Film Festival Zlín - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth is a film festival for young audiences, and is one of the oldest festivals of its kind in the world. Due to the dramatic expansion of its scope over the last few years, it can also be counted among the largest film events of its kind worldwide. The last edition saw the record-breaking attendance of more than 100,000 visitors and the number of films reached 571 from 52 countries. The festival traditionally takes place in the Eastern part of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

and is held every year at the turn of May and June. Since its 48th edition, which took place 1–8 June 2008, it has been extended to 8 days. The festival is a member of the CIFEJ and ECFA professional organizations.

History

Zlín

Zlín , from 1949 to 1989 Gottwaldov , is a city in the Zlín Region, southeastern Moravia, Czech Republic, on the Dřevnice River. The development of the modern city is closely connected to the Bata Shoes company...

, the city linked to the name of the Baťa

Tomáš Bata

Tomáš Baťa was a Czech entrepreneur, founder of Bata Shoes company, one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and distributors of footwear and accessories.-Career:...

family, has had a long tradition of organizing film festivals. There were festivals of Czech and Slovak

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

films held in Zlín as early as 1941 and 1942, under the name of Film Harvest (also known as Zliennale). These seminal festivals are still considered the beginning of Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

's film festival tradition. The history of the Film Festival in Zlín began in the year 1961 when the historical first edition of the Film Festival for Children and Youth was held. In the course of time the festival has expanded the number of films it screens as well as the number of visitors and cinemas. A milestone of sorts was the 48th edition when the festival acquired 6 new screening halls, bringing the total number of projection venues to 23. The 48th edition was also unique in its record number of films presented (570 films from 52 countries) and visitors (108,722). The 50th annual Film Festival Zlín was held from 31 May to 6 June 2010.

Films are not only projected, but also produced in Zlín. In 1936, Jan Antonín Baťa

Jan Antonín Bata

Jan Antonín Baťa was a Czech shoe manufacturer from Uherské Hradiště , brother of Tomáš Baťa....

founded a new film studio in the city, which gradually turned into Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

's most prominent centre of filmmaking focused on children and youth. Well known filmmaking artists such as Karel Zeman

Karel Zeman

Karel Zeman was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator. Because of his creative use of special effects and animation in his films, he has often been called the "Czech Méliès."-Life:...

, Hermína Týrlová

Hermína Týrlová

Hermína Týrlová was a prominent Czech stage designer, animator, and film director. She was often called the mother of Czech animation. She was a close collaborator of Karel Zeman.-External links:**. [14-05-2003] Por Andrea Fajkusová*....

, Alexander Hackenschmied, Břetislav Pojar

Bretislav Pojar

Břetislav Pojar is a puppeteer, animator and director of short and feature films.Born in Sušice, Czechoslovakia, Pojar started his career in the late 1940s with his work on The Story of the Bass Cello based on the story by Anton Chekhov and directed by master Czech puppet animator Jiří Trnka...

or Josef Pinkava created their works in the Zlín film studios. The glorious filmmaking tradition of Zlín continues today in its two film schools. It is the very connection of film and its filmmaking tradition which gives the Zlín Film Festival its unique appeal. In this place with such unique history, the two poles of the film world unite each year: the audience and the filmmakers.

Programme

The competitive sections of the festival are particularly rich in new films shot within the last two years. They are complemented by either quality films from other festivals or classic works of world cinema. Apart from the five competitive sections, the festival offers a whole range of informative and retrospective sections, including that of documentary full-length films. Each year cinematography of one European nation is presented within an extensive film showcase.

Competition Sections

Feature Films for Children and Youth: 16 feature films compete in two categories; films for children of up to 12 years and films for children of 13 years or older.
Short Animated Films for Children: Approximately 70 short animated films for children.
European Debuts Competition: 10 feature film debuts by European directors present young filmmakers' unusual view of the world today.
Feature Films from the Visegrad Countries: No restriction in terms of topic or focus on young audience, the key is film reflection of the Visegrad Four – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary. Judged by a student jury.
Advertising Award The Rainbow Marble: Advertising spots and printed advertisements focused on children, adolescents and family compete in six categories; complemented by a specialist conference.

