December: Uncomfortable Beings, Azra, Best Imaginary Friends Forever

December’s mini-slate features three projects in the ideal stage for application and funding, showcasing significant international potential. The selection of these feature films considers diverse factors. Firstly, the projects encompass varied content, spanning different genres and demanding distinct approaches to development, production, and distribution. Secondly, they are at different stages of development, allowing for simultaneous progress on all fronts. This aligns perfectly with December’s goal of pushing boundaries by collaborating with diverse talents, exploring various genres, and reaching wider audiences. Our mini-slate places a particular emphasis on human psychology, delving into the enigmatic nature of the subconscious mind. We firmly believe that personal stories possess a profound impact that transcends cultural and societal boundaries, making them highly relevant to our present time.

“Uncomfortable Beings” marks the debut of Maja Križnik, a young and talented writer and director. The film artfully balances bitter and cruel narratives with humor as a survival mechanism, effectively addressing significant life subjects through relatable everyday situations.

“Azra,” a bittersweet tragicomic musical crafted by director Tijana Zinajić and screenwriter Iza Strehar, follows the journey of Azra, a survivor of abuse, as she navigates her challenging circumstances. Blurring the line between imagination and reality, the film draws inspiration from popular songs that have profoundly shaped Azra’s subconscious.

“Best Imaginary Friends Forever” represents our inaugural children’s feature—a warm family film infused with captivating fantasy elements. Saša Eržen, a renowned Slovene screenwriter, pens the script, while Darko Sinko, December’s long-time collaborator, directs. This enchanting tale explores the development of friendship during early childhood, utilizing imaginary friends as a metaphor for the transformative journey of growing up.

December Institute

(Leader) Ljubljana

Funded projects

Kino x Games

FASIH - Future Art and Science Industrial Heritage

Cultural BEES

Is this us?

Climate Art Fusion Caravane (CARAVANE)

Moving Balkans

Youth Art for the Earth (YAFE)

Shadow Pandemic: Hidden Voices

Open House Europe (OHEu)

Third Stage

VERSOPOLIS – WHERE POETRY LIVES

December: Uncomfortable Beings, Azra, Best Imaginary Friends Forever

LINA - Learn, Interact, and Network in Architecture

Reactivating unused urban spaces through architecture and arts (ReCITYing)

Art Nouveau: a new EUtopia

Creative Industries Development Centre (KUL)

Web 3.0 Accelerator for Sustainable Cultural Tourism (Web3Tour)

Studiotopia: Enter the Symbiocene with Arts and Science (Studiotopia 2)

Bio Awakening - developing bio-art practices in Western Balkan

TestArt

GREENSTAGE

Connecting Emerging Literary Artists (CELA)

Transmedia stories of insularity (TRAST)

Female Digital Creativity (FLUX)

Planet Hope (New European Fiction) (PH)

More than a Book (MTaS)

Our Little Library: Through literary bridges to reading adventures (OLLLB)

Connected with Books (CWB)

Operation Nova

Exploring Expanded Publishing: EX-Pub

Thinking Publishing (ThinkPub)

Novel Europe (NovelEU)

REVIVE

Temporama: Mini Slate 2023

Studi Virc: Mini Slate 2023

The 10th and 11th edition of FeKK - Ljubljana Short Film Festival

The 20th and 21st Kino Otok - Isola Cinema International Film Festival

20. and 21. ANIMATEKA International animated film festival

Film in Hospital 2.0

EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal 2024-2026

Cinema without barriers (CWB)

Literary Agent Platform: Capacity building (LAP CB)

Tramal Films Mini Slate 22 (TFMini22)

Vertigo Slate 2022: Chestnuts, Memory of Autumn Mists, OHO, Splashing around

Staragara slate 22

Our Little Library: Literary exchanges (OLL LE)

Testing Ground (TestG)

Better Live

Variola - Dark Spring TV series

SEMA

Paradiso

Leave the door open

The Big Green

The Long Way Down

New approaches for local media (NEWLOCAL)

Life Long Burning – Futures Lost and Found (LLB3)

Time For Live Art (LIVETIME)

Women Power in Comics (WOMCOM)

Movement, Digital Intelligence and Interactive Audience (MODINA)

Fortissimo (FF)

Spring Cleaning

Animation Festival Network

CulturalDeTour - Sustainable Cultural Tourism by Design Driven Innovation

Building the future of democracy through art, science and technology (EUDigitalDeal)

The Museum of the Commons. Towards a Healthier Arts Ecosystem (MoC)

ACT: Art, Climate, Transition

Baths, gothic churches and miners’ houses

Fake Lies

THE FILM CORNER RELOADED - A CULTURAL APPROACH

CINEMINI EUROPE

FC Freedom

Body

Movies in Motion

Voix de la Poesie Europeenne

Trust me, I'm an artist

The Faces Behind the Nose - Promoting Hospital Clowning as a Recognized Genre of Performing Arts

SYMBOLS - Culture of Death& Cultural Life: New audiences and creations around European Cemeteries!

SWICH - Sharing a World of Inclusion, Creativity and Heritage

SPECTRUM 14|15