International Competition 3

The international competition, which is open to live-action, animated, and documentary films, features twenty-six productions or co-productions involving twenty-three countries. The geographically diverse selection also includes works from places such as Panama or Haiti whose cinematic creations are rarely seen by Czech audiences. This year’s line-up is similarly colorful and diverse in terms of subject matter, visual form, and narrative style, and the section’s five blocks of films thus represent a unique opportunity to learn about contemporary trends in short film.

In last year’s Sundance winner, the suspenseful Spanish short  The Masterpiece, a well-to-do couple invites two scrap dealers to pick up some things, but until the very end it’s unclear who’s got the upper hand. Shown in its international premier, the Swiss documentary Teenage Cowboy takes us to the wild plains where sixteen-year-old Michele works as a cowboy. In the sensitive puppet animation Beautiful Men, three balding brothers experience a crisis of masculinity while waiting for their hair transplant. Spring 23 paints a depressing picture of post-Covid China, where grief at the loss of loved ones is mixed with the melancholic light of fireworks. The free-spirited An Odd Turn, winner of a Golden Bear at the Berlinale, introduces us to today’s young generation of Argentines who have responded to the country’s economic collapse by among other things seeking solace in casual sex.

The International Competition jury will present an award for Best Film, which comes with a financial prize of 3,000 euros. The jurors will also award two Special Mentions.

English spoken or English subtitled screening. Suitable both for English speaking viewers and Czech viewers alike.