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Festivals

Film festivals

Music festivals

The Karlovy Vary IFF

is the most important international film festival of Category A in Central and Eastern Europe and the only festival of Category A in the Czech Republic


Category A classifies the Karlovy Vary IFF into the group of the prestigious festivals like the IFF in Cannes, Berlin, Venice or Tokyo

The concept of the Karlovy Vary IFF is based on the advantageous geopolitical location of the Czech Republic on the border between Eastern and Western Europe

The Karlovy Vary IFF presents annually for the first time in the Czech Republic more than 200 new films from the whole world

Thanks to being presented at the Karlovy Vary IFF, a number of films manage to get to Czech or foreign distribution, to TV screens, or to the programs of other festivals
The audience can see some of the films exclusively only at the festival in Karlovy Vary

 

Program
The Karlovy Vary IFF is intended for lay as well as professional public and it offers to its visitors a carefully composed program, high-quality background, and a wide amount of services

The closest attention is paid to the Official Selection - Competition, into which are selected only films made in the previous season and those that have not been previously shown in the competition section of any other festival of the Category A
Apart from the Official Selection and the Documentary Films in Competition there are other already traditional informative sections and current thematic retrospectives put together for the audience

Thanks to the Karlovy Vary IFF, the guests have a unique opportunity to see the best new films in this area, to discover new talents, and to meet a number of interesting personalities from artistic, economic, and political life
It is particularly the professional public which appreciates the possibility to see the films which awoke great interest at festivals in Berlin, Cannes or at other prestigious world actions devoted to contemporary cinematography in such a short time and without the usual stress which can prevail at larger shows

 

History of the Karlovy Vary IFF

The Karlovy Vary IFF is one of the oldest film festivals of all time (the first year took place in 1946). For more than 40 years the festival was organized under the pressure of the political situation in socialist Czechoslovakia. After the social changes in November 1989 the festival struggled for several years with lack of interest from the side of the state as well as public, in whose eyes it was almost irretrievably discredited
In the year 1994 the organization of the festival was taken up by a new team, in the lead of which stood the well-known Czech actor Jiří Bartoąka and the significant film columnist and critic Eva Zaoralová, who decided to transform the stagnant show into a film forum of international importance. Within a few years, the team of Jiří Bartoąka and Eva Zaoralová managed to return to the festival the prestige and interest of both professional and lay public through its new programme as well as organizational concept

 

Successful films of the Karlovy Vary IFF

Every year there are several films appearing in the official competition which later achieve significant international success or which are announced to be the best domestic film of the year.




Karlovy Vary – film, architecture and nature

The atmosphere of the festival is illustrated by the unique place where the festival takes place – the picturesque centre of the world-famous spa town Karlovy Vary, which is situated 120 km westward from Prague close to the borders with Germany
The whole festival is concentrated into the historical part of the town, through the centre of which winds the spa promenade connecting two basic centres of the festival occurrences – Hotel Thermal and Grandhotel Pupp
An important factor in the modern history of the Karlovy Vary IFF is also its external form – that is, the original design and decoration of the festival are being modified every year. Architects and graphic designers start from the new festival trailer when preparing the upcoming year
Every year one of the outstanding Czech makers is entrusted with shooting the festival trailer. This person receives nearly free space from the side of the festival to implement his or her own idea

The Karlovy Vary IFF is in its category one of the few festivals open to lay public
The beginning of summer holidays has become the traditional time when thousands of young people from the Czech Republic as well as from abroad transform the otherwise calm spa town of Karlovy Vary into a several-day-long celebration of joy and peace
It is precisely these people who create an unforgettable atmosphere at the Karlovy Vary festival, and who again and again surprise especially foreign visitors by their interest and unaffected acceptance of films that are often challenging




Febiofest


Febiofest came into being in 1993 from a retrospective of independent, original Czech documentary works produced by the Febio Film and Television Company. The company was founded by Febio's chief, the television and film director Fero Fenic, and the film critic Pavel Melounek.
Originally taking place in one city (Prague) in two small theaters, the event gradually grew into its present form. The 2003 tenth anniversary edition will bring films to more than 140,000 viewers in two countries, 12 cities and nearly 43 theaters.
The festival presents a wide spectrum of contemporary and retrospective examples of high-quality film including alternative, film-school and amateur works to a diverse viewing public.
It is open to all audiovisual producers, including those producing video and television works.
The annual awarding of the KRISTIAN Czech critic's prizes (made by famous sculptor Olbram Zoubek) focus attention not only on feature films, but on animated and documentary works, while also encompassing film production, theory and criticism.
Alongside the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, FEBIOFEST is the largest audiovisual event in the Czech Republic.

 



Days of European Film


The Days of European Film festival started 11 years ago, in the early 90's, thanks to the initiative of diplomats from several EU countries. The offer of European films in Czech cinemas wasn't as rich at that time as it is today, and the organizers wanted to show to the Czech audience the best of the current European cinematography. With minimum financial and technical support they started a film event, which was met with high interest by the viewers and has proved in time, that organizing this type of festival has its place on the Czech cultural scene.
The festival, which originally had presented only films from EU member countries, expanded already last year on the occasion of its' 10 th anniversary and offered you a more colorful program, including features from the EU candidate states.

