(Letní filmová škola 2010)

Prague, May 2010 This summer, the Czech Republic will be brought to life with film. Before long, movie buffs will gather at the prestigious Karlovy Vary festival to enjoy films as well as pleasant walks through the collonade. And the summer of Czech film certainly doesn't end there.

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

This festival is the foremost Category A* international film festival in Central and Eastern Europe and the only Categorie A festival in the Czech Republic. Each year, the festival premiers over 200 new films from around the world in the Czech Republic.

Traditionally, the most closely followed section of the Karlovy Vary festival is the international feature film competition. Presenting world, international, and European premieres, this section highlights the works of well-known filmmakers as well as talented debut directors. The organisers already have confirmed some of the titles in the main competition.

Polish documentarist and renowned playwright Pawel Sala will present his first ever feature titled Mother Teresa of Cats (Matka Teresa od kotów). Other entries include the psychological drama thriller Sweet Evil (L'enfance du mal), Olivier Coussemacq's feature-length debut, as well as the newest film from Oscar winner Jan Svěrák - Kooky (Kuky se vrací). In the context of contemporary Czech cinematography, this film is unique for its nontraditional, modern combination of live acting and animation.

Documentary Films in Competition, East of the West - Films in Competition and many other categories also have been prepared. As part of the Focus on Belgian Film section, for example, audiences will get to see a selection of Belgian films including the sardonic comedy The Misfortunates (De Helaasheid der dingen) by Felix Van Groeningen, which represented Belgium at the Oscars.

The Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will be presented to director Juraj Herz, a filmmaker who has shot more than 25 feature films in his career, many of which have received awards at prestigious film festivals.

The festival, which this year enters its 45th year, will of course also feature guest celebrities and stars. In recent years, distinguished festival guests from abroad have included, for example, Sean Connery, Nastassja Kinski, Keira Knightley and Elijah Wood.

As a Categorie A festival, KV IFF is among the group of prestigious festivals with the status of a "non-specialised competitive feature film festival", which also includes the Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Tokyo international film festivals.

Summer Film School Uherské Hradiště

Every year, several thousand viewers head to this non-competitive film festival. Over the course of 10 days, some 400 films spanning several categories will be shown in 9 halls and 2 summer cinemas. In this, its 36th year, two of the main themes of the festival will be Focus Iceland and New Latin American Film. The film programme will be supplemented with concerts, theatre performances and late-night DJ and VJ parties.

River Film Fest, Písek

Now in its second year, the festival will offer 150 feature films and invite some 100 notable filmmakers. The festival will lure audiences with three main cycles: A History of French Cinema from Silent Beginnings to Modern Times; Belle Époque (1870-1914), which will be an exploration of this modern rennaisance; and The Polish Film of Moral Anxiety. Many international pannel discussions and 3D technology demonstrations also are being prepared, and at night guests can look forward to concerts.

Other film festivals in the Czech Republic:

Summer:

• International Mountaineering Film Festival

Autumn:

• International Film Festival on Tourism Films TOURFILM
• The Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival
  

Eva Tajanovská

CzechTourism, tajanovska@czechtourism.cz