THE LATEST offerings from talented young directors, well-known cult movies, American comedies, open-air concerts and famous figures of the silver screen. These are the ingredients for the film cocktail being served up in Trenčín and Trenčianske Teplice as this year’s Art Film Fest, one of the largest Slovak film festivals, which opened on June 19 and will continue until June 27.
The programme of the 17th festival includes 97 feature films and around 50 short films in 11 sections.
Just as in previous years, the focus is on the International Feature Films Competition, in which 15 nominees vie for the prestigious Blue Angel award. Among them are: Spanish director Enrique Rivero with Parque Via, awarded the Golden Leopard at the 2008 Locarno festival; Warwick Thornton from Australia, who will present his film Samson & Delilah, which recently won a Golden Camera for Best Debut at Cannes; or Italian director Uberto Pasolini’s Machan, which earned him two prizes at Venice in 2008.
The festival is also being attended by some of the most renowned personalities of the international film-making scene. Special guests are Italian director Ettore Scola and British actor Jeremy Irons, who followed the festival’s tradition by fixing a bronze plaque with his name on the Bridge of Fame on June 20.
Apart from the film screenings, a number of accompanying events are available as part of Art Film Fest. Oskar Rózsa, the renowned Slovak jazz musician, and his guests gig every evening at the Festival Café in Trenčianske Teplice; Czech band Kryštof will give a concert at Mierové Square in Trenčín on June 24; and a panel discussion for film professionals about movie distribution in Slovakia will be held on June 26 in Trenčianske Teplice.
For more information about Art Film Fest, visit www.artfilmfest.sk.
