Maldoror
Belgium, France, 2024, 155'
Directed by: Fabrice du Welz
Screenplay: Fabrice du Welz, Domenico La Porta
Cinematography : Manu Dacosse
Editing : Nico Leunen
Cast: Anthony Bajon (Paul Chartier), Alba Gaïa Bellugi (Jeanne »Gina« Ferrara), Alexis Manenti (Luis Catano), Sergi López (Marcel Dedieu), Laurent Lucas (Charles Hinkel), David Murgia (Didier Renard), Béatrice Dalle (Rita), Lubna Azabal (Mme Santos), Jackie Berroyer (Jack Dolman), Mélanie Doutey (Juge Remacle), Félix Maritaud (Roberto Santos)

Du Welz’s latest work is a police film, a naturalistic fresco that takes us to the heart of the Sicilian community in Charleroi in the middle of the 1990s, largely inspired by the case of the paedophile serial killer Marc Dutroux.Paul Chartier is an impulsive young police recruit with a troubled past – his father was a convict and his mother a prostitute. But he buried those memories long ago. Now he navigates deftly between his professional ambitions and the extended Sicilian family he is preparing to marry into. When two girls go missing, the idealistic Paul is assigned to “Maldoror”. This secret unit has been set up to monitor a dangerous sex offender. When the operation fails, fed up with the limits of the legal system and increasingly obsessed with the case which he is sure is a part of something much larger, Chartier embarks on a solitary hunt to bring down the culprits.

"My intention is to explore the nature of evil and the quest for justice through realistic and evocative fiction. I wanted to probe the darkest aspects of the human soul and offer a profound reflection on powerlessness in the face of institutional dysfunction. Through the character of Paul Chartier, I wanted to approach resilience, obsession, blindness and the will to change things against all odds. For me, Maldoror is a turning point, designed to shed light on a societal trauma and offer a fresh perspective on our ability to confront evil."
Fabrice du Welz

Fabrice du WelzBorn in 1972 in Belgium. Du Welz studied at the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Liège and at INSAS, a film school in Brussels. In the 1990s he directed many Super 8 films and wrote humorous sequences for Canal +. He rose to prominence already with his 1999 short, A Wonderful Love. His feature debut, The Ordeal, screened at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography (selection)
2004 Calvaire (The Ordeal)
2008 Vinyan
2014 Alléluia (Alleluia)
2016 Message from the King
2019 Adoration
2024 La Passion selon Béatrice (The Passion According to Béatrice)
2024 Maldoror 

The Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region is supported by the MEDIA sub-programme of Creative Europe.

The Winter Edition of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region will take place between 22 January and 5 February, offering audiences in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia the opportunity to watch a selection of award-winning regional films for free – in cinemas and as video-on-demand.

The following award-winning regional films will be on view: Forever Hold Your Peace (Živi i zdravi by Ivan Marinović), Family Therapy (Odrešitev za začetnike, by Sonja Prosenc), Mother Mara (Majka Mara, by Mirjana Karanović), My Late Summer (Nakon ljeta, by Danis Tanović) and Planet 7693 (Planeta 7693, by Gojko Berkuljan).

The programme begins on 22 January with free cinema screenings in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Herceg Novi, and Skopje, while from 23 January all films will also be available for streaming on the platform ondemand.kinomeetingpoint.ba.

On 22 January at 19.00, as part of the opening of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region Winter Edition, the film Forever Hold Your Peace (Živi i zdravi) by Ivan Marinović will be screened free of charge in Cankarjev dom's Kosovel Hall. Marinović's film is a bitterly comic story about a wedding that takes place despite the bride’s decision to give up on marriage. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Ivan Marinović.

My Late Summer (Nakon ljeta, by Danis Tanović) is a comedy-drama about a young woman who comes to an island to claim her inheritance, only to be confronted with her own past, family secrets, and identity issues. Mother Mara (Majka Mara, by Mirjana Karanović) is an intimate drama about loss, grief, and the unexpected bond that develops between a mother and her deceased son's friend. Planet 7693 (Planeta 7693, by Gojko Berkuljan) is a warm family story about a boy who, with the help of an unusual friend, tries to repair his family’s damaged relationships. Family Therapy (Odrešitev za začetnike, by Sonja Prosenc) follows a seemingly perfect family whose idyllic existence is shattered by the arrival of a young stranger. His presence exposes their internal issues, fears, and dysfunctional relationships

The Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region Winter Edition brings together the region’s leading film festivals, including the Ljubljana International Film Festival – Liffe, the Zagreb Film Festival, the Auteur Film Festival Belgrade, the Sarajevo Film Festival, the Herceg Novi Film Festival and the Manaki Brothers festival from North Macedonia. 

Running for the fourth consecutive year, the Winter Edition of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region has been designed with the aim of increasing the visibility, accessibility, and promotion of outstanding European films across the Adriatic region.

The Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region is supported by the MEDIA sub-programme of Creative Europe.

2026 marks the 37th edition of Liffe – the Ljubljana International Film Festival. For a number of years, the festival has featured the finest specimens of world cinema and winners of the most prominent festivals (Cannes, Rotterdam, Berlin, Venice, etc.) while bringing into spotlight the greatest achievements of national cinema.

The festival’s aim is to encourage and promote young and emerging artists, predominantly European filmmakers, and bring them into dialogue with Slovenian audiences. Several awards are presented every year (Kingfisher Award for best young filmmaker; Best Short Film; Audience Award; FIPRESCI Prize, etc.). In recent years, introducing digital innovation and educational programmes for young audiences have been important components of the festival whose mission includes educating different age groups.

Liffe takes place at six venues in Ljubljana (Cankarjev dom’s Linhart and Kosovel Halls, Kinodvor Cinema, the Slovenian Cinematheque, Kino Bežigrad, Kino Šiška and AGRFT Hall). With venues across Slovenia (Maribox Maribor, Anton Podbevšek Teater Novo mesto and Kino Union Celje), the festival addresses and remains accessible to audiences outside the Slovenian capital.

In 1992, the International Association of Film Producers – FIAPF granted a licence to Film Art Fest, which was renamed the International Film Festival in 1996, and in 1998 acquired its current name, Liffe (Ljubljana International Film Festival). This license confirms that the festival has fulfilled all the conditions for its inclusion on the official list of global film festivals.

Since its beginning, the festival’s producer has been Cankarjev dom, Cultural and Congress Centre Ljubljana, whose programme is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.

Festival sections
Perspectives, the official competitive section of young filmmakers competing for the Kingfisher Award sponsored by Telekom Slovenije, d.d.
Avant-premieres, a selection of the world’s finest films purchased for Slovenian distribution
Kings and Queens, films by notable and award-winning contemporary cinema virtuosos
World Cinema Panorama, five-continent festival favourites
Extravaganza, so-called late-night cinema of daring artists addressing idiosyncratic or sensual topics
Kinobalon, a selection of films for audiences aged between 5 and 14; in cooperation with the Kinodvor Cinema
Tribute; in cooperation with the Slovenian Cinematheque
Retrospective; in cooperation with the Slovenian Cinematheque
The Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region, a joint project of eight regional festivals
Europe in Short, competitive programme of short films

Accompanying programme
Talks with festival guests and filmmakers
Round tables and workshops

Awards
Kingfisher, international jury award presented by the general sponsor, Telekom Slovenije, d.d., to the best film of the Competition section – Perspectives.
FIPRESCI Prize, presented by the jury of the International Federation of Film Critics.
Best Short Film Award
Kinotrip Young Jury Award, five nominated films from different program sections.
Slovenian Art Cinema Association Award, Slovenian association of cinemas and exhibitors of quality and art film. 
Dragon Audience Award to best-rated film that has not yet been purchased for Slovenian distribution.

Festival venues
Cankarjev dom (Linhart and Kosovel Halls), Kinodvor, Kino Bežigrad, Slovenian Cinematheque, AGRFT Hall, Kino Šiška, Maribox Maribor, Kino Union Celje and Anton Podbevšek Teater Novo mesto
Main festival venue: Cankarjev dom’s Foyer II

Sponsors
Main sponsor: Telekom Slovenije, d.d.
Festival partner: RTV SLO 
With the financial support of the European Union
Founder and main funder of CD’s Arts and Culture Programme: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia

Festival partners
Kinodvor Cinema
Slovenska kinoteka – Slovenian Cinematheque
Kino Bežigrad – Bežigrad Cinema
Univerza v Ljubljani Akademija za gledališče, radio, film in televizijo – AGRFT – Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film And TV – AGRFT, University of Ljubljana
Kino Šiška – Šiška Cinema
Anton Podbevšek Teater – Anton Podbevšek Theatre
Maribox Maribor
Kino Union Celje – Union Cinema Celje

Officially presented at the 31st Auteur Film Festival

Fabrice du Welz’s film Maldoror has won the Audience Award for Best Film of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region – the Adriatic Audience Award, which was officially presented at the 31st Auteur Film Festival in Belgrade.

The aim of the Adriatic Audience Award, presented by the Adriatic Region Festival Network, is to promote and increase the visibility of European film, and the award will also enable the film to be screened in cinemas across the region formerly known as Yugoslavia.

Maldoror received the highest number of audience votes by combining results from all member festivals of the Adriatic Region Festival Network, including the Sarajevo Film Festival (BiH), the Herceg Novi Film Festival (Montenegro), the Ljubljana International Film Festival (Slovenia), the Auteur Film Festival (Belgrade), the Zagreb Film Festival (Croatia), and Manaki Brothers (North Macedonia).

