Just before the opening of the 32nd IFF Art Film Košice (19 – 25 June 2026), the line-up of the jury of the International Competition of Central and Eastern European Films is changing. Kazakh film historian and leading expert on Central Asian cinema Gulnara Abikeyeva is unable to take up her duties on the jury. The festival replaces her with long-time film programmer and head of the Bratislava-based Artkino za zrkadlom Martin Kočiško.
IFF Art Film expresses its regret that Gulnara Abikeyeva — author of more than ten books on Central Asian cinema and a regular member of international festival juries — cannot attend the 32nd edition. The festival remains open to her and hopes that she will be able to come to Košice in future editions.
Joining the jury of the International Competition of Central and Eastern European Films is Martin Kočiško — programmer and head of Bratislava’s Artkino za zrkadlom at the Zrkadlový háj Cultural Centre in Petržalka, which since its founding in 2001 has been one of the pillars of Slovak art-house distribution. European productions make up more than seventy percent of its annual programme and Slovak cinema a further ten percent. Kočiško has been working in cinema programming and film dramaturgy for more than twenty years; since 2024 he has also been heading the Cultural Facilities of Petržalka (KZP), which operates Artkino za zrkadlom. He stands behind a number of festival and programming projects in Slovak film culture.
The three-member jury of the International Competition of Central and Eastern European Films at the 32nd IFF Art Film thus consists of: Afghan director Siddiq Barmak — author of the legendary film Osama, president of the jury; Slovak film programmer Martin Kočiško; and Polish-British professor of film studies and author of more than thirty monographs on Eastern European cinema Ewa Mazierska. The jury will award the Blue Angel for the Best Central and Eastern European Film and may grant Special Mentions.
The complete programme of the 32nd IFF Art Film Košice, the films in the Central and Eastern European competition and festival cinepasses are available at aff.cinepass.sk.
The 32nd IFF ART FILM 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.
With the financial support of: Audiovizuálny fond
The project was co-financed by the Košice Self-governing Region from the Terra Incognita program
Main partners: CODES Brand House, H2O FUND SICAV, Forstav
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, Datacomp
Official suppliers: DKC Veritas, PLOOM, DOMOS SLOVAKIA, Reštaurácia Contessa, Natura, Kinley, Budweiser Budvar, Julius Meinl
Official wine: KubBo Select, Ostrožovič
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, BigMedia, Kino Sterio, Košice City Guide, Košice V Skratke, MOJAkultura.sk, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD, Filmsk.sk, diva.sk, koktejl.sk, zenskyweb.sk, Naše Košice
Partners: JOJ Cinema, Jojko, Slovenský filmový ústav, WITKOWITZ SLOVAKIA, DDDental, CK TUI ReiseCenter Slovensko, Taper, ECO Technologies, Aupark Shopping Center Košice, Dopravný podnik mesta Košice, Letisko Košice, YumEarth, Rent2Eat, CPK Transport, iWish.sk, Kvety Garomi, Hair Factory Košice, Face up! Studio by Michaela Petroci, Panta Rhei, ARTFORUM, LOCAL NOMAD, Východoslovenské múzeum v Košiciach, MIHYRING
Gastronomic partners: Pub u Kohúta, OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar, MAIKO SUSHI, Kaviareň Slávia, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe, La Hacienda, Red Velvet Cake Bar, Macarons Košice, Savour Patisserie
