Simon Popek, the long-serving programme director of the Ljubljana International Film Festival, and Matic Majcen, a seasoned film critic, have become the first Slovenians to be selected as voting members for the Golden Globe Awards.

The list of voting members for the prestigious US awards recognising excellence in film and television has been expanded from 300 to 337 in a move that significantly increased the number of international voting members.

Popek told the Slovenian Press Agency he felt honoured. Speaking of an above-standard number of members from a country as small as Slovenia, he said this also served as proof of the growing recognition of Slovenian film professionals.

Majcen, a film critic, journalist, editor and film scholar from who he has been writing for the nationwide daily newspaper Večer for a decade and has also been active as an author and lecturer on cinema, underlined Popek's final point as well.

He said this was a success for the entire field of film criticism and film journalism in Slovenia. "This is a field that is increasingly marginalised due to changes in the way we watch films," he warned.

Majcen also sees the selection as an important signal for the Slovenian film industry, as top institutions such as the European Film Academy and the Golden Globes continue to mainly reach out to individuals who approach film in a professional manner.

The 82nd Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 5 next year, with the nominees announced on December 9.