THE 41ST year of the international film festival about the sustainable development Ekotopfilm started on October 20 in Bratislava’s Tatra hotel. The five-day festival that introduces documentary films from the whole world was opened with the US film The Silkies of Madagascar.
The documentary film shows how access to sustainable, global fair-trade markets preserves an ancient tradition, empowers women and changes the future for their children.
“I am very glad that the US participation in Ekotopfilm is so strong,” US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, “we have 11 films here and Bruce Bucklin is the chairman of the international festival committee for the 14th time.” The US Embassy is a partner of the festival since 1974.
Part of the opening evening was the ceremony awarding the Honour of Ekotopfilm prize that went to Vladimír Krčméry, doctor, scientist, university teacher, founder of several medical and social care facilities and initiator of humanitarian missions in third-world countries.
Except for film screenings, the visitors can attend various discussions and workshops with authors of the films, in addition to several promotions focusing on water, waste or healthy diet. The general director of the festival Peter Lím also highlighted the exhibition of photos from developing countries, the Market of Prosperity as well as the Junior Festival designed for the younger generation, held alongside this year’s edition, as reported by TASR.
The festival also takes place in Košice and Žilina. This year it will visit more than 50 towns across the country thanks to a special caravan.