Out-of-competition Sections

Days of European Cinema: This section contains the cinema of a selected European country. In 2010 it is the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Czechoslovakia, respectively. This section was launched in 2004 with cinema from France, continued with Scandinavia and the Baltic regions, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Night Horizons: Serious and provocative topics – films which incite debate and attract the more mature part of the audience, in particular college and university students. Topics of transition from childhood to adult age, captured to be attractive for older spectators
Czech Film and TV Production for Children and Youth: Presentation of the outcomes of Czech Cinematic and TV production made over the year.
Documentaries: A section dedicated to documentaries for children and youth or focusing on children and youth as their topic.
Panorama: Informative section – presents mostly films awarded at other festivals, interesting films which cannot, for various reasons, compete in one of the competitive sections or films bringing new, unorthodox views.
Creative Contribution to Filmmaking for Children and Youth award to one of the prominent film professionals accompanied by a showcase of films of the awarded actor or filmmaker.
Supporting programme: Apart from the hundreds of film projections, the festival offers a supporting programme for the general film enthusiast as well as the specialist. Supporting events for the public mean above all charity and entertainment – concerts, exhibitions, public readings, parties in squares. The specialist part of the programme includes mostly classes, lectures and workshops.

Days of European Cinema

Since 2003 the main conceptual line of the festival has been represented by the section called the Days of European Cinema (DEC). It is a project which presents one of the major European cinemas to the Czech audience each year. DEC is the dominant element of the whole festival. DEC is represented by new films in the competitive section and a selection of the best and most interesting older films in the non-competitive sections. In the past editions of DEC, the cinemas of France, Scandinavia and the Baltic region, Russia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were presented. In previous years, smaller sections presented forums of German, Austrian, Swiss and Slovak cinema.

Archive sections are among the parts of DEC that are the most popular ones. The 2008 edition of DEC, dedicated to British cinema, commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the director David Lean

David Lean

Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...

by presenting a retrospective of his works, presented a representative selection of films for children and youth and offered a profile of film production of the so-called British New Wave

British New Wave

The British New Wave is the name given to a trend in filmmaking among directors in Britain in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The label is a translation of Nouvelle Vague, the French term first applied to the films of François Truffaut, and Jean-Luc Godard among others.There is considerable overlap...

, that is, a programme aimed mostly at more mature and grown up audience.

The 49th edition of the Days of European Cinema was dedicated to Spanish cinema.

Awards

Golden Slipper – Main prize awarded to the best feature film for children, youth, and animated film.
The City of Zlín Award – Special recognition for a feature film for children
The Miloš Macourek Award – Special recognition for a feature film for youth
The Hermína Týrlová Award – Award for young artists aged fewer than 35
Golden Apple – spectator prize awarded to the most successful feature and animated film
The Europe Award – Awarded to the best European debut feature film
The Czech Minister of Culture Award – Awarded to the best feature film from the Visegrad Group
Visegrád Group
The Visegrád Group, also called the Visegrád Four or V4, is an alliance of four Central European states – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – for the purposes of cooperation and furthering their European integration...
The Don Quixote Award – Awarded by the International FICC Jury
Ecumenical Jury Award – Awarded by the International Ecumenical Jury

List of main prize winners

2011| 51st ed.

Best feature film for children: The Liverpool Goalie, dir. Arild Andresen, Norway

Best feature film for youth: Hold Me Tight, dir. Kaspar Munk, Denmark

Best animated film: Larghetto, dir. Jaroslav Nykl, Czech Republic

2010| 50th ed.

Best feature film for children: Magic Tree, dir. Andrzej Maleszka, Poland

Best feature film for youth: Sebbe, dir. Babak Najafi, Sweden

Best animated film: Lost and Found, dir. Philip Hunt, United Kingdom

2009| 49th ed.

Best feature film for children: Who Is Afraid of the Wolf? (Kdopak by se vlka bál?), dir. Mária Procházková, Czech republic

Best feature film for youth: Max Embarrassing, dir. Lotte Svendsen, Denmark

Best animated film: Post!, dir. Christian Asmussen, Matthias Bruhn, Germany

2008 | 48th ed.

Best feature film for children: Where is Winky’s Horse?, dir. Mischa Kamp, The Netherlands, Belgium

Best feature film for youth: The Substitute, dir. Ole Bornedal, Denmark

Best animated film: The Bears Stories, dir. Marina Karpova, Russia

2007 | 47th ed.

Best feature film for children: Little Heroes, directed by Itai Lev, Israel

Best feature film for youth: Leaps and Bounds, dir. Petter Naess, Sweden

Best animated film: Tyger, dir. Guilherme Marcondes, Brazil

2006 | 46th ed.

