The 32nd edition of the IFF ART FILM Košice International Film Festival (19 – 25 June 2026) will present the In the Light of Shadows section – a selection of films centred on female protagonists who move between what society expects of them and what they themselves long for. The section is curated by the festival’s Programme Department and currently features five confirmed titles, with further films still to be added.
“The In the Light of Shadows section emerged from the need to open up space for women’s stories in their diversity, fragility and strength. At the heart of our selection are women who move along the line between the visible and the hidden – between what society expects of them and what they themselves long for,” explains the festival’s Programme Coordinator Magdaléna Mezoughi.
The light in the section’s name symbolises insight, emancipation and an awareness of one’s own identity. The shadow, on the other hand, represents what remains unspoken, suppressed or taboo about women’s lives – inner conflicts, social limits, traumas and the silence that so often accompanies women. “To be ‘in the light of shadows’ means to exist in a space where these two dimensions meet: to be at once revealed and concealed, free and constrained, seen and overlooked,” Mezoughi explains.
The films selected for the section show female characters in moments of transformation, defiance, doubt, or the search for their own voice. Each in its own way reflects women’s experience and reveals how deeply identity is shaped by cultural environment, family, tradition and structures of power.
Coutures – Fashion as Both Mask and Mirror
The French drama Coutures by director Alice Winocour, starring Angelina Jolie, brings together the world of haute couture with the theme of the female body, pressure and vulnerability. During Paris Fashion Week we follow women who struggle to maintain an image of perfection while wrestling with their own traumas and insecurities. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. “We include the film in the section for its sensitive examination of the female image – both public and hidden,” the Programme Coordinator notes.
Rose – A Woman Who Put On a Male Identity to Survive
The historical drama Rose follows a woman in the early 17th century who disguises herself as a man in order to survive and earn a place in society. The film addresses gender roles, the cost of social acceptance and the loss of one’s own identity in a patriarchal world. Directed by Markus Schleinzer, the film premiered at this year’s Berlinale, where it won the Silver Bear for the leading performance of Sandra Hüller.
17 – An Intimate Account of Adolescence and the Silence After Violence
The debut feature by director Kosara Mitić offers an intimate portrait of seventeen-year-old Sara, who is hiding a great secret during a school trip. When the situation among her classmates spirals out of control, it leads to a serious act of violence. The film screened in the Perspectives section at Berlinale 2026 and was nominated for the Best Debut award. Magdaléna Mezoughi describes the film as “a brutal, uncomfortable drama about how violence in adolescence happens quietly, without consequences – and how ‘normal’ a reality that is in fact anything but normal can appear.”
Calle Málaga – A Fight for Home, Dignity and Freedom in Older Age
Calle Málaga, directed by Maryam Touzani, follows 79-year-old María, who leads a quiet life in Moroccan Tangier – until her daughter arrives from Madrid with a plan to sell her apartment. At the Venice International Film Festival the film won the Audience Award in the Venice Spotlight section. Mezoughi adds: “This sensitive reflection on ageing, identity and the right to decide about one’s own life fits naturally into the In the Light of Shadows section, because it shows a woman seeking freedom and a new beginning even at an older age.”
Queen – An Iconic Story of Female Self-Awakening
The Indian film Queen, directed by Vikas Bahl, ranks among the most striking stories of female self-awakening in recent Indian cinema. After her wedding is called off, the protagonist Rani sets off alone on what was meant to be her honeymoon and gradually discovers freedom, independence and her own worth beyond the traditional expectations of her family and society. The film received numerous Filmfare and IIFA awards, including for Best Film.
The Section Will Continue to Expand
“The In the Light of Shadows section does not offer one definitive image of woman, but rather a mosaic of varied experiences, emotions and perspectives on female identity. Through the stories of its heroines, it opens up space for questions about freedom, intimacy, social expectations and the need to be seen and heard. It is an invitation to step into a space where light and shadow are constantly intertwined – just like the inner and outer worlds of women,” Magdaléna Mezoughi says, inviting audiences to the screenings. Five titles are currently confirmed in the section, more will be added, and the complete programme will be published in the first half of June at aff.cinepass.sk.
The 32nd IFF ART FILM is made possible with the support of:
Main organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Co-organizers: Mesto Košice, K13 – Košické kultúrne centrá, Visit Košice, ART FILM FEST, n.o.
Financial support: Audiovizuálny fond
The project was co-financed by: the Košice Self-Governing Region from the Terra Incognita programme
Main partner: CODES Brand House
Automotive partner: AUTO-VALAS
Official hotel: Hotel Yasmin
Main media partners: TV JOJ, Pravda, Eurotelevízia
Sponsors: U. S. Steel Košice, ANTIK Telecom, Kino Úsmev, LOKO TRANS Media, CORE Labs, Technická univerzita v Košiciach
Technological partners: NOV, ZEBRA, Deutsche Telekom Systems Solutions Slovakia, DELTA OnLine, ARICOMA
Official suppliers: DKC Veritas, PLOOM, DOMOS SLOVAKIA, Reštaurácia Contessa, Julius Meinl
Media partners: JOJ play, JOJ 24, Film Europe Media Company, Rádio KOŠICE, Aktuality.sk, Forbes, Startitup.sk, Korzár, Slovenka, SITA, TASR, Mediaboard, AHOJ TV, See & Go, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD, Filmsk.sk, BigMedia, Kino Sterio, Košice City Guide, Košice V Skratke, MOJAkultura.sk, diva.sk, koktejl.sk, zenskyweb.sk
Partners: JOJ Cinema, Jojko, DDDental, Taper, ECO Technologies, Letisko Košice, CPK Transport, Kvety Garomi, Hair Factory Košice, MIHYRING
Gastronomic partners: Pub u Kohúta, OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar, MAIKO SUSHI, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe
