Upon your arrival at the Art Film Festival, on Friday, 20 June at 14:00 in Kulturpark’s JOJ Cinema, a screening of the Chinese film Home By the River by director Zhonghua Zhang awaits you. The film presents the sensitive story of the student Fenti, who, while searching for a thesis topic, meets two special children excluded from their usual peer group. Part of the “New Hope in Contemporary Chinese Cinema” section, the film offers a look at child psychology and shows how kind guidance can spark positive change.
One hour later (15:00) in Kino Úsmev, a restored classic—Somewhere in Europe by Géza Radványi—will be shown. The story follows a band of orphaned children who survive the tragic events of war and, in a ravaged land, encounter an elderly yet warm-hearted conductor. This outstanding humanistic achievement, programmed in the “György Kristóf Presents” section, reflects post-war trauma and the enduring need for humanity.
The unconventional documentary comedy Strange Abandoned Deranged, with a satirical edge and circus-like visuals, reveals the tale of a megalomaniac eco-amusement park that has become an abandoned, absurd monument to political kitsch. You can see this film by Turkish director Ceylan Özgün Özçelik at 16:00 in the JOJ Play space in Kulturpark.
At 17:00 in Kino Veritas, the Milan Lasica Award section presents the iconic Czechoslovak film A Higher Principle by Jiří Krejčík. Set during the period of the Heydrich terror, it tells the tragic fate of a student who dared to resist Nazism. For the 25-year-old Ivan Mistrík—recipient of the very first Milan Lasica Award—this psychological drama was already his tenth feature film.
That evening at 17:30, you can watch Kirill Serebrennikov’s new film Limonov: The Ballad, which premiered at Cannes 2024. This provocative biopic charts the controversial Eduard Limonov from poetry to political extremism. Shown in the “Love & Anarchy” section, it delivers a striking visual experience and an unusual portrait of a divisive figure in the turbulent history of the 20th century.
At 18:30, in Košice’s Kunsthalle, look forward to our first side event. One hour before the start of the International Art Film Festival’s opening ceremony, the public is invited to soak up the festival atmosphere right at the stars’ arrival on the red carpet. Visitors can watch filmmakers and artists arrive and become part of the exceptional opening of Slovakia’s largest film event.
Later, at 20:00, two standout Panorama titles will screen. In Kulturpark (JOJ Cinema) the festival presents Vermiglio by Maura Delpero—an intimate drama set in the Italian Alps during the final year of World War II. This story of love and family trauma unfolds as the world seeks a fresh start. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in Venice, the film is a tribute to collective memory and the director’s personal story.
Simultaneously in Kino Veritas you can see Saint-Exupéry by Pablo Agüero. The film follows the youthful years of the celebrated author of The Little Prince in Argentina, where, as an airmail pilot, he faced perilous situations in the Andes. In these extreme conditions his creativity and humanity were forged—qualities later reflected in his writing. The film celebrates courage, friendship and imagination against the backdrop of breathtaking yet unforgiving mountain scenery.
The first festival evening will conclude with the horror film Exhuma from the Night Screening section, starting at 20:30 in Kino Úsmev. Director Jae-hyun Jang delivers a gripping story about a shaman and her team who undertake an exhumation on sacred ground. Blending folkloric elements, occult tension and psychological horror, Exhuma promises a powerful audiovisual experience that will test viewers’ senses and nerves.
The 31st IFF ART FILM is made possible thanks to the support of:
Organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Co-organizers: Mesto Košice · K13 – Košické kultúrne centrá · Visit Košice · ART FILM FEST, n.o. · LGM, s.r.o. · FORLIVE
Financial support: Audiovizuálny fond · Nadácia SPP
Co-financed by: Košický samosprávny kraj through the Terra Incognita programme
Main Partners: národná lotériová spoločnosť TIPOS · Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a.s. · CODES Brand House
Main Media Partners: TV JOJ · Pravda · Eurotelevízia
Automotive Partner: Moris Slovakia
Advertising Partners: Best Press · U. S. Steel Košice · ANTIK telecom · Kino Úsmev · LOKO TRANS Media · CORE Labs · Technická univerzita v Košiciach
Technology Partners: NOV · ZEBRA · Deutsche Telekom Systems Solutions Slovakia · T4H · LEDGO · DELTA OnLine · ARICOMA · TelekomCLOUD
Official Suppliers: DKC Veritas · Kaviareň Slávia · PLOOM · Krušovice BOHÉM · pramenitá voda Lucka · DOMOS SLOVAKIA · Reštaurácia Contessa · Aupark Shopping Center Košice · Pierre Baguette · Julius Meinl · Red Fox Golf Club
Official wines: Kubbo Select · Ostrožovič
Media Partners: JOJ play · JOJ 24 · Film Europe · Rádio KOŠICE · Aktuality.sk · Forbes · Startitup.sk · Korzár · Slovenka · SITA · TASR · Mediaboard · See & Go · Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD · BigMedia · Košice City Guide · Košice v skratke · Film.sk · diva.sk · koktejl.sk · zenskyweb.sk · MOJAkultúra · Kino Sterio · Dopravný podnik mesta Košice · AHOJ TV
Partners: JOJ Cinema · Jojko · Veľvyslanectvo Indie v Bratislave · Carmeuse Slovakia · DDDental · TINY Houses · ECO Technologies · Letisko Košice · Local Nomad Tours · Slovenský filmový ústav · Taper · YumEarth · Puella vône · Kvety Garomi · čLOVEčina hra · Rakúske kultúrne fórum · TESCO Store SK · CPK Transport · Tabačka Kulturfabrik · King Media · Východoslovenské múzeum v Košiciach · Letní filmová škola · KPK Reklama · MIHYRING · Zoberma taxi · Hair Factory Košice · Veľvyslanectví České republiky v Bratislavě
Gastronomy Partners: Pub u Kohúta · El Nacional · OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar · Maiko Sushi · Macarons Košice · šum vináreň · Café de Paris · Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe · TATRATEA · Moritz Eis
