National Competition 2
For the past several years, the National Competition has presented audiences the best that domestic cinema has to offer. This year’s three blocks contain a total of fifteen films – live-action, documentary, and animated.
Vojtěch Novotný’s Empty Places, which is having its world premiere at Pragueshorts, is characterized by carefully dosed tension and an oppressive atmosphere. It tells the tale of a desperate mother who refuses to accept the police’s decision to give up their search for her missing daughter. David Šourek and Jáchym Štulíř’s animated short The Beetroot reinterprets the Slavic folktale The Enormous Turnip as a wild pop-cultural horror movie. One of last year’s most internationally successful Czech shorts was Eliška Jirásková’s Better Man, a light-hearted look at the world of bodybuilding and muscle enthusiasts. Greetings from Rhodos, meanwhile, is Viera Čákanyová postcard from an island ravaged by destructive fires that nevertheless do not keep tourists from complaining about their accommodations. Following its screenings at Rotterdam, we are showing this ironic spark of a film in its Czech premiere. The final of this block’s five films is the animated Wolfie, in which Philippe Kastner shows how difficult it is to face one’s mistakes, and how playfulness can introduce chaos to our lives.
The three-member international jury will present an award for Best Czech Film, which comes with a financial reward of 2,000 euros. The jurors can also choose to present a Special Jury Mention.
