A Zlín Film Festival launch weekend full of film premieres

The grand 60th Zlín Film Festival will start in Zlín on its alternative date of September 4. Once again, it will bring more than 300 films from 50 countries around the world, and at its launch it will offer viewers several special premieres, which are to be introduced to cinemas by numerous film delegations. An interesting supporting program is also prepared for each of the individual premieres.

Visitors to the festival can look forward to a "premiere weekend", during which the organizers decided to focus the audience's attention on these films.

"The efforts of filmmakers often take many years, and these works are made for audiences – in our case children and young people – and we would like to support these endeavors,"

says the artistic director of the Zlín Film Festival Markéta Pášmová and adds:

"I would like to emphasize that our appeal is all the stronger at this difficult time, which is not exactly in favor of films. We very much want the Zlín public to help usher in a successful journey for these films to their audiences."

The opening film of the festival will be a narrative fairy tale with a stellar cast called The Greatest Gift, which will be presented to the audience at the festival in its world premiere.  The first children to see it will be during the school screening on Friday, September 4, at 10:00 am. Visitors will be able to see the original costumes from this fairy tale during a non-traditional fashion show, where they will also meet the actors.

On Saturday, September 5, in the early evening, the festival will present the co-production film The Pack, set in the junior hockey environment. The film is representing the Czech Republic in the international youth film competition, and it will be in Zlín, where the film was shot, that it will be shown for the first time.

Sunday, September 6 at 10 a.m., will offer moviegoers the premiere of the Slovak-German co-production Summer Rebels, in the films for children competition. Czech actor Pavel Nový plays the main adult role and this film will start its distribution tour in Czech cinemas in Zlín.

An animated short film for our youngest target audience called Hungry Bear Tales will also have its ceremonial distribution preview at 10:45 on Sunday. Its screening in Zlín will be supported, e.g., by film workshops and by a reading of Černík's books in the Czech Television House on the main square (Náměstí Míru).

A total of 158 films from 50 countries will be premiered at the 60th Zlín Film Festival. Festival goers will once again have a unique opportunity to see the children's world through films from South Korea, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Brazil, Norway, and many other countries. The grand 60th Zlín Film Festival will take place on an alternative date from September 4 to 10.