A red carpet in front of Kunsthalle, Milan Kolcun’s brisk dialogues in the Košice talk show Bez šepkára, a special edition of Dinner with Havran featuring Richard Müller, the live satirical show SEDEM with Elena Vacvalová and Marián Leško, a morning barre & yoga session at Kulturpark, club nights at Tabačka, the Vychodisco dance party in its courtyard and an open-air TV JOJ photography exhibition. The accompanying programme of the 32nd IFF ART FILM Košice (19 – 25 June 2026) offers the public a range of events that complement the film screenings and open the festival up also to those who are not currently sitting in a cinema.
The accompanying programme for the public takes place mainly at Kulturpark, Tabačka Kulturfabrik and the Košice Kunsthalle. Some events have free entry, some are accessible with a cinepass, and others require a separately purchased ticket. Updated session times and reservation options are available at aff.cinepass.sk.
Opening ceremony at Kunsthalle
The Art Film international film festival traditionally begins with a gala opening ceremony. Distinguished guests, filmmakers, artists and festival partners can immerse themselves in an unforgettable atmosphere and an engaging programme held at the Košice Kunsthalle. The public has the chance to glimpse the festival guests and witness them walking the red carpet an hour before the ceremony.
Bez šepkára – Milan Kolcun’s talk show
The humour of Milan Kolcun and the thoughtfulness of Peter Béreš meet in an inimitable format. As the show is ‘without a prompter’ (Bez šepkára), it often looks the part – brisk dialogues with notable guests alternate with witty news items based on observations from Košice. Host Milan Kolcun holds the titles Košičan of the Year, the Mayor’s Award and the Crystal Wing. The event is accessible to cinepass holders (reservation required in the system) or by purchasing a ticket (EUR 20).
Dinner with Havran – Special
Musician Richard Müller will be the guest of Michal Havran in a special edition of the show Dinner with Havran (Večera s Havranom) for IFF Art Film. Together they will explore how transferable art is across the generations of a single family, how it was shaped by the domestic film and theatre environment, and what he still considers crucial to his own work. Admission is EUR 15; with a cinepass, entry is free with a required seat reservation.
SEDEM – TV JOJ’s satirical line-up live
The satirical line-up of the popular TV JOJ show Sedem comes live to its fans and Art Film visitors. Look forward to publicist Marián Leško and stand-up comedians Matej Adámy, Michael Szatmary and Tomáš Hudák, with the show’s host Elena Vacvalová also present. Admission is EUR 15 (free with a cinepass), reservation required, open seating.
Presentation of the monograph Slovenský strihový film (2026)
How is new cinematic meaning created from existing archival footage? Film scholar, historian and IFF Art Film artistic director Martin Palúch (ÚDFV CVU SAV), together with Martin Kaňuch (SFI), editor-in-chief of the magazine Kino Ikon, will present the specific genre of the montage documentary, represented in Slovakia by names such as Paľo Bielik, Ján Kadár, Ctibor Kováč and Rudolf Urc. They will explain how the approach to the film archive changed over the decades – from propaganda use to an authorial reflection on history – and discuss the role of the editor and director in reconstructing historical memory, and why montage film is a key tool for understanding Slovak national identity.
A Day with the Film Office of the Košice Region
Free with a cinepass and reservation, Tabačka Kulturfabrik cinema hall
A discussion with directors Katarína Gramatová and Martin Gonda about their successful debuts and their collaboration with the Film Office of the Košice Region. The programme also includes screenings of the films Hore je nebo, v doline som ja and Potopa.
TV JOJ autograph session
Once again, TV JOJ’s popular autograph session comes to IFF Art Film at the Historic Town Hall on Hlavná Street, drawing hundreds of fans every year. Come and meet your favourite presenters and actors from TV JOJ series – not only autographs await you, but also group photos and the exceptionally pleasant atmosphere this event traditionally brings to Košice.
Vychodisco – a dance night in Tabačka’s courtyard
Vychodisco is a synonym for cross-genre dance fun and brings its distinctive musical selection to IFF Art Film – from catchy house through the darker shades of italo wave and the clubbier sound of old and new disco, to indie dance and playful oddities. A Balearic sound where tropical rhythms and percussion meet the aesthetics of seaside sunsets. Vychodisco doesn’t play it safe and deliberately avoids genre boundaries – its sets are a celebration of eclecticism in which nostalgia for analogue synthesizers meets the pulse of the modern club scene. An experience that pulls audiences out of the cinema and onto an imaginary beach dance floor right in Tabačka’s courtyard.
STRDVK – Wednesday party at Tabačka Kulturfabrik
A regular Wednesday party with the resident and guest DJs and VJs of Tabačka Kulturfabrik. In a club atmosphere, audiences can expect the best of contemporary electronic music from Slovak and international labels.
Breathe & Bite x Art Film – a morning barre + yoga session
A morning session on Sunday, 21 June 2026, from 9:00 to 10:30 at Kulturpark. Jana and Kristína organise events that combine movement, aesthetics and community, aiming to create intimate experiences bringing together barre, yoga and a pleasant atmosphere. The events are for women and men, individuals and couples, beginners and advanced alike. Format: 30 min of barre (dynamic mat exercise using your own body weight), a short break, 30 min of yoga (a flowing practice including breathing exercises). We recommend bringing your own mat.
TV JOJ photography exhibition – behind the scenes of audiovisual production
TV JOJ presents the work of photographers Stana Topolská, Maroš Ďatko and Matúš Barta. Their lenses capture the action on set during the production of series and films, as well as the focused studio atmosphere where portraits of actors and presenters and image photographs for advertising are created. The exhibition offers a selection of images that reveal the behind-the-scenes of audiovisual production and convey its unique atmosphere. It will be on display in the exterior of Kulturpark throughout the festival.
TV Jojko presents: Mojko and Kajka – a Sunday afternoon for families
A musical show by Slovakia’s most-watched children’s channel, TV Jojko, brings the fairy-tale duo of the bear Mojko and his friend Kajka to Kulturpark. The story about friendship, courage and the power to overcome stage fright is part of the Movies For Kids section – more in a separate news release about the children’s programme of IFF Art Film 2026. Free entry.
Closing ceremony and the Blue Angel awards
The festival culminates in the closing ceremony at Kunsthalle, during which four international juries present the prestigious Blue Angel awards for best film, direction, female and male acting performance, best short film, best Central and Eastern European film, and the JOJ Cinema audience award. The ceremony also includes the FIPRESCI Award, presented by the jury of the International Federation of Film Critics, and the special awards Golden Camera (for an outstanding contribution to the art of film) and the Actor’s Mission (for acclaimed acting figures). Admission by invitation.
An updated list of accompanying events, session times and reservation options can be found at aff.cinepass.sk/sk/accompanying-events. Cinepasses and tickets for the 32nd IFF ART FILM Košice are available at aff.cinepass.sk.
The 32nd IFF ART FILM is taking place 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.
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
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
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, Filmsk.sk, BigMedia, Kino Sterio, Košice City Guide, Košice V Skratke, MOJAkultura.sk, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD, diva.sk, koktejl.sk, zenskyweb.sk, NašeKošice
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, Panta Rhei, ARTFORUM, LOCAL NOMAD, Východoslovenské múzeum v Košiciach, MIHYRING
Gastronomy partners: Pub u Kohúta, OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar, MAIKO SUSHI, Kaviareň Slávia, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe, Macarons Košice, Savour Patisserie