Best feature film for children: Bonkers, directed by Martin Koolhoven, The Netherlands

Best feature film for youth: We Shall Overcome, dir. Niels Arden Oplev, Denmark

Best animated film: Cartoon, dir. Pál Tóth, Hungary

2005 | 45th ed.

Best feature film for children: The Colour of Milk, directed by Torun Lian, Norway

Best feature film for youth: Fourteen Sucks, dir. Filippa Freijd, Martin Jern, Emil Larsson, Henrik Norrthon, Sweden

Best animated film: Music Shop, dir. Sofia Kravtsova, Russia

2004 | 44th ed.

Best feature film for children: Strong as a Lion, directed by Manne Lindwall, Sweden

Best feature film for youth: 4th Floor, dir. Antonio Mercero, Spain

Best animated film: Music Shop, dir. Michéle Lemieux, Canada

2003 | 43rd ed.

Best feature film for children: The Flying Classroom, directed by Tomy Wigand, Germany

Best feature film for youth: White Oleander, dir. Peter Kosminsky, Germany, USA

Best animated film: I Want a Dog, dir. Sheldon Cohen, Canada

2002 | 42nd ed.

Best feature film for children: Children of Petroleum, directed by Ebrahim Forouzesh, Iran

Best feature film for youth: And Your Mother Too, dir. Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico, USA

Best animated film: Choo-choo-2, dir. Garri Bardine, Russia

Famous attendants of Film Festival Zlín

Tim Curry

Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....

, AnnaSophia Robb

AnnaSophia Robb

AnnaSophia Robb is an American film and television actress. She gained prominence in 2005 with starring roles in Because of Winn-Dixie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and starred in Bridge to Terabithia , Race to Witch Mountain , and Soul Surfer .-Personal life:Robb was born in Denver,...

, Dakota Blue Richards

Dakota Blue Richards

Dakota Blue Richards is an English actress. Her debut was in the film The Golden Compass, as the lead character Lyra Belacqua....

, Daniel Clark

Daniel Clark

Daniel Clark may refer to:* Daniel Clark , American actor* Daniel Clark , basketball player* Daniel Clark * Daniel Clark , U.S. senator...

, Randal Kleiser

Randal Kleiser

John Randal Kleiser is an American film director and producer, perhaps best known for directing the 1978 musical film Grease.-Life and career:...

, Stana Katic

Stana Katic

Stana Katic is a film and television actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Detective Kate Beckett in ABC's Castle.- Early life :...

, Christopher Miles

Christopher Miles

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, Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment

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, Andrej Chalimon, Gerrit van Dijk, Lawrence Guterman

Lawrence Guterman

Lawrence "Larry" Guterman is a Canadian film director known for his work in companies like DreamWorks, Warner Bros. and Universal. He directed Cats & Dogs, Son of the Mask, and Back in Time...

, Marléne Jobert, Annie Girardot

Annie Girardot

Annie Girardot was a French actress.She began performing in 1955, making her film debut in Treize à table. Girardot won the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti in 1956, and in 1977 won the César Award for Best Actress portraying the title character in Docteur Françoise Gailland...

, Pierre Brice

Pierre Brice

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, Gina Lollobrigida

Gina Lollobrigida

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, Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti is an Italian actress. She was born in Rome as Francesca Romana Rivelli, to a Neapolitan father and Russian mother. Her maternal grandparents immigrated from Leningrad , Russia, to Estonia...

, Emmanuelle Béart

Emmanuelle Béart

Emmanuelle Béart is a French film actress, who has appeared in over 50 film and television productions since 1972. Béart won a César Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Manon des Sources . She has been nominated a further seven times for Most Promising Actress and Best Actress.- Early...

, Oleg Tabakov

Oleg Tabakov

Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov is a Soviet and Russian actor and the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre.-Theatre career:...

, Alfonso Cuarón

Alfonso Cuarón

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, Krzysztof Zanussi

Krzysztof Zanussi

Krzysztof Zanussi, is a Polish producer and film director.He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop...

, Michael York

Michael York (actor)

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, Jan Pinkava

Jan Pinkava

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, Gotz George

Götz George

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, Alexej Kotěnočkin, Katerina Jakob, Sir Peter Ustinov, Alexander Mitta

Alexander Mitta

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, Maximillian Schell and many others.

External links

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