International Competition 2

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.

The poetic Across the Waters, which had its premiere at Cannes, tells the story of a fleeting encounter between two lonely souls at the end of the world. Also premiering at Cannes was the bitterly funny On the Way from Kosovo, in which a father and son are confronted with local reality. The Polish tragicomedy Be Somebody wonders what might happen if an ordinary electrician moved into the former home of the legendary Lech Wałęsa. The quirky romance Hurikán, an animated homage to Žižkov, takes us on a hangover-plagued mission to procure a keg of beer. And the documentary Who Loves the Sun is a visually intense portrait of working at a post-apocalyptic Syrian oil refinery.

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.