This year, the international film festival Art Film Fest, as a long-time partner of the Slovak Film Institute, has decided to prepare a special program section titled 60 Years of the Slovak Film Institute. The audience of the festival will have a unique opportunity to watch restored films of the great personalities of Slovak cinematography on the screen, including Karel Plicka, Eduard Grečner, Petr Solano, Martin Hollý, El Havetta and Viktor Kubal.
According to the Executive Director of the Slovak Film Institute Peter Dubecký: “The selection included six cinematographic works that were digitally restored at the Slovak Film Institute’s digitisation centre between 2016 and 2022. Of these, A Case for the Defence Attorney (1964, dir. Martin Hollý) has so far only been seen in this form by audiences at the French Lumière Classic Film Festival in Lyon in 2022. The digitally restored films Field Lilies (1972, dir. Elo Havetta) and The Case of Barnabáš Kos (1964, dir. Peter Solan) were previously premiered at this festival. Every Week Seven Days (1964, dir. Eduard Grečner) premiered again in 2022 at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam. With the film Brigand Jurko (1976), we will remember the pioneer of Slovak animation – Viktor Kubala – who was born 100 years ago.”
In addition to screenings of Slovak film classics, the program section titled 60 Years of the Slovak Film Institute will also offer accompanying events. The screening of Karol Plicka’s digitally restored silent film, the ethnographic documentary Over Hill and Dale (1929), will be accompanied by live music by musicians David Kollár and Tomáš Mutina.
“Digitally restored, Over Hill and Dale, was first screened in this way at the International Silent Film Festival in Pordenone, Italy, in 2022. Thanks to digital technologies, its quality was partially reconstructed, giving the viewer, after several decades, the opportunity to see a result comparable to a nitrate copy. For the first time it will be presented in Slovakia and as a film without sound it will be accompanied by live music by David Kollár and Tomáš Mutina,” added Peter Dubecký.
As part of the programme section, there will also be a ceremonial baptism of the book Family Film Silver (Rodinné filmové striebro). The publication from the Slovak Film Institute publishing house presents a collection of essays on important and forgotten Slovak films. The Slovak Film Institute addressed 60 domestic and foreign authors, aestheticians, philosophers, artists, film historians and critics, whose contributions cover the entire history of Slovak cinema.
The Slovak Film Institute, the only state-funded organisation in Slovakia dealing comprehensively with Slovak cinematography, is commemorating its 60th anniversary this year.
Over the many years of its existence, it has been actively engaged in preserving, making accessible, presenting and researching the art of the moving picture, with a focus on the rich film heritage of the Slovak Republic. As the legal depositary of Slovak audiovisual works and their accompanying documents since 2008, the Slovak Film Institute is in charge of protection and preservation of these important national treasures. The Slovak Film Institute presents the Slovak film heritage at prestigious international film festivals, is dedicated to the restoration and digitization of film material, and participates in the continuous development of Slovak film science and criticism through publishing and research activities.
Organisation: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.;
Co-organizers: City of Košice, K13 – Košice Cultural Centres, ART FILM FEST, n.o., LGM, s.r.o.;
The festival was financially supported by: Audiovisual Fund and SPP Foundation;
The festival is co-financed by the Košice self-governing region from the Terra Incognita program;
Main advertising partners: CODES Brand House, FORLIVE, Lucka spring water;
Official vehicles: Auto Gábriel;
Official hotel: Hotel Yasmin;
Advertising partners: construction company Adefex, Jadrová a vyraďovacia spoločnosť, a.s., Oxyworld, U.S. Steel Košice, ANTIK Telecom, BARZZUZ, Cinema Úsmev, Aupark Košice, Fors-stav, R-media, Okno mé lásky;
Official contractors: NOV, ZEBRA, Best Press, SLOVNAFT, Central European Foundation, Spoločnosť pre skladovanie, a.s., DKC Veritas, Slávia Café, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Ohnisko – Fire Dining & Brew Bar, Pub u Kohúta, El Nacional, Café de Paris, Maiko Sushi, DOMOS Slovakia, Pilsner Urquell, Macarons; Official wine: Kubbo Select and Ostrožovič;
Main media partners: TV JOJ, zregionu.sk, Pravda, Eurotelevision;
Media partners: Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska, Kinosála, JOJ 24, Film Europe, TV spolok LOToS, Rádio KOŠICE, Korzár, Slovenka, Forbes, SITA, TASR, BigMedia, HomeMedia Production, Film.sk, Košice City Guide, aktuality.sk, csfd.cz, Visit Košice, Košice v Skratke;
Partners: JOJ Cinema, Millor – your partner in the energy sector, Košice Airport, Autocont, TelekomCLOUD, ECO Technologies, DELTA OnLine, MIHYRING, KAIFER law firm, Taper, Brother, GROTTO, CELIMED authorized OMRON representation, NR-holding, CPK Slovakia, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe, easylog transport&logistic, Flowers Victor, Slovak Film Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics TUKE, Private Secondary Art School in Košice, Košice Transport Company, Tesco Stores SK, DEMI sport, CANON, SPI International, Arténa audiovisual workshop by RTVS, Creative Europe, KPK Reklama, HAIR FACTORY Košice
Festival restaurants and bars: JAZZ Club Café Restaurant, Hostinec Brewery, Papa Café, Camelot Restaurant, Veritas Café