More >> 

KINGFISHER AWARD
An international jury award presented by the general sponsor, Telekom Slovenije, d.d., to the best film of the Perspectives section.
International jury: Marina Gumzi, Ayla Kanbur, Bálint Szimler

Blue Haron (By: Sophy Romvari)
The jury, diverse in tastes but open to thoughtful debate, saw and discussed ten significantly different films. 
That is even more why, at the end of this process, we are not choosing a winner, but rather offering our warm recommendation.
We have decided to honour the LIFFE 2025 Vodomec Award to the remarkably unique Blue Heron, a quiet reflection on disability, memory and grief. 
Patiently and with refined precision, the director uses film as a canvas to capture time but also as a dialectical means for re-viewing an unsettling family situation. In doing so, she doesn't shy away from being as personal and specific as one can possibly be and it is magical when universality is found in this specificity. 
A deeply moving work of art. 

Special Mention:
A Sad and Beautiful World (By: Cyril Aris)
In a region where persistent bomb threats and political turmoil prevent life from moving forward, people find themselves trapped in a repetitive fate, with little sense of the ideal future they imagine for themselves. As communities fragment and people leave their homeland, the film asks what, if anything, remains to hold on to: perhaps a fable-like love, fragile and almost impossible.
The film explores this contradiction with a confident, finely balanced cinematic language — enriched by humor and brought to life through lovable, deeply human characters.
For illuminating this tension with clarity, and emotional precision, the Jury presents its Special Mention to A Sad and Beautiful World.”

BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
Presented by ACTUAL I.T.
Jury: Maja Alibegović, Rok Kajzer Nagode, Gábor Osváth
An Orange from Jaffa (By: Mohammed Almughanni)
A film that plays like a thriller while dealing with a timely subject and features two incredible acting performances, which made it even easier for the jury to pick the winner. The award goes to The Orange from Jaffa by Mohammed Almughanni.

Special Mention:
Ceasefire / Prekid vatre (R: Jakob Krese)
The film convinced us with its directness and raw approach. The Special Mention goes to Jakob Krese for the film Ceasefire.

FIPRESCI PRIZE
An award presented by the jury of the International Federation of Film Critics
International jury: Tinkara Uršič Fratina, Slovenija; Diana Martirosyan, Armenija; Shahla Nahid, Francija
Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song/Ida, ki je pela tako grdo, da so še mrtvi vstali od mrtvih in zapeli z njo (By: Ester Ivakič)
A sensitive and profound film about coming to terms with life and death, entirely carried by the pre-adolescent lead actress, inhabited by her character. A film that lives in the space between worlds, where atmosphere and subtlety outweigh explicit explanation. It creates an authentic feeling of childhood in the countryside, woven through with elements of magical realism that reflect the main character’s emotions. Fipresci Prize goes to Ester Ivakič’s film Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song.

KINOTRIP YOUNG JURY PRIZE
This year's jury consists of five members of the 10th Kinotrip Film Club Zarja Debeljak, Maruša Gedrih, Mila Gorkič, Estel Erika Tagliaferri, Ema Žvanut.
Sandbag Dam / Zečji nasip (By: Čejen Černić)
Of the five competing titles, the film that left the strongest impression was the one depicting a queer relationship with exceptional authenticity and tenderness. Every touch and glance carries a deeper meaning, supported by a naturalistic colour palette. The vulnerability of the wild rabbit as natural prey is a constant symbol in the story. The film is a poignant yet beautiful portrayal of uncertain, clandestine young love. The handheld camera creates tension and reveals the characters’ inner worlds, while the plot points up the intolerance still rooted in the traditional society of our region. The Kinotrip Young Jury Award goes to Sandbag Dam by Čejen Černić Čanak.


AKMS – SLOVENIAN ART CINEMA ASSOCIATION AWARD 
Jury members: Erik Toth, Izola; Jure Matičič, Domžale; Vid Šteh, Trbovlje
Two Prosecutors / Dva prokuroraTwo Prosecutors / Dva prokurora(By: Sergej Loznica)
It seems increasingly likely that history is doomed to repeat itself. Despite the many tragedies and devastation left behind by totalitarian regimes, it seems that we have learned nothing from the often shocking and bloody lessons of history. This makes the existence of art all the more important, as it serves to remind us of past injustices and thus prevent them from sinking into oblivion. Two Prosecutors, a combination of courtroom thriller, crime drama, and historical drama, takes place in Stalin's Russia in 1937, when political paranoia, systemic violence, and the suppression of truth were part of daily reality for citizens living a life of fear and obedience. Directed and written by Sergei Loznitsa, the tense film is pervaded by an authentically dark atmosphere, featuring superb acting performances and, despite its historical distance, carries universal resonance, revealing the terrifying instruments of totalitarian regimes that seek to create obedient and undemanding citizens without a clear moral compass or conscience. Through the story of an idealistic prosecutor who, through a small act of rebellion, begins to expose corruption within Stalin's secret police, Loznitsa subtly draws numerous parallels with current events both in Russia and elsewhere in the world, where we are once again witnessing the unchecked rise of totalitarian regimes and their leaders. That is precisely why films such as Two Prosecutors are so necessary; art, in this case cinema, has the power to remind viewers of the tragedies of human history that we naively believe cannot be repeated.


