Krasen Festival

Krasen Festival takes place in an inspiring place above two worlds, under the warm autumn sun in Škocjan on Karst, above Škocjan Caves. 

A Krasen Festival unfolds under the gentle September sun in Škocjan on the Karst, in the area of the Škocjan Caves Park. The festival’s focus is on the decentralisation of culture. It is a connecting point between Slovenian and international artists and their works with the local audience, and it includes four main programmes: film, music, theatre and visual arts.

Each edition of the festival presents to its audience a selection of three to four short films with the aim of bringing this format and its immense power closer to people. The festival prides itself on the (world) pre-premiere of the short animated film Granny’s Sexual Life (2021) by Urška Djukić, who among other awards received the prestigious European Film Award, as well as the film The Actor (2024), directed by Damjan Kozole, which had its world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Ivan Grgur, a young Croatian director whose short documentary film ESPI (2023) had its pre-premiere at Krasen Festival 2023; Lea Vučko, Slovenian director and animator who directed the film The Legend of the Goldenhorn (2022), a beautiful visual journey through a Slovenian folk tale.

The artistic programme includes an exhibition of internationally recognised Slovenian artists. In 2023, the amateur gallery Pr'Kščak hosted Tomato Košir, a multiple award-winning graphic designer and author of the Krasen Festival logo, who among other works created covers for international magazines such as The Guardian (Cover: Rage). In 2024, London-based Slovenian painter Leila Bartell held her second Slovenian exhibition, and the festival also featured painter Sicoe, a Slovenian punk-cubist artist chosen by art critic Aleksander Bassin as the artist in focus in the Cankarjev dom cycle in 2022.

The music highlight that closes the day in focus has featured names such as Tomaž Grom and Bowrain. The festival’s supporting programme may include events organised by the Austrian association Civil Action Network:

• walk and talk conversations,
• morning yoga practice,
• walks through the Škocjan Caves Park,
• stargazing and
• a virtual walk on Mars.

This year, we also plan to present round tables with discussions on current topics – the position of women in today’s society, writing and adapting film scripts to the screen, and other topics yet to be announced.

This year’s edition has been marked by a call for creating the visual design of the festival poster, and an opportunity for internships for local high school and university students. Beyond reaching the target audience, the purpose of the festival is also to bring the natural environment of the park closer to domestic and international visitors, who then visit Škocjan even outside the festival dates.

Every year the festival boasts an increasing number of internationally recognised names, who will eventually be invited for residencies – the next goal of the Krasen team. The 2025 edition is expected to be enriched by names such as Hannah Koselj Marušič, Voranc Mandić, Tripče, Tinkara Klipšteter and others.

This year’s edition of the festival will take place from 5 to 7 September 2025. The day in focus is Saturday, 6 September 2025.