Slovak cinemas recorded a slight downturn in attendance in 2025, but domestic production once again proved to be the backbone of the local box office. According to figures released by the Union of Film Distributors of Slovakia, total admissions reached 5,124,620, representing a year-on-year decrease of 5.72%. Overall revenues, however, remained broadly stable, amounting to €38,258,994 across 228,297 screenings.

While the overall market showed signs of stagnation, Slovak films continued to perform exceptionally well. Domestic titles attracted a combined 1,058,624 admissions, confirming that local audiences remain strongly engaged with home-grown cinema, particularly when it draws on recognisable stories, national icons or recent history.

At the centre of this success stands Jakub Kroner’s Černák (read news), distributed by CinemArt, which topped the annual box-office chart with 418,673 admissions and revenues of €3,408,642. The film consolidated the extraordinary theatrical run that began in 2024 with its predecessor Miki, turning Jakub Króner’s two-part crime thriller portrait of mafia boss Mikuláš Černák into one of the most significant box-office phenomena in the history of Slovak cinema.

Together, Miki and Černák demonstrate the continued appeal of crime narratives rooted in the turbulent 1990s, combining genre conventions with a retro aesthetic and real-life subject matter. Their success cuts across demographic lines and has allowed both films to compete directly with, and often outperform, major Hollywood releases aimed at family and young audiences.

Beyond the crime genre, 2025 also confirmed the commercial strength of Slovak biopics. Peter Bebjak’s Duchoň [+leggi anche:
recensione
scheda film] (distributed by Continental Film and centred on the life of popular crooner Karol Duchoň) ranked fourth overall in the annual box-office, drawing 263,582 viewers and generating €1,948,293. Built around nostalgia and well-known songs, the film became the most successful domestic release of the summer season (see the news) and further underlined the box-office potential of nationally resonant cultural figures.

Perhaps the most striking result of the year, however, came from the arthouse sector. Tereza Nvotová’s Father [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Tereza Nvotová
scheda film] (distributed by CinemArt), Slovakia’s Oscar submission, reached 128,651 admissions and €967,686 in revenues, placing it ninth in the overall annual ranking and third among Slovak titles. Premiered in the Orizzonti section in Venice and supported by a strong international festival trajectory, Father achieved a level of theatrical traction rarely seen for a Slovak auteur drama. The remaining Slovak films in the top five local chart included the sports biopic Nepela (48,567 admissions, CinemArt) and Another Round, the Czech-Slovak all-female remake of Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] (47,174 admissions, CinemArt), both performing solidly within the mid-range of the market.

Looking ahead to 2026, early box-office indicators suggest that domestic production will continue to play a decisive role in Slovak cinemas. Historical biopic Štúr (CinemArt) about national revivalist Ľudovít Štúr, directed by Mariana Čengel Solčanská, has already entered the charts with a strong opening and appears deliberately positioned as the next large-scale national hit, following the director’s previous box-office hits Scumbag [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] (read news) and Kidnapping [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film]. Commercial comedies such as Braňo Mišík’s Šviháci (Bonton Film) and Jonáš Karásek’s Dream Team (Itafilm) are likewise making early inroads, confirming the continued appetite for accessible, star-driven local entertainment. In the drama segment, Jakub Červenka’s biopic Champion (formerly Nepela, see news) and Jitka Rudolfová’s relationship drama Dancing with the Bear are among the titles likely to test the crossover potential between arthouse and mainstream audiences. Further down the line, projects such as Ivan Ostrochovský’s Spring (see news) and Marko Škop’s Love (formerly known as Anna, see news) could reinforce the presence of socially engaged cinema in the theatrical circuit.