Opening of the 22nd Kino Otok at Manzioli Square with the Angolan film My Semba
Tonight at 9 p.m. at the Manzioli Open-Air Cinema, the 22nd International Film Festival Kino Otok will officially open with the Angolan film My Semba, in the presence of director Hugo Salvaterra. Earlier in the day, the Spanish film Good Valley Stories will be screened—a poetic reflection on forms of resistance against the urban, social, and identity conflicts of the modern world. The accompanying program And So Much More will also be in full swing, featuring the opening of the exhibition The Poetry of Dialects and the Landscape of Images and two popular festival staples—the short film series Videos on the Beach and the music program Nights of Lights.
At the OpenAir Cinema, the opening features an Angolan ode to film, poetry, and cinema
My Semba (Meu Semba, Angola, 2026) is the first feature film by Hugo Salvaterra, a versatile creator who works as a writer, photographer, musician, and multidisciplinary artist. This ode to music, poetry, and film explores resilience and dignity amid the harsh daily reality of working-class people in the Angolan capital of Luanda—or, as Salvaterra described it: “It is a meta-fiction film in which the spoken word and rap—rooted in the great African oral traditions—serve as mantras of affirmation and truth from subjective perspectives, seeking an urgent collective definition of our urban way of life in the spirit of the times.” In the introductory discussion, the author will also reveal why he identifies as a Pan-African storyteller who creates audiovisual art in various formats.
At the Art Cinema Odeon, we’ll kick off with Good Valley Stories
The festival kicks off this afternoon at the Art Cinema Odeon, where at 4 p.m. the Spanish film Good Valley Stories (José Luis Guerin, Spain, France, 2025, 125’) will be screened. The film tells the story of Vallbona, an enclave on the outskirts of Barcelona bordered by a river, a railroad track, and a highway. Antonio, the son of Catalan workers, has been growing flowers there for nearly 90 years. He has been joined by Makome, Norma, and Tatiana, who come from all over… To the rhythm of music, forbidden swimming, and budding romances, a poetic form of resistance emerges against the world’s urban, social, and identity conflicts. “I feel that a space can be read through the signs that inhabit it. When I arrived in Vallbona with my little camera, it felt as though I were discovering uncharted territory. I paid attention to traces and clues: stones at the edge, cracks in the pavement… Stories were revealed everywhere. I think the screenplay is somehow woven into the space, and that filming the movie is its interpretation,” said José Luis Guerin about the film; he is considered one of the most beloved figures among Spanish filmmakers by critics and at international film festivals.
With the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain.
The first evening of the Video on the Beach section invites you to Beyond Space
At 9:00 p.m., the first evening of the Video on the Beach section begins, traditionally featuring impactful short films by independent filmmakers of the younger generations in the grove of Izola’s Lighthouse Park. The program for the first evening is titled Beyond Space, which is generally understood as the realm of the afterlife, but it can also be interpreted as a concrete space of alienation and conflict.
The program features the following short films: Found & Lost (Reza Rasouli, Austria, 2025, 17’22’’), ComputerVision.py (Lenart Sušnik, Slovenia, 2026, 3’42’’), DEATH – An Introduction for Beginners: A Handbook with Regulations, Norms, and Useful Tips. Third, Revised Edition (Martin Horvat, Slovenia, 2025, 24’03’’), Our Lady of Rot (Bibi Erjavec, Slovenia, 2025, 5’08’’), Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites, (Chheangkea, Cambodia, France, USA, 2025, 19’), Samba Infinito (Leonardo Martinelli, Brazil, France, 2025, 15’25’’), Stop! (Brina Fekonja, Slovenia, 2025, 2’20’’), When I Was Little, I Wasn’t Afraid (Guido F. G. Jeurissen, The Netherlands, 2025, 20’).
And So Much More… The Poetry of Dialects and the Landscape of Images, and KIŠD x KO: NIGHTS OF LIGHTS
At 6:00 p.m., we invite you to the Alga Gallery for the opening of the exhibition The Poetry of Dialects and the Landscape of Images. The Otok Institute is showcasing the literary and visual fruits of a project that, in collaboration with the Stazioni_Postaje APS association, explored the cross-border multicultural space through poetry, dialects, and film. In doing so, it brought together two generations: seniors in five retirement homes, who translated the poetry of thirty authors from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Slovenia into dialects, and young people, who adapted it into short films under the mentorship of Jan Cvitkovič, Paolo Comuzzi, and director Maja Prettner. The PODIPO project was part of the GO!2025 European Capital of Culture program.
The screening will be followed by the Nights of Lights music program at the Lighthouse, which we bring to Kino Otok every evening until late at night in collaboration with KIŠD. Joining us will be the Yugo-futuristic force Insan, who blend pop, new wave, and rock through the nostalgic lens of the ex-YU music underground. After them, Katjuša Stare—also known as nastynancy—will guide you through the evening. She’s a DJ most drawn to faster rhythms in the form of various breaks: from jungle, breakbeat, footwork, electro, and ghettotech, all the way to bass-heavy music.
