The 32nd edition of the IFF ART FILM Košice International Film Festival (19 – 25 June 2026) will present in its Panorama section nine current titles that have resonated at Cannes, Berlin and Venice in recent months. Audiences can look forward to this year’s new Silver Bear winner, star-studded comedies and a tribute to acting legend Kim Novak – and all films will be screened as Slovak premieres.
The Panorama section traditionally brings a selection of the most significant works in world cinema – titles acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, proving that quality cinema can be at once intelligent, emotional and engaging. The new focus of this year’s Panorama is on audience-friendly titles capable of reaching a wider public without compromising on quality or auteur sensibility. The programme therefore features major acting names, award-winning directors and gripping stories, as well as films simply made to be enjoyed.
The Invite – some guests are full of surprises
One of the section’s most anticipated titles is the star-studded comedy-drama The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring – alongside Wilde herself – Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. The story of a seemingly ordinary dinner takes an entirely unexpected turn after the initial awkward conversation and a few bottles of wine. The film will be released in Slovak cinemas by Forum Film on 2 July.
Salvation – this year’s Silver Bear winner from Berlin
“We are particularly proud that we managed to secure Salvation by the renowned Turkish director Emin Alper, which this year won the Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival,” the festival’s Programme Department notes. This suggestive drama, balanced between reality and unsettling visions, tells the story of a man whose return home gradually uncovers dark layers of the past and the inner demons of an entire community. The film is distributed in Slovakia by Film Europe.
Rosebush Pruning – a shocking tragicomedy with a star-studded cast
The programme also includes Rosebush Pruning by Karim Aïnouz, which had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale. In a luxurious villa under the Catalan sun, siblings revel in isolation and wealth while seeking love and recognition from one another – partly through the latest designer clothing. When the eldest brother announces he is moving in with his girlfriend, a dark family secret begins to emerge. The perverse drama about family ties, the longing for freedom and hidden emotions features Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Tracy Letts and Pamela Anderson.
Three films on crime, guilt and moral ambiguity
This year, a distinct line in the Panorama is formed by three films diving into the worlds of crime, murder and ethical dilemmas – a French thriller about a banknote forger, an Irish courtroom drama starring Vicky Krieps and a Canadian-American suspense story about a piano tuner who becomes an expert at cracking safes.
L’Affaire Bojarski – a dark duel between a forger and a police commissioner
The French film L’Affaire Bojarski by director Jean-Paul Salomé brings a dark story inspired by true events. A Polish refugee, Jan Bojarski, becomes a legendary post-war forger in France whose banknotes are more perfect than the originals. He leads a secret double life for years while a relentless police commissioner is on his trail – a gripping duel between two obsessed men that gradually turns into a personal confrontation full of risk and deceit.
Re-creation – an intimate psychological courtroom drama
The Irish-Luxembourgish film Re-creation, directed by David Merriman and Jim Sheridan, is a chamber psychological courtroom drama in which a jury of twelve, led by Vicky Krieps, decides on guilt and innocence in a brutal murder case. Inspired by the real-life murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier, the film explores how truth and perception shift during the reconstruction of a crime, and how people form simplified opinions on the basis of incomplete evidence.
Tuner – an exceptional ear that leads into the underworld
The Canadian-American film Tuner, directed by Daniel Roher, offers tension, psychological play and an outstanding work with sound. A gifted piano tuner with the ability to “hear” safe mechanisms becomes entangled in the world of crime – the leading roles are played by Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman and Jean Reno.
Returns of auteur stars – Fatih Akin and François Ozon
Panorama also presents two new films from central figures of European auteur cinema. Both deal with memory and the past – one as an intimate account of coming of age in the final days of the Second World War, the other as a new interpretation of one of the most celebrated novels of the 20th century.
Amrum – coming of age in the shadow of a collapsing Third Reich
Amrum by director Fatih Akin offers an intimate and visually compelling look at coming of age and memory in a time of shifting history.
The Stranger (L’Étranger) – Ozon’s black-and-white adaptation of Camus
The Stranger (L’Étranger), François Ozon’s adaptation of Albert Camus’s novel, presents a new interpretation of one of the most essential literary works of the 20th century. The film had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in 2025.
Kim Novak’s Vertigo – a tribute to an acting legend
A special highlight of the section will be the return of director Alexandre O. Philippe, who personally attended IFF Art Film last year with his documentary Chain Reactions. This time he presents his new film Kim Novak’s Vertigo – a unique portrait of the acting legend and star of Hitchcock’s Vertigo. At the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year, Kim Novak received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the hands of Guillermo del Toro.
IFF Art Film 2026 will take place from 19 to 25 June 2026 in Košice. Festival cinepasses are now available at aff.cinepass.sk.
The festival is made possible thanks to 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.
The project was co-financed by the Košice Self-governing Region from the Terra Incognita program.
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, Natura, Kinley, 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, Kaviareň Slávia, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe
