The 64th Zlín Film Festival will dominate the centre of Zlín

The upcoming edition of the oldest and largest film festival for children and youth in the world has already got a solid outline. The Zlín Film Festival will once again offer a cross-generational program, it will bring series for young people, and commemorate the anniversaries of famous filmmakers. This year, Hynek Bočan and Bolek Polívka will take home the Golden Slipper. 

The plan of the festival organizers is already clear. The whole of Zlín should come alive with the festival’s sixty-fourth edition.

"This year we want to focus even more on creating the atmosphere of a film festival in the very heart of Zlín. We are working on making visitors feel the connection between film themes and the events of the supporting program at every step,"

explained Jarmila Záhorová, the executive director of the Zlín Film Festival. The festival is also traditionally a meeting place for a number of distinguished guests from the film industry and a tribute to their lifelong work in films made for children and young people. The prestigious award for contribution to cinema for children and young people will be presented to two personalities in 2024.

"We will award the Golden Slipper to director and screenwriter Hynek Bočan at the beginning of the festival, and to actor Bolek Polívka at the end,"

announced festival president Čestmír Vančura. In its film program the 64th Zlín Film Festival will once again present films in competition in its traditional categories, for which filmmakers can submit their films until March 1. As part of the out-of-competition film program, the program organizers plan to commemorate the anniversaries of three important directors associated with works for children and youth. They are Karel Kachyna (100 years), Vera Plívová-Šimková (90 years) and František Vláčil (100 years). The festival will offer not only their films but also some interesting discussions.

"Participation has already been confirmed, for example, by actors Jan Kraus and Pavel Nový, and we are also negotiating with Jiří Lábus and others,"

said artistic director Markéta Pášmová, who said that the masterclass on František Vláčil will be led by Petr Gajdošík, the author of an extensive monograph on Vláčil. However, other anniversaries will also be celebrated, such as the 100th anniversary of the birth of film architect, designer and director Zdeněk Rozkopal, a close collaborator of Karel Zeman. The festival is planning an exhibition of his artwork at the Václav Chad Gallery.

"Of course, we will not forget to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Professor Jan Gogola, a dramaturge inseparably linked with Zlín film production and former program director of our festival,"

added Markéta Pášmová. A discussion with the birthday boy will be led by his son, also a renowned dramaturg and teacher, Jan Gogola Jr.

The film programme will also include last year's successful Web Series for Young Audiences section, which will again this year focus on important topics for the young generation.

"The audience can look forward to series from Norway, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark or Germany, in which they will encounter the topics of sport, difference, future perspectives, mental health or the climate crisis,"

explained the artistic director, adding that the screening of the series will again be complemented by discussions with experts on these topics. An indispensable part of the festival program is the Salon of Film Clapperboards, whose 27th year will kick off on March 5 with its opening in Prague's Hybernia Theatre. From there, it will travel to Liberec-Vratislavice, Mladá Boleslav, Olomouc, Brno and Zlín, where it will culminate with the traditional auction on Sunday, June 2 at the Zlín Congress Centre. Through the FILMTALENT ZLÍN Foundation, the proceeds of the auction will go to budding talented filmmakers.

"We are delighted that the films made with the help of the Foundation are celebrating success not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. On Saturday, March 9, for example, we will find out whether any of the films we have supported will be nominated for the Czech Lion award,"

said Markéta Pášmová. An important priority of the Zlín Film Festival (both during and outside the festival) is also working with teachers.

"Our festival is part of an international network of festivals, which for the years 2023/2024 is involved in the implementation of a film platform offering short films to schools for educational purposes,"

said Markéta Pášmová, adding that the films on the Zlín Fest Screen platform are intended to serve educators in teaching as an aid in opening up sensitive and difficult topics or to make teaching more attractive and effective. Each film will be equipped with a methodological sheet for teachers and a worksheet for pupils.

The festival also includes sports activities in its program.

"In addition to the organisation of the 9th year of the MONET+ Zlín 2024 Festival Half Marathon, which is traditionally the largest running event in the Zlín Region, this year we have started cooperation with the Czech Olympic Committee, and the theme of sport is not only to be found in the film program,"

explained Jarmila Záhorová. As in previous years, the festival will be complemented by a rich supporting program at a number of locations in Zlín, bringing fun, education and opportunities for meaningful leisure time for the whole family. The festival will continue last year's successful series of meetings with interesting guests "Life Is Like That", which the program organizers of the supporting program will supplement this year with other formats of planned or random meetings with filmmakers and other guests.

"I believe that the addition of new faces to the existing team of presenters - actress Simona Lewandovská and actor Šimon Bilina - will be a pleasant addition to the visitors,"

Jarmila Záhorová said, adding that festival visitors can once again look forward to a number of star guests and well-known personalities of all ages.

For the eighth time, the festival will officially close with the Mikulov Echoes of the Zlín Film Festival. However, Mikulov will not be the only place where young viewers can encounter quality festival films this year. During June, cinemas across the country will present the Zlín Film Festival Echoes with six foreign film titles for different age groups.