The Zlín Film Festival would not exist without you, our audiences! You help us create! You inspire us! You create the best festival atmosphere! You support the art of film! We would like to thank everyone for your support and at the same time invite you to a retrospective exhibition of crowd photographs of 60 years together, which will open on May 29, on the date of the original opening of the 60th ZFF. Maybe you will even find yourself there.

In 2004, Petr Koliha, the director of the films Tender Barbarian and Bringing up Girls in Bohemia, joined the festival team. As artistic director, he opened the way for the festival to join international professional institutions such as ECFA. His participation in the juries of world friendly festivals contributed to the current concept of the Zlín Film Festival as a place for annual meetings of their representatives. In 2012, he became the executive director of the new television channel for children called ČT: D.

The Zlín Film Festival is the largest and oldest event for children and youth in the world. Behind its success and prestige is a team of people who, every year, try to fill the festival days with joy and the family atmosphere the Zlín festival is famous for. Countless members of this huge colossus have passed through the offices on Kudlov Hill during the festival. Some for a short time and some chosen and persevering for more than ten or even twenty years.

Karel Gott enjoyed going to the Zlín festival very much. However, few people know that his connection with Zlín film dates back much earlier. In 1963, the children's film by Zlín director Josef Pinkava Holidays with Minka was released in cinemas, which was the first film to feature a song by Karel Gott.

Right after the celebration of the 50th year of the festival in 2011, the organizing center of the Academia Center of Tomas Bata University moved to the newly built Congress Center, designed by the world-famous Zlín native Eva Jiřičná. The beauty of the large hall can be admired by festival visitors at the beginning and end of the festival, at the Gala Evening with the award ceremony, at the auction of film clapperboards, or other concerts and exceptional meetings with Czech actors and artists. The congress center also serves to promote the festival as exceptional photographs are taken of stars on the red carpet or at Gahur's Prospect. Last but not least, during May it also becomes an exhibition of billboards for films in the main competitions.

The most beautiful gift for the 50th Zlín Film Festival in 2010 was the knightly visit by Sir Christopher Lee. "It was the most marvellous experience to attend the Zlín Film Festival. It was such an interesting event, so well organized. The professionalism, together with everybody's hospitality and charm, made it a very unique experience. It doesn't surprise me that it has lasted for so many years! I wish you success in the coming years."

The film festival cannot do without film stars. The stars of Zlín cannot do without Míla Řádová, an assistant to film stars, whose rich portfolio includes working with such stars as Sean Connery, Miloš Forman, Jiří Menzel, Jon Voight, and Barbara Streisand. She shot the film Yentl with the latter in Prague and they have had a long-term friendship, which is remembered at every European concert by the famous actress and singer. 

The Zlín Clapperboard Salon is a unique project that has been an integral part of the Zlín Film Festival since 1998 and it has been supporting the most talented fledgeling filmmakers the entire time. Over the 21 years of its existence, the Clapperboard Salon has produced exactly 2492 clapperboards, which have been auctioned off for a total of CZK 35,588,600 (€1,336,803). More than 350 film projects have been supported from the proceeds of the auctions. Each year, as original works of art, the film clapperboards are admired not only by the public, but also by festival guests.

The 5th annual Zlín Festival in 1965 could be proud of the word international in its title. Films from 23 countries (from the USA, Canada, Cuba, the USSR, Great Britain, Pakistan, the Netherlands, etc.) arrived here. More than 100 foreign guests took part. The festival even prepared an exhibition called Czechoslovak Film for Children and Youth in the Liberated Homeland. The symposium What is Film Art for Children and Youth was held. The awards were decided by the jury of CIDALC (International Committee for the Dissemination of Art and Literature through Film). The Golden Slipper was awarded as the main prize for the first time!