The International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI will award its Blue Angel prize at the 32nd edition of IFF Art Film Košice (19 – 25 June 2026) to a film of exceptional creative approach and artistic value. The winner is selected from the titles of the International Feature Film Competition, the International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe and the In the Light of Shadows section by the three jury members: Dutch film journalist Clementine van Wijngaarden, Slovak publicist Matúš Kvasnička and French film journalist Pierre-Yves Roger. The FIPRESCI Blue Angel will be announced at the festival’s closing ceremony on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
Dutch film journalist Clementine van Wijngaarden, editor at the weekly VARAgids, contributor to the de Volkskrant daily and an experienced FIPRESCI juror from festivals in Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary and Cluj, relies on an instinct built on a vast number of films seen. “I think you know within a minute. Sometimes I do end up disappointed — some films start very well but don’t deliver to the end. Alongside instinct it is also the sheer volume of films you’ve already watched and that you compare with one another,” said van Wijngaarden. A single component of the film is not enough to decide. “You need a good story — without it there is no film. But ultimately it’s also the music, the acting, the editing, the genre.”
For van Wijngaarden, the FIPRESCI prize remains important for filmmakers: “Critics look at films a little differently from the general audience and a little differently from professional filmmakers.” She has a clear preference when it comes to festivals: “I prefer small festivals. There is far more attention paid to the jury and to detail. I don’t want to be a juror at Cannes,” she admitted. To young film critics and writers she sends a message of perseverance: “It’s hard today, especially for those who write. There is almost no money, everything is moving online. But if you really want to do it, follow your dream. It is a beautiful profession. Watch as many films as you can and take an interest in the history of this profession,” she summed up.
Slovak publicist and film critic Matúš Kvasnička, editor at Film.sk of the Slovak Film Institute, takes a similar holistic approach. “More than once it happened to me that a film that didn’t grab me in the first twenty minutes then went in a completely different direction. I try to take it as a whole. I’m interested in the themes the film foregrounds, the way it is made, the originality and the impact,” said Kvasnička. He doesn’t look for originality in the theme itself, but in how the film works as a whole. “Whether anything entirely new can still be said in an entirely new way, I don’t know. It’s more about the way it is made, whether the film comes together. Often one element dominates over the others — the cinematography is beautiful but the story or the characters limp. I look for a balance where nothing stands out and the whole makes sense,” he explained.
For Kvasnička, the FIPRESCI prize has practical meaning also for the audience. “When I was young, festival awards were my guide — a reason to go to the cinema. The FIPRESCI prize was one of those that motivated me. When I couldn’t decide between two films, it would help me,” he said. Although in the monthly Film.sk he focuses mainly on Slovak cinema, at international festivals he looks for the same kind of quality. “We try to draw attention to quality international titles that deserve notice,” he added. To young film writers he has a simple message: “Let them write.”
French film journalist Pierre-Yves Roger, contributor to Écran Noir and FIPRESCI member, sees the Central and Eastern European competition as a real discovery. “Discovering films from Central and Eastern Europe is always interesting. In France most of them never reach distribution. It’s fascinating to see Polish, Slovak or Bulgarian titles that differ quite a lot from one another. There are eight films in our competition: one documentary and seven fiction features. Some are more universal, others local. It’s always interesting,” adds Roger.
On the dynamics of a three-member jury, Roger speaks openly. “Sometimes it’s easy. I remember Kazakhstan, where almost all the films were contemplative and only one stood out — we all agreed at once. Other times it’s harder and you need to talk a lot. Each of us has a different perspective and in the end we have to find a compromise everyone is happy with. We are often three; sometimes all three agree, sometimes it’s two against one. That’s the majority,” he explained. He too prefers smaller festivals to media-heavy ones. “In 2008 I was in Cannes as a journalist covering every film. It was interesting, but it’s a huge industry. A hundred or two hundred journalists at a single press conference. I prefer smaller festivals: it’s easier to meet the filmmakers, the actors, and at the same time you discover a new culture,” said Pierre-Yves Roger.
The closing ceremony of the 32nd IFF Art Film Košice, at which the FIPRESCI jury will award its separate Blue Angel prize, takes place today, on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
The 32nd IFF ART FILM is made possible thanks to the support of:
Main organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.
Co-organizers: City of Košice, K13 – Košice Cultural Centres, Visit Košice, ART FILM FEST, n.o.
With the financial support of: Audiovisual Fund
The project was co-financed by the Košice Self-governing Region from the Terra Incognita program
Main partners: CODES Brand House, H2O FUND SICAV, Fors – stav
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, Technical University of Košice
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, Slovak Film Institute, WITKOWITZ SLOVAKIA, DDDental, CK TUI ReiseCenter Slovensko, Wallonie-Bruxelles International.be, Taper, ECO Technologies, Aupark Shopping Center Košice, Košice Public Transport Company, Košice International Airport, YumEarth, Rent2Eat, CPK Transport, iWish.sk, Kvety Garomi, Hair Factory Košice, Face up! Studio by Michaela Petroci, Panta Rhei, ARTFORUM, LOCAL NOMAD, East Slovak Museum in Košice, MIHYRING
