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 boast a total of fifteen films, a number which not only reflects the fact that Pragueshorts has recently opened itself up to animated and documentary works but that also shows the earnest joy felt by the programming team at the quality of the submissions.

In this block, you will find Leila Basma’s Sea Salt, a story about bidding farewell to one’s native land, shown at least year’s Venice Film Festival; Marie-Magdalena Kochová’s 3MWh, a stylistically refined and sympathetically “woke” report on the state of the world today, which was screened in late January in Rotterdam; and Natálie Durchánková’s Student Oscar-nominated animated film Rising Above. Niko Mlynarčík’s distinctive Wereawolf shows all kinds of beings peering forth from the cracks between the virtual and material worlds, while Greta Stocklassa’s fresh mockumentary Buzz of the Earth takes a clever look at what message humankind should send alien civilizations.

The three-member international jury will present an award for Best Czech Film, which comes with a financial reward of 2,000 euros.