SLOVAK FILM WEEK

After years of gradual growth of Slovak film production, the time has come for a new yearly showcase of domestic cinema. The Slovak Film Week is introduced by the Slovak Film and Television Academy to map film production in Slovakia on an annual basis. In its inaugural edition, taking place from April 13 to 19, 2015, it is preceded by a showcase of Slovak festival and audience hits from the last 5 years (April 1 – 12, 2015). The festival takes place in Bratislava, in the Cinema Lumiere – Cinema of the Slovak Film Institute, member of Europa Cinemas.

The Slovak Film and Television Academy came together with the Slovak Film Institute and the Radio and Television Slovakia to launch a specialized Slovak film festival so as to react on the recent developments in the Slovak audiovisual industry, changes in film financing, growth in actual film production, and also as a means to “reintroduce” Slovak filmmaking to Slovak audiences. In its pilot edition, the event is mainly aimed at Slovak viewers, however, with the ambition to grow more international in the upcoming editions, with a focus on film industry and upcoming film production. In addition, in 2016 it will be attached to the Slovak annual film awards The Sun in a Net, currently a biennial award, also following the aim to introduce the award annually in near future. 

Festival and Audience Hits (April 1-12, 2015)
During two initial weeks in April, 17 feature-length films and 6 shorts are presented as an “introduction” to current Slovak cinema. The selection included titles from years 2008 – 2013 which reached over 50.000 audiences in local cinemas (7 films), as well as films with a successful festival life abroad and international awards. Festival hits include among others Blind Loves by Juraj Lehotsky (Quinzaine des realisateurs 2008), The House by Zuzana Liová (Berlinale Forum 2011), My Dog Killer by Mira Fornay (Rotterdam 2013 Tiger Award winner), and shorts such as Arsy-Versy by Miro Remo (2009) and Pandas by Matúš Vizár (2013).

Slovak Film Week (April 13-19, 2015)
23 feature films, mid-length and short films with 2014 copyright are included in the programme, selected with respect to the statute of the Slovak national film award The Sun in a Net. The screenings will be accompanied by several accompanying events aimed at both film professionals and general public, such as panel discussions and workshops.

Full collection of Slovak films from 2014 presented within the First Slovak Film Week is available here: .pdf file.

The first edition of the Slovak Film Weeks takes place under the auspices of the Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic Marek Maďarič.

Organizers:
Slovak Film and Television Academy in collaboration with the Slovak Film Institute, Radio and Television Slovakia and LITA (Authors Association)
with financial support by:
Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

For more information about the Slovak Film Week in English see also:

Film New Europe: Slovak Film Week to Be Launched
Cineuropa.org: Slovak Film Week to be inaugurated
The Slovak Spectator: Successful Slovak Films presented in April, Many with English Subtitles 
Radio and Television Slovakia (Radio report): It is possible to see Slovak films produced last year in just one week. How?

Source of English summary: Slovak Film Institute/Audiovisual Information Centre