SHOTS, an international short film festival taking place since 2016 in Slovenj Gradec, is increasingly becoming part of the culture tourism highlights of the northern Koroška region. This year it will delight film fans and film-making talents from 3 to 5 August.

The festival, which is part of a wide network of diverse film festivals that have sprung up all around Slovenia in recent decades, will feature 19 films that have been selected among almost 1,200 entries this year.

Film-makers from 12 countries will be presented, many also in person. SHOTS's international dimension will be further boosted by invited winners from last year, who will help pick the best films.

Tomo Novosel, the festival's long-serving director, has told the Slovenian Press Agency that the guests form an important part of the event. An effort is made each year to introduce the region to them, which is likely also reflected in the many entries to the festival.

Novosel says SHOTS has served as an inspiration for local film directors, whose numbers he hopes will swell in the future.

"A potential path for the future of the festival is closer cooperation with film-makers from other countries to further production here. Many films are being made in Slovenia, however not in Koroška," he said.

SHOTS provides a precious platform for new talents and their short movies that would be hard to access otherwise. It has been attracting producers and directors not featured in the programme, spawning many a collaboration.

"I think this has also contributed to short films doing very well, being in a good shape," says Novosel, adding that international recognition has grown for what is coming from Slovenia, especially when it comes to the 30-minute format.

To learn more about the festival and the programme, click here.