26/01/2023
Mateja Zorn, an economist who fell in love with the art of filmmaking. She gained her first practical experience in the field of film production at Kinoatelje in Gorizia, created a monthly hundred-minute programme on audio-visual culture on TV Slovenija entitled Terminal, gained expertise on film distribution at the Slovenian Cinematheque, and participated in the start-up of the Museum of Slovenian Film Actors in Divača. Today she manages the Kinoatelje programme and is responsible for the development of strategic projects. As a film activist, she is engaged in the development of film culture in the cross-border area of Nova Gorica and Gorizia, with a focus on media and film literacy of young people (International Film Campus in Nova Gorica, Kinomagnet, TV programme Kontrasti). She is the creator and manager of the Silvan Furlan Open-air Cinema programme, which has been welcoming moviegoers to the cinema under the stars on hot summer days for over ten years. One of the most visible projects in the cross-border area is the film festival Tribute to a Vision, which, through the awarding of a prize named after the founder of Kinoatelje, senator, sociologist and film critic Darko Bratina (1942-1997), presents films by authors whose works show special attention to the historical and social environment, reflect on current social issues and uphold the values of intercultural dialogue. She was part of the initial team that designed the European Capital of Culture. Under the GO! 2025 programme, she is leading the multi-year Cinema Hub project, which aims to promote and develop, in collaboration with partners, an open, stimulating and innovative cross-border audio-visual sector based on a network approach and bringing together different film and cultural institutions, productions and festivals. Through research and studies, expert meetings and symposia, film retrospectives and exhibitions, the project VZHOD/ZAHOD Meja skozi film in zgodovino ORIENTE/OCCIDENTE La frontiera nel cinema e nella storia (EAST-WEST The Border in Cinema and History) will offer an in-depth reflection on life along the border and bring our turbulent and complex history closer to both local and European audiences.
