by InTrieste
At the 37th Trieste Film Festival, cinema became a vehicle for cross-border dialogue, highlighting the deepening cultural cooperation between Italy and Slovenia. The presence of Slovenia’s Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, gave institutional weight to a partnership that has grown steadily over the years and has become central to the festival’s identity.
Ms. Vrečko attended the festival alongside its director, Nicoletta Romeo, to acknowledge the role of the Slovenian Film Centre in supporting and promoting Slovenian cinema within the Trieste program. The collaboration has helped position the festival as a key international showcase for films from Slovenia and, more broadly, from Central and Eastern Europe.
This year’s edition featured Wild Roses, a dedicated section focusing on Slovenian women filmmakers. The showcase reflected a wider effort within European cinema to amplify female perspectives and underscored the Slovenian Film Centre’s active role in fostering both artistic visibility and international exchange.
“The Slovenian Film Centre in Ljubljana has always been close to the Trieste Film Festival,” Ms. Romeo said, noting that its support was particularly significant for the Wild Roses program. She also expressed appreciation for Minister Vrečko’s attendance and her public encouragement of the ongoing collaboration.
Trieste’s geographic position—on Italy’s northeastern border, historically connected to Slovenia and Central Europe—has long shaped the festival’s mission. Since its founding, the Trieste Film Festival has served as a meeting point for filmmakers, producers and audiences from across borders, using cinema as a means of cultural connection rather than competition.
As European film institutions increasingly emphasize cooperation and shared platforms, the exchange celebrated in Trieste offered a measured reminder of how sustained partnerships can strengthen both national cinemas and the international festivals that present them.
