Slovenska kinoteka (Slovenian Cinematheque), Ljubljana

Slovenska kinoteka (Slovenian Cinematheque) is the country’s main institution for preserving and presenting film heritage. Established in 1996, it maintains collections of films, posters, photographs, books, technical equipment, and other materials connected with cinema history. One of its rarest holdings is the only surviving copy of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1916 silent comedy When I Was Dead, which was rediscovered in Slovenia in 1994.

Its programme includes restored classics, experimental cinema, director retrospectives, Slovenian productions, and silent films accompanied by live music. Screenings are supported by lectures, discussions, workshops, festivals, and exhibitions exploring the artistic and technical development of filmmaking. The Silvan Furlan Hall can present both modern digital works and films in original 16 mm and 35 mm formats.

Around 5,000 film prints are preserved in climate-controlled underground storage facilities in Gotenica, where the temperature remains near 15°C and humidity around 55 percent. The institution also operates the Museum of Slovenian Film Actors in a restored Karst homestead in Divača, the birthplace of silent-film star Ita Rina. Its permanent exhibitions examine her international career and the wider history of Slovenian screen acting.