MONKEYS DISCOVERING THEIR WORLD. ZLÍN FILM FESTIVAL'S ORGANIZERS HAVE PRESENTED THE VISUAL THEME FOR THE 59TH FILM FESTIVAL

These baby monkeys have had enough of... monkeying around. It's time for them to go on a great journey around the world. This is the main idea of the visual theme of this year's 59th Zlín Film Festival, which will be held in the spirit of travel. The basis of the visual theme, which was presented by the organizers of the festival today in the Congress Center in Zlín, is again the playful drawings of monkeys by the artist Petr Nikl. This year's festival will take place from May 24 to June 1.

The main theme of the upcoming festival is "Discover and Learn" and is linked this year to the 100th birthday of the famous traveler, adventurer and writer Miroslav Zikmund. That's why the legendary Tatra 87 car, in which Hanzelka and Zikmund travelled round the world, can also be found in the visual theme alongside the monkeys. The design is complemented by a colorful circle that symbolizes the sun.

"We'd like to believe that the idea of combining a well-known motif of travellers and the sun as a colorful circle with all the colors of the known universe will be welcomed by festival-goers. We want to show the public that this design – created by combining "high art" and science – can communicate to all generations,"

says the artist, Zdeněk Macháček of Studio 6.15, describing the main elements of the festival's visual motif.

"The merry little monkeys have stopped goofing around and are now beginning to discover, uncover, and study the world, life around them, and the whole universe. After reading a lot of travel books and other volumes by the great travellers Hanzelka and Zikmund, their parents bought them a Tatra car and everything they needed to for their journey of exploration,"

says Petr Nikl, elaborating further on the idea behind the design. 

Travelling themes will blend in with both the film and supporting program. This year, the film program structure has been transformed in order to make the three basic program blocks clear and visible. In addition to its traditional competitions and a new section called Festival Classics, the 2019 film festival will focus on Expore & Discover.

"Film audiences can look forward to discovery and exploration in three areas: NATURE, PEOPLE, and COUNTRY,"

Art Director Markéta Pášmová reminds us and adds that more than 40 films and documentaries will be screened within this section.

Miroslav Zikmund's significant life anniversary is commemorated by the festival in screened films, debates and exhibitions, on whose program and content the Museum of Southeastern Moravia in Zlín has cooperated with, of course, the Hanzelka and Zikmund Club in Zlín.

"It is worth mentioning the Zikmund100 project, which maps the journeys of H+Z from 1959 to '64 and provides documentation of a retrospective nature 54 years after their journeys, and a lecture by the film director and traveller Petr Horký connected with the screening of the film "A Century of Miroslav Zikmund "

, says the festival's president Čestmír Vančura, who adds:

"The theme of travel will also be reflected in supporting activities for children. Through the popular educational program "In the Footsteps of Zikmund and Hanzelka" in Comenius Park, we will provide children with a unique way to learn about interesting places from their journeys."

Connecting to the "Explore & Discover" theme, among the festival's guests there will also be significant Czech travellers, travel popularizers, and adventurers whom festival goers will be able to meet both at and outside of film lectures. Among those who have accepted invitations to Zlín include Czech film producer, director, writer and "shark popularizer" Steve Lichtag; ethnologist and traveller Mnislav Atapana Zelený; adventurer with a yellow Trabant Dan Přibáň; and the professional traveller and journalist Lucie Radová, who has also travelled around South America in a tuctuc (an auto rickshaw), among other vehicles. The series of travel lectures will be accompanied by the artist, writer and traveller Dorota Nvotová and photographers Václav Šilha and Jan Rybář. Visitors can also look forward to a talk called Socks on the Journeys, which will be on low-cost travel and an adventure tour through India on rickshaws.

The supporting program of the festival will also offer the traditional and interesting Film Industry section with professional lectures and workshops, a number of theatrical performances, concerts, exhibitions, interactive and benefit programs as well as sports and social events.

"This year's audiences can enjoy musical experiences provided by the bands Mirai, Mandrage, Iné Kafe, a benefit concert by Michal David for the Drop of Hope charity, and at the Industry Party in the backdrop of the factory complex,"

says supporting program director Jarmila Záhorová.

A traditional part of the Zlín Film Festival will again be the auction of artistically rendered film clapperboards. This year's 22nd Clapperboard Salon will start on March 12 in Prague. CLAPPERBOARD TOUR 2019 will have 5 stops this year – starting in Prague, it will then head out to Mladá Boleslav, Olomouc, Brno and Zlín, culminating in a traditional auction, which will take place on May 26 at the Congress Center.

For the fourth time, the film festival in Zlín will finish with the Festival Half-Marathon MONET + Zlín, which is scheduled to start on Saturday, June 1 at 4 pm. Preceding this, at 2 pm, will be the popular Festival ING Bank Family Run; it's a 1400-meter course designed for parents with children or for those who do not dare to go on long runs.

The 59th Zlín Film Festival will officially come to a conclusion with the screenings and supporting program in Mikulov, where the Mikulov Echoes of the Zlín Film Festival will be held for the third time, June 7-11.