The twelfth edition of the Bovec Outdoor Film Festival, BOFF 2018
Baaa, just look at this sheep. We strapped helmets on its head and it’s sticking its tongue out, meant for us. Who is this particular sheep? The sheep is the unofficial Bovec mascot. The issue is whether we’re all a bit “baaa” or not. We support BOFF. If you do too, then I guess you (or we) are all sheep. Everyone keeps complaining about the season being too crowded in the summer, about the problems this creates for the locals, about the lack of infrastructure and too much trash. Continual development is modern and necessary but rarely practised. There was a plan and a round table formed concerning this issue but truth be told, the festival currently doesn’t have the necessary energy and is not in the position to deviate from its set programme and participate in wide debates concerning these issues. But we are invested in this. The relevant problematic subjects are unfolding either here or on the film screen and examples of good practices can, thus, inform and guide us. Sadly, we must keep making arguments year after year that the event is good and needed, regardless of past success. There is a conflict of interests here, one which calls for serious deliberation concerning a new time slot for the festival. Our job now is to organise the event in the best possible manner, to invite new speakers and show you the selected films. Critics are welcome to a debate. We will leave the issues of bike trails, restrooms, closed roads and new strategies to those in charge and responsible for this.

In the last couple of years, I have been always thrilled about the then current edition program and have always thought: “this is going to be hard to outdo next year”. The festival was very successful last year. We were surprised about the audience turnout, had great weather and the best snow on Kanin. It all unfolded beautifully. But every year (edition) is a new story. We love hearing interesting stories from great people, but not so much the stories from people who feel the need to be the anti-heroes in great stories and consider themselves, in error, to be great. The protagonists of the shown films leave a giant mark on the festival and make the event greater in all aspects, while the individual guests, such as authors and speakers, have the greatest impact and add a certain prestige to the whole event.

Every guest is important to us, be it a famous author or a young aspiring one, but most of all it is about you, our guests, whom we invite to see all film projections, even the first ones in late afternoon, as we desire a constantly well attended festival throughout all three timeslots and days.  
We are looking forward to your attendance and invite you to mingle with us and the authors who visit Bovec. Those attending, are all the selected Slovene authors as well as quite a few foreign ones. I dare say that we succeeded also this year, so we proudly present the film program and events of the twelfth BOFF edition.

The first day, held in the Stergulc house, is reserved for three lectures, the painting exhibition opening of Evgen Čopi Gorišek. The following speakers will be our guests on the first day: Žiga Humar (canyoning), Aljaž Anderle (ice climbing), Bogdan Biščak (alpinism, presentation of the new book), followed by a DJ night.

On the second day we go up to Kanin where the traditional avalanche prevention workshop will be held. You are most welcome to join Alpska Šola Bovec there. The photo-escape workshop, mentored by Urša Drofenik, will feature photo processing of the photos you take on your smartphone. There will be a tour into the Srnica cave, organised by Opasen, for those who love caves. Definitely worth a visit! When it gets dark we will, of course, go to the Bovec Cultural Centre where selected films with a three hundred and fifty minute runtime in total will be viewed in three sets.

We begin at five. In this set, you are bound to be excited by an Italian film about the largest ice waterfall in Europe, which proudly descends under the Kanin mountain. Whiteroom has, this year again, made a humoristic film, Sci Vacation, with inserts featuring an excellent freeride skier.

The second set could as well be named freeride. We selected two representatives from the Austrian and French school of freeride. See the steep peaks above Chamonix in the good company of locals, the skiing classics in steep terrain filmed by drones and headcams that will make your eyes water. All in all, pretty extreme. A little bit less extreme, however, is the trip to Antarctica, but strong is the wind that tosses the skiers about the ground while they traverse the icy plains. How the skiers face themselves will be easier for you (Slovenes) to understand, as No men’s Land is subtitled in Slovene, thanks to the company Elan.    

After a successful premiere in Ljubljana’s Kino Šiška (Šiška movie theatre), the eco-documentary Undamaged by Balcan River Defence is coming to Bovec. Undoubtedly, a superb film made by Slovene filming prowess that will definitely have an impact on you. The title Plastic Ocean probably tells you what the film is all about. But does it really tell the whole story? It has Slovene subtitles so there is no excuse for locals.

The pink set or women’s set of films, whichever you prefer, features four great films filmed by One (they – women only), who are also the main protagonists. A great climbing flick about long trade climbing routes in Jordan, a flick about Iceland women in politics and culture, one about the legend Liv Sansoz, and the last one is the humorous Franchy.

Our guest on the second evening will be the versatile sportsman, the one and only, Filip Flisar. We have a surprise waiting for you.

On the third day we meet in the Bovec culture Centre at five. There will be flying and climbing and more. We start with BASE jumpers, surfers and paragliders. What follows is a set dedicated to Slovene film production, where seven selected films present the various aspects of sports, like rollerblading in Iran and the history of kayaking on the Soča river. You will watch the deepest dive, the deepest cycling and the deepest forest around Panovec. As a premiere, we will play a film that presents kayaking for learners in Uganda, the Bubugo bananda kayak school operating at the source of the White Nile. You are welcome to hear what attending authors have to say on this last day.

In cooperation with Red Bull, we will present our premiere project: “Jet Flight”. What this is or how fast this is will be revealed by our evening guest, Matjaž Klemenčič. Let me just say that we fly above Soča pretty low. Since we also enjoy cycling films, we couldn’t ignore this year’s winner in this category, North of nightfall. While not its premiere, you are still welcome to the film’s wild landscape and daring rides with an environmental touch.

Follow a projection of Reel Rock Tour number thirteen selection. Reel Rock Tour is the product of the Senderfilm production house that has been raising the standards in the outdoor film industry for many years now (Valley Uprising, The Dawn wall,..). We are glad that they are with us once again, this time featuring a full film about Adam Ondra, it takes you to the world of 9b climbing difficulty. During the darkest hours of the night, while the rest of the world is sleeping, outdoor photographer Paul Zizka ventures out into the wilderness in search of the world’s starriest skies. In the Starlight is our selection to complete this year’s BOFF.  Join us later in the Gouf bar where there is a DJ.

Child care and animation is arranged this year for the first time at the Bovec library  - Knjižnica Cirila Kosmača (on the 29^th and 30^th of December between 18:00 and 21:00, free of charge).

A panel or jury hasn't been organised. Only two audience awards will be awarded. The viewers will vote for the best Slovene and foreign films.

The ticket number is limited, so we recommend you book yours in advance, as last year we were sold out for certain time slots and sets. You can book your ticket via e-mail, where your name, surname and desired time slots must be given.

We are enthusiasts and film buffs who wish to convey the message and meaningfulness of the films onto you. Don’t get us wrong, we are not modest. Despite being dropped by almost all of our main sponsors this year, the ticket prices will remain the same as in the previous years. We are also working on translating certain movies into Slovene. The primary partner and financier of our festival is the municipality of Bovec who trusts us completely to organise this event. The main desire of us all is that the event continues for years to come and that it justifies our effort and means. A good turnout will ensure further development and future editions. Join us and enjoy!

LINKS:     http://boff.si/schedule