Art Film Festival Kicks Off with a Spectacular Ceremony

The 31st edition of the International Film Festival Art Film—the largest and oldest film festival in Slovakia—officially began with a celebratory opening ceremony. During the event, host Bruno Ciberej introduced the members of four international juries who will decide the new recipients of the Blue Angel awards. The highest representatives of the Košice Self-Governing Region and the City of Košice also greeted the audience from the stage.

“It is a great honor for me to stand here, and I want to thank all the organizers and you, the viewers, who have come to escape reality with a good film. There are many stars and film heroes here today. We often identify with their stories because we experience what they do, yet we never receive awards ourselves. Today, however, we celebrate two award-winning personalities, Milan Ondrík and Daniela Kolářová, whose success we wholeheartedly applaud,” said Rastislav Trnka, Chairman of the Košice Self-Governing Region, addressing the guests.

Košice Mayor Jaroslav Polaček also reminisced: “I remember my first speech at my first festival, and I recall, for example, conversations with Mr. Milan Lasica. Those are beautiful memories. Art Film has always brought something wonderful. I am very happy that the festival will remain here in Košice for at least the next ten years.”

As is tradition, the gala evening also featured the presentation of the festival’s honorary awards. For the very first time, the Milan Lasica Award was presented. With it, the organizers wish to permanently commemorate the festival’s first and only president, awarding it posthumously to significant figures in Slovak cinema. Hana Lasicová, together with her daughters Stela and Ester, presented the award to the family of the legendary Ivan Mistrík, whose unfinished 90th birthday is being commemorated this year. In her thanks, his niece Zuzana Mistríková noted: “Ivan was a member of almost every Slovak family. I feel that everyone who saw him on stage or screen loved him because his acting gave characters a human dimension. I’m glad that his art still lives and resonates, even though Ivan has not been with us for some time.”

Actor Milan Ondrík received the Actor’s Mission award in Košice’s Kunsthalle from actress Jana Oľhová and director Marko Škop.

“I want to say thank you. Thank you for the fact that films are being made in Slovakia. A line from Shakespeare comes to mind… ‘We value not what we have while we possess it; but when we lose it, we are desperate and vainly search for the treasure we once scorned.’ I’m grateful that we still live in a democratic country, that we live in a country without war, that I have a family, a home, and food to eat. Thank you very much,” Milan Ondrík said from the stage.

At the close of the opening ceremony, the festival’s artistic director Martin Palúch presented the opening film—a domestic premiere of a new work by director Rastislav Boroš, previously screened at several international festivals—accompanied by the largest film delegation in festival history, including almost the entire cast (Milan Ondrík among them) and other crew members.

Dozens of representatives from cultural and public life attended the opening ceremony, including Marek Majeský with his wife, Milan Kolcún with his wife, Sonja Kopčanová, Jana Vozárová, Celeste Buckingham, and many others.

The 31st IFF Art Film 2025 in Košice will run from 20 to 27 June, offering 136 films across seventeen competitive and non-competitive program sections, as well as numerous accompanying events for film professionals and the general public. For more information about the program, visit iffartfilm.com or aff.cinepass.sk.

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