Serhiy Loznitsa arrived at the Art Film IFF
On Wednesday, June 26th, another winner of the Golden Camera award, the prominent Ukrainian director Serhiy Loznitsa, honoured us with his arrival. He is one of the most respected and appreciated directors, especially in the field of documentary cinema. He is the winner of the FIPRESCI Award and the Un Certain Regard Award for Directing from the Cannes IFF. The Art Film IFF stood in the beginning of his work. In 1996, his documentary Today We Are Going to Build a House (1995, co-directed by Marat Magambetov) was classified for the Student Film Competition.
Serhiy Loznitsa started his day at Kulturpark, where a press conference was held to present his latest film, Invasion (2024), about the heroism of Ukrainian citizens during the Russian military invasion, and his earlier title, Mr. Landsbergis (2021), about Vytautas Landsbergis, the leader of the Lithuanian independence movement who led his country out of the Soviet Union in 1990. “In March 2022, I received an offer from Arte France to shoot the film Invasion, a film about the current situation in Ukraine, for which I am extremely grateful. We agreed that I would make a few episodes, something like a series, a series of short films from different locations in Ukraine. The goal was to show how Ukrainians endure this tragedy. Eventually, however, there was so much footage that it was transformed into a feature film. The premiere of the film took place at the Cannes Film Festival this year and at the end of November we will distribute Invasion on TV Arte,” the director explained the background of the making of the film.
After the press conference, Loznitsa’s steps led him to the Alfa Gallery in Kulturpark, where he gave a masterclass to the festival audience on directing, working with archival materials and ways of using them.
Festival premiere of the Slovak film Via Slovakia (2024)
On Wednesday, as part of the Slovak Season section, the festival premiere of the documentary Via Slovakia, made by presenter, traveller and director Víťazoslav Chrappa, took place. He came to Košice to introduce the film together with cameraman Tomáš Bartaloš and its main protagonist Slavomir Duchovič.
The documentary Via Slovakia tells the story of Slavomir Duchovič, an extraordinary tourist who discovers the treasures of Slovak nature and culture. In 82 days he made it through the longest tourist track in our country, more than 1,870 km along the borders of Slovakia. He experienced crises, reached the bottom of his strength, overcame fear several times, but always stood up and continued. The documentary depicts the natural beauty and adrenaline attractions the area has to offer, but it is also an interesting personal story of the protagonist, whose wandering has helped him cope with addiction and a turbulent past.
“The idea of the journey of Via Slovakia was to get to know the border area, the beauties of scarcely visited places and areas. We tried to stay as close to the border as possible, but some sections are impassable along the “line”. For me personally, the big unknown was the southern border, which was a pleasant surprise for me. The flow of the Danube enchanted me. It’s a really beautiful region, but we had to look for roads here. We had an idea of where we were going, but many times we had to change it in the terrain and adapt to the situation,” Slavomír Duchovič, the main protagonist of the film Via Slovakia, told the portal Zoznam.sk.
Festival day rich in accompanying events
The sixth day of the festival was full of accompanying events, including a wine tasting from the Ostrožovič winery, a Baláž and Hubinák show and a Film music concert.
Wednesday evening was carried in the atmosphere of film music. The classic-rock band Cinemagic Band performed in the Old Town Hall, bringing an experience full of emotions and the magic of world film music in original arrangements with exclusive musical stars Mirka Partlová and Ján Slezák. Their repertoire included songs from iconic films such as Amélie of Montmartre, Pretty Woman and Gladiator.
The accompanying programme also included a public recording of the popular Radio FM show Baláž and Hubinák. A duo of its iconic presenters, who are also film enthusiasts, returned once again to Art Film to interview its distinguished and unsuspecting guests, including the winners of the Actor’s Mission Award, Antónia Lišková and Maroš Kramár.
For lovers of good wine, tasting was prepared by the Ostrožovič winery. Visitors had the opportunity to taste Kaschauer wines, which include Kaschauer Muscat Yellow, Kaschauer Furmint, Kaschauer Pinot Noir Rosé and Kaschauer Lúbezné Frizzante. Kubbo Select, a family company, which has accompanied its customers through the world of gastronomy since 2009, has ensured the selection of the highest quality wines. The criteria for selecting the range are quality, taste and story. The J&J Ostrožovič winery is located in a magical corner of the Tokaji wine-growing region and for almost thirty years has specialised in Tokaji wines of the highest quality, aging in tuff cellars. Their 58 hectares of vineyards provide ideal conditions for growing grape varieties. In addition to the prestigious Tokaji selections, light wines suitable for any occasion are also produced here.
This day was really rich in experiences that delighted not only film lovers, but also lovers of music and good wine.
The 30th edition of the International Film Festival Art Film will take place thanks to the support of:
Organiser: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.;
Co-organizers: City of Košice, K13 – Košice cultural centers, ART FILM FEST, n.o., LGM, s.r.o., FORLIVE;
The festival was financially supported by: Audiovisual Fund
The festival is co-financed by the Košice self-governing region from the Terra Incognita program;
Senior advertising partner: Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a.s.;
Main partners: Národná lotériová spoločnosť TIPOS, Východoslovenská energetika, EUK-Force, SPP, CODES Brand House;
Automotive partner: PORSCHE; Official hotel: Hotel Yasmin;
Main media partners: TV JOJ, Pravda, Eurotelevízia;
Advertising partners: construction company Adefex, Jadrová a vyraďovacia spoločnosť, a.s., Best Press, U. S. Steel Košice, Betpres, Transpetrol, SLOVAKIA TRAVEL, ANTIK Telecom, Cinema Úsmev, CORE LABS, Lucka spring water;
Technological partners: NOV, ZEBRA, DELTA OnLine, ARICOMA, BigON;
Official contractors: DKC Veritas, Eastern Slovak Museum in Košice, Krušovice BOHÉM, BARZZUZ, DOMOS SLOVAKIA, Restaurant Contessa, Café Slávia; Official wine: Kubbo Select and Ostrožovič;
Media partners: JOJ PLAY, JOJ 24, Film Europe, Rádio KOŠICE, aktuality.sk, Forbes, Korzár, Slovenka, SITA, TASR, See & Go, BigMedia, Košice City Guide, Film.sk, Visit Košice, diva.sk, zenskyweb.sk, MOJAkultúra;
Partners: Východoslovenská vodárenská spoločnosť, Nadácia CEF, Slovnaft, AUPARK Košice, Carmeuse Slovakia, JOJ Cinema, cestovná kancelária Hydrotour, Taper, YumEarth, KAIFER advokátska kancelária, Deva, WITKOWITZ SLOVAKIA, Letisko Košice, ECO Technologies, CPK Slovakia, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe, DC MEDICAL, KPK Reklama, Kvitok, HAIR Factory Košice, Kvety Garomi, Air Taxi, Tesco Store SK, Local Nomad Tours, Red Fox Golf Club, TATRATEA, Slovenský filmový ústav;
Financial awards partners: CANON, Filmarina;
Catering partners: Ohnisko – Fire Dining & Brew Bar, Pub u kohúta, El Nacional, Maiko Sushi, Café de Paris, Tabačka Kulturfabrik; BISTRO Blanc, Andiamo GROUP, BENZE; Red Velvet Cake Bar; Tahiti, Café Veritas
