LJUBLJANA: The first edition of KEKEC, the first Slovenian international film festival for children, will be taking place in Kranjska Gora 3 – 5 July 2026. The festival will offer screenings of quality films for children, creative workshops, a circus programme and expert discussions.
It is organised by the Slovenian Cultural and artistic association JAVK in partnership with the Slovenian Film Centre, AIPA, SAGAR, and Turizem Kranjska gora.
“As a local, I grew up in a place where Kekec was not just a character from a book or a film, but a part of the landscape, a part of childhood and a part of the way we imagined courage. Today, I understand him as a child who dares to see the world in his own way: curious, open and with a sense of feeling for those who are different, quieter or marginalized,” says festival director Miha Mohorič.
The initiative for the festival also stems from the successful project of the 120th anniversary of Slovenian cinema, which stimulated the further development of local cinema in Kranjska Gora, opening up a reflection on how to connect film heritage with a new generation of viewers. KEKEC wants to build on this energy into a long-term platform for children’s film, film education and international networking.
Featured feature films (out of competition this year) include Polish/Czech Pixie. The New Beginning / Skrzat. Nowy poczatek by Krzysztof Komander, Hungarian/Dutch I Accidentally Wrote a Book / Véletlenül írtam egy könyvet by Nóra Lakos (produced by JUNO11 Pictures and coproduced by BIND) and German Greetings from Mars / Grüsse vom Mars by Sarah Winkenstette. “The main criterion for selecting films for the first edition of the festival was simple: to choose films that excite young audiences, that can be funny and serious at the same time, and also raise questions rather than offering easy answers,” said Klemen Dvornik, the festival’s programme director.
Two panels, organised in cooperation with the Slovenian Film Centre will address the role of festivals for children and youth in shaping film culture and best practices for promoting film creativity aimed at children and youth, in the presence of international guests. “We believe that the festival will strengthen the international recognition of Slovenian youth film and encourage the professional dialogue on filmmaking for the youngest audiences,” says Nataša Bučar, the head of the Slovenian Film Centre.
The festival is named after Kekec, the most recognisable Slovenian children’s heroes, who was portrayed in literature and films, and who inspired their imagination for many decades. He was created by writer Josip Vandot and was first mentioned in a mountain tale in 1918. He was also portrayed in the first Slovenian youth feature film Kekec by Jože Gale (1951, Triglav film), followed by two sequels by the same director, Good Luck, Kekec, Mountain of Fear / Srečno Kekec by Jože Gale (1963, Vesna film, FS Viba) and Kekec’s Tricks / Kekčeve ukane (1968, FS Viba).