DRAGON AUDIENCE AWARD
The festival audience voted for their favourite film, which receives the Audience Award. The highest score, 4,63, was given to the film: A Sad And Beautiful World (By: Cyril Aris)

VOTING FOR THE BEST FILM OF THE ADRIATIC FESTIVAL NETWORK

The voting for the Best Film of the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region at 36^th Liffe concluded on Sunday, 23 November 2025.

The 36th Liffe audience gave the highest score to Maldoror/Maldoror with the score 4.59.

After twelve days of films, conversations and festival bustle, the 36th Ljubljana International Film Festival will conclude its cinematic journey on Saturday, 22nd of November, with the announcement of this year’s awards and the closing film DJ Ahmet by director Georgi Unkovski.

This year, LIFFe once again proved to be one of Slovenia’s most visited cultural events – attracting aprox. 41 thousand visitors and setting a record for the fastest-selling tickets in festival history with the film Whites Wash at Ninety.

Over 300 screenings took place in cinemas in Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje and Novo mesto, while over eighty guests from Slovenia and abroad shared stories of filmmaking and reflections on the contemporary world with festival audiences. Special attention was also given to accompanying events, talks, workshops and educational programmes, which expanded the festival experience beyond the cinema halls.

At the closing ceremony, all festival awards will be presented – including the Kingfisher Award, the FIPRESCI Award, the Slovenian Art Cinema Association Award, the award for Best Short Film, the Kinotrip Young Jury Award and the Zmaj – the Audience Award.

LIFFe once again reaffirms its role as a space where creativity, dialogue and a love of cinema meet – and continues to show, year after year, that film truly has a home here.

See you next year – at the 37th LIFFe!

14 Nov 2025 
This year, LIFFe is strengthening its role as a space where the cultural and film sectors meet, learn and reflect on their practices – including in the field of sustainability. The festival is committed to environmentally responsible organisation following the Planet Positive Event methodology, with carbon-footprint measurement and gradual reduction at its core. In this spirit, LIFFe is hosting the fourth meeting of the Green Skills Accelerator project.

Led by Motovila in partnership with Umanotera, the project supports the transition of the cultural and creative sectors towards climate-neutral operations. It focuses on three key areas:

– developing carbon-footprint measurement tools tailored to the cultural sector
– providing training, consulting and a mentorship process for 16 selected organisations
– sharing and connecting good practices at home and across Europe

The aim of the Green Skills Accelerator is to strengthen awareness of the challenges and opportunities of the green transition in culture and to support organisations in shaping their own sustainability strategies and action plans for reducing CO₂ emissions. Beyond technical tools, the project encourages a more holistic reflection on how culture can actively contribute to societal change.

On Tuesday, 18 November, LIFFe will host the fourth partnership meeting of the Green Skills Accelerator:
10:00–14:00, Hall M3 – closed working session for organisations involved in the mentorship process
14:00–16:00, Alma Karlin Hall – public presentation offering insight into inspiring European green-transition practices in film and culture, and opening a discussion on how environmental awareness can become an integral part of artistic and production processes.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Green Skills Accelerator is making an important contribution to the knowledge, tools and connections that the cultural sector urgently needs for a more environmentally responsible future.

12 Nov 2025
If you don’t speak Slovenian, no worries – this year’s LIFFe programme includes a wide selection of films with English subtitles. From poetic visions and bold new voices to short film collections, retrospectives and animated treasures, discover stories that transcend language. 

Films available with English subtitles: 

Aleque & Issay, The Botanist, Divine Comedy, Traffic, all short films in the Europe in Short section, The Devil Smokes, Hard Boiled, A Sad and Beautiful World, Lampie, Maldoror, Miyazaki: Spirit of Nature, Blue Heron, A Loose End, Enchanted Desna, Perla, Poem of the Sea, Two Seasons, Two Strangers, Renovation, U Are the Universe, In Adam’s Interest, The Big Feast, Growing Down, Yugo Florida and The Story of the Flaming Years. 

Each film belongs to one of LIFFe’s distinctive sections — offering a rich variety of cinematic experiences for every taste. 

13 Nov 2025
Due to the Slovenian Wine Festival, taking place at Cankarjev dom on Thursday, 13 November, and Friday, 14 November, access to all LIFFe venues will only be possible through the Maxi underpass (Entrance 3).

Thank you for your understanding and see you at LIFFe!