ago on holidays with my parents. It has changed a little bit. Mika Kaurismäki

I don’t like festivals. I don’t go much to festivals. But I like Izola because it means meeting people. The same level of mentality. Mika Kaurismäki

I expect from cinema visions. A utopia. I want to have not only fun, but also another idea about how to manage my life, how to love, how to have sex, how to have relationships, how to concentrate on serious things, how to go through this life slowly – not in a rush. Helmut Groschup