Film programme 2023

Krakonoš’s Secret (2022)

Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes

Directed by: Peter Bebjak

Czech Republic, Germany, Slovak Republic, 2022, 99 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

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The new owner of the chateau in the foothills of the Giant Mountains, Štěpán, arrives with his younger brother Adam, and the beautiful Comtesse Blanka. Adam discovers an old book that describes a path to treasures, and a mysterious stranger offers to lead them to the treasure under certain conditions. Will the expedition be successful? What mystery does the painting at Hůrka Chateau hide and what terrible things once happened in the mountains? And who is Krakonoš and what is his biggest secret?

Barka and Other Animations

Section: Check the Czechs

, 0, 70 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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Věra Plívová-Šimková (2023)

Section: Special Mention

Directed by: Anna Stichenwirthová

Czech Republic, 2023, 53 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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A documentary portrait of director Věra Plívová-Šimková, who made an indelible mark in the history of Czech cinema in the field of children's productions. In addition to the artist herself, we see not only her family, but also many filmmakers who have worked with her. She talks about her extreme commitment, talent and enthusiasm for working with children and the camera, as well as the dark side of her talent.

Occupation (2021)

Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes

Directed by: Michal Nohejl

Czech Republic, 2021, 98 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

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An actors' afterparty is disrupted by a visit from an uninvited guest; a drunken Russian officer has come to sell a canister of army petrol, but the deal turns into a vodka-drinking contest and the Russian becomes intrigued by both the attractive Milada and the comic cowardice of all the men present. The atmosphere thickens along with the clouds of cigarette smoke, the characters break, the Russian has a great time, and eventually pulls out a gun… The party gets wilder than the cast likes. The game turns into a trap, heroes into cowards, and cowards into heroes.

Zlín - the Town in the Gardens (2023)

Section: Special Mention

Directed by: Pavel Jandourek

Czech Republic, 2023, 59 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

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A living textbook of functionalism in a secret garden city. The city of Zlín grew at the same dizzying pace and specific style as Bata, but few people know that it provides its inhabitants with the benefits of a garden city.

Big Dreams (2023)

Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)

Directed by: Dan Pánek

Czech Republic, 2023, 98 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1

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The year is 1998, in Nagano, Japan. The Czechs win the gold in Olympic ice hockey and the crowds go wild. All the kids want to be like Jagr or Hašek. Among them is Dom, an 11-year-old dreamer who looks up to his new idol. He would love to play hockey, but his parents don't have the money and doubt his abilities. On his grandfather’s advice, Dom and his friend Honza build a hockey team, calling themselves the Sabres after Hašek's home team in Buffalo. This team of disparate, underestimated kids focus on their great challenge – to defeat the Red Wings team from the next village and earn respect. After an initial defeat, the Sabres are taken over by the peculiar coach Karel, a former major league hockey player, and they gradually head for a rematch. This story of friendship, sport, pride, euphoria, and underdogs sends a message that children's dreams have many forms and that children need to be supported.

Alchemist Cursed in Time (2022)

Section: New Czech Films and TV Programmes

Directed by: Petr Kubík

Czech Republic, 2022, 133 min

Projection place: Aula

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Alchemist Amelia has gained the forbidden magical power to alter the flow of time. But abusing her new abilities splits her in time, and Amélie from the present meets Amélie from the past. Moreover, a new threat arises from the darkness of time – the alchemist Lord of the Runes wants to rule over all magic in Oberon, and thus must end Amelia’s control over time. Amélie and her friends travel to the magical city of Ayra, home to the Society of Alchemists, protectors of magic, and confront both their most powerful adversary and their own desire for forbidden power.

Eduard Štorch, the Mammoth Hunter (2023)

Section: Special Mention

Directed by: Josef Císařovský

Czech Republic, 2023, 52 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2

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Eduard Štorch (1878–1956) was the first Czech writer and one of the first in the world to set his stories in prehistory. It's quite ironic that he himself considered his books set in the Stone Age and Bronze Age to be mere accessories to his calling in life as a professional teacher. His new concepts for educating a new generation and of teaching history were completely groundbreaking. He made his idea of a healthy and natural lifestyle a reality on the island of Libeň in Prague, where he built his Children's Farm and taught children how to live and cooperate with nature.