News

Las Acacias is the winning picture of the 13th IFF Bratislava

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

An interview with members of the Students’ Jury

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

At this year’s film festival, the students’ jury comprised representatives of all three art academies in Slovakia: Simona Schurdáková studies documentary filmmaking at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica, Lenka Šturmankinová devotes her time to graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava while Teodor Kuhn specializes in directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.

I LOOKED FOR SOMETHING PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW / An interview with Juraj Štepka, director of ...and Me, Katarína Kolníková

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Although a cinematographer by profession, Juraj Štepka already directed two documentary films about Radošina Naive Theatre (RND) in previous years: Kronika komika and Oži v koži Jána Melkoviča. His latest film ...and Me, Katarína Kolníková that pays homage to its late iconic actress concludes the trilogy by premiering at the IFF Bratislava.

QUICK QUESTION FOR DANIELLA TOURGEMAN

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Daniella Tourgeman film archivist and curator from Israel, member of Feature Film Jury at this year’s IFF Bratislava

SHORT PROFILE OF THE ROMANIAN DIRECTOR ALEXANDRU MAFTEI / interview with director of the film Hello! How are you?

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The name of director, scriptwriter and cinematographer Alexandru Maftei is relatively unknown, at least to Slovak cinemagoers. His bittersweet romantic comedy, Hello! How Are You?, is one of the few Romanian films not to deal with life endings. Recently it was nominated for the European Film Award, which was a big reason to talk to him briefly about his past, present and future.

Obscurantist awarded FNE Visegrad Prix for best documentary coproduction

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Best Intentions awarded FNE Visegrad Prix 2011 for best fiction coproduction

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

13. IFF Bratislava - results

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

List of the 13the International Film Festival Bratislava winners.

I SEE FILM AS A CONVERSATION / An interview with Martin Mareček, director of Solar Eclipse

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Martin Mareček belongs to the young generation of Czech documentary directors. His films regularly collect accolades on film festivals. A week ago, his fourth feature-length documentary, Solar Eclipse, on a development aid project in Zambia won three awards at the International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava, including the one for the best Czech documentary.

OUR TIPS for Wednesday, November 9

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

FESTIVAL SURPRISE (K5, 19:30)

This film won’t be that much of a surprise for those cinemagoers familiar with cinematography of director Andrea Arnold; nevertheless, they may certainly look forward to seeing her newest adaptation of a classic English novel, a film of stunning imagery and masterful cinematography.

Recommended by Nenad Dukić, programmer of the Feature Film Competition

I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE GENRE A LITTLE / A conversation with Santiago Amigorena, director of Another Silence

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Santiago Amigorena is an Argentinean author, scriptwriter and director currently based in Paris. His first feature, A Few Days in September, was screened at the IFF Bratislava five years ago; his second film Another Silence competes in this year’s contest of first and second feature films.

CHICKEN LOVE / review

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

“I don’t like films on travelling and cooking, yet I didn’t manage to avoid the genre.” This commentary by director Zuzana Piussi opens her latest short documentary, adumbrating its spirit; the viewers will not only be invited on a journey but on a quest for food.

TUESDAY INTRODUCTIONS

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Although our festival is slowly drawing to an end, the visitors may still meet with filmmakers and discuss their works with them. Here’s who you can see today.

I AM NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK MY MIND OUT / An interview with Slovak documentarian Zuza Piussi

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

For the time being, Zuza Piussi is the only female documentarian in Slovakia. Another thing that makes her special is that she has not taken the beaten path toward aestheticized poetic documentary that is preferred by most female documentarians; quite the contrary, she touches on tender spots of Slovak society while irritatingly neglecting the aesthetic quality of her films. At IFF Bratislava, she will present two of her films: one is Chicken Love, a story about one American who set out on a quest to find the tastiest Buffalo wings in the world while making a film about it; the other is Disease of the Third Power, a film that examines the rotten condition of Slovakia’s judiciary. Packing both films in a two-in-one deal, the author perhaps wanted us to compare which country is currently facing greater problems.

FILM TIPS 8.11.

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

THE DREAM PLAY (CE/K7, 21:30)

Director: I. Michael Toth, USA, 2011, 96 min.

A typical American independent film tells a simple but original story in a way that defies mainstream U.S. production. In any case, it is one of those films that do not vanish from the viewer's mind with closing credits.

(Recommended by Nenad Dukić, programmer of the Competition of First and Second Feature Films.)

THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE / An interview with Simon Perry, member of Feature Film Jury

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Simon Perry is a producer of independent films such as Michael Radford’s 1984 or Gillies MacKinnon’s The Playboys. He was also in charge of the British Screen Finance and the Irish Film Board for rather extensive periods. At IFF Bratislava he is a member of t Feature Film Jury.

WHAT IF WE FOUNDED A FESTIVAL OF SHORT FILMS? / An interview with jury member Miguel Dias

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The best short film at this year’s IFF Bratislava will be chosen by a jury comprising Mels van Zutphen, a filmmaker and visual artist from the Netherlands, Martin Kaňuch, Editor-in-Chief of the Kino Ikon magazine, and Miguel Dias, Director of Curtas Villa do Conde, a festival of short films that in 20 years of its existence became perhaps the most important cinema event in the country. Besides the festival, Miguel and his collaborators also founded the Agency of Short Films that operates throughout the year and promotes production of all kinds of short films in Portugal.

MONDAY INTRODUCTIONS

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The festival weekend has come and gone but the list of filmmakers who arrived to introduce their films to the Bratislava audience does not get any shorter. Here is who you can meet on Monday.

OUR TIPS FOR MONDAY 7.11.

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

LAS ACACIAS (CF/Lumiére, 17:30)

Director: Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina-Spain, 2011, 85 min.

A minimalistic road-movie featuring just two characters, the film is simple in terms of story and form and simultaneously rich in emotional expression. One of the world’s best film debuts of the year.

HABEMUS PAPAM / review

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Taking an inside look at the church, the procedure of electing a new pope and related politics, the film shows that even the pope is a mere human, although most believers refuse to accept that.