 

 

The Zlin Film Festival


The Zlin Film Festival has its permanent place in the world festival calendar. It is a significant social event, which attracts new filmmakers, actors, producers, journalists and leading domestic and foreign media companies.
The festival is held every year under the auspices of the Czech Minister of Culture, the Czech UNESCO Commission, and the Czech UNICEF Committee.
The festival program will present the latest competing audiovisual creations from the acted and animated films for children and youth category. Within the support of creative young filmmakers, a new competition section called European Debuts was opened last year with a great success. The already traditional international presentation of student films shall be reborn this year into a competition of young creators. The festival program will offer the audience a number of documentary features for youth, a retrospective and information sections, a presentation of acted films from the Visegrad Countries as well as a presentation of audiovisual works on new media, together with a number of accompanying events.
The festival has 6 main cinema halls at its disposal plus several backup screening venues. The biggest cinema (Velke kino, or The Grand Cinema) seats 1,013 people. More screenings take place in satellite towns, i. e. selected towns of the Zlin region. The aim of setting up satellite towns was to bring the festival to as many people as possible.
The headquarters of the festival are located at the Faculty of Economics and Management, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, housing 3 out of the main 6 screening halls, Accreditation Centre, Information Centre, Press Centre, editorial office of the festival daily, press room, conference room and the festival cafe. Several exhibitions are set up and prizes are shown at the large lobby of the building.
Main accommodation centres are the Interhotel Moskva, Hotel Garni, Parkhotel, Koliba u Cerneho medveda, and Hotel Saloon hotels. Guests wishing to avoid the rush of the festival town can use the services of the Tusculum hotel, located close to Zlin, or use hotels at the nearby spa of Luhacovice.



Anifest - International Festival of Animated Films

 

The festival center may be found in the lobby of the J.K. Tyl Theater, located in the historical city center of Trebon near the Old Town Hall on the Masaryk Square. It shall provide most of the festival services (accreditation center, press center, etc.).

 


Ekofilm - International Film Festival on the Environment and Natural and Cultural Heritage

 

The oldest European film festival on the environment was founded in 1974 as a contribution to the World Environmental Day declared by UN. The first of twenty two annual staging of the festival were held in the town Ostrava not only as an international film competition and a source of environmental knowledge through audio visual productions. The staging held prior to the November 1989 events were recognise as annual meeting of environmental experts and the broader public and the only discussion platform for environmental problems.

 


Tourfilm

 

TOURFILM is the world’s oldest festival of films and videos on tourism. Last year number of 362 films and videos from 135 countries were presented.
Part of the festival is not only films and videos competition presenting films of national boards, regions, cities, commercial tourism and TV films, but also multimedia competition where are the best products from all over the world presenting.
Part of the international festival Tourfilm is also the national festival of films and videos on tourism TOUR REGION FILM where the best Czech films, CD-ROMs and websites compete.
Festival has rich accompanying and social programme.

Music festivals

The Prague Spring International Music Festival


The Prague Spring International Music Festival is a permanent showcase for outstanding performing artists, symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles of the world. The first festival was held under the patronage of Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes, and its organizing committee was made up of important figures in Czech musical life. In that year, 1946, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, and was therefore given the highhest honor: to appear on all the orchestral concerts.
The Prague Spring Festival has been a prestigious showcase for world musical life and its latest trends since its very beginnings.

M O Z A R T P R A G U E 2 0 0 6

Since January of this year a year-long project has been running in Prague entitled MOZARTPRAGUE 2006, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

On the occasion of this significant cultural event, 17 institutions and organisations have come together to produce an appropriate programme of more than 190 concerts, operas, exhibitions and music festivals.

The project, which is set to run until the end of 2006, has the support of the City of Prague and the Czech Ministry of Culture, and takes place under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic, Prof. Václav Klaus, and the Mayor of Prague MUDr. Pavel Bém.

One of the biggest events in the Mozart celebrations was the gala concert held on January 27 at the Estates Theatre, the day of the anniversary of Mozart’s birth. The concert was broadcast live by BVA International in co-production with Czech Television, and was included in the "24 hours of Mozart" project, broadcast across the globe on the EBU network.

Every month this year so far, the project has brought us several interesting performances, concerts or other cultural events on the Mozart theme. Of the MOZART PRAGUE 2006 events coming up in the next few months, we recommend the exhibition called Music in Prague 1760 – 1810, which opened March 17 and is set to run until September 4.

In cooperation with the local Czech Centre, a new documentary film “ADIEU MOZART” will be premiered April 5 in the House of Music in Vienna in the presence of the director himself, Mr Martin Suchánek. Over the course of 2006, the film "Adieu Mozart" will be screened at every Czech Centre, which represent and promote the Czech Republic abroad. April 19 in Vienna’s House of Music will also see a lecture on the Mozart in Prague theme given by Mr Zdeněk Mahler, who wrote the screenplay for the above film.

The christening of a new book published by Edition Bärenreiter Prague entitled "Good morning, my dear wifie!" will be held on May 15 at the Municipal House. The book presents letters that Mozart wrote to his wife Constanze mainly during the last three years of his life. On this occasion two other books will be christenend. Bon Art Production agency will introduce its new book for children "The Magic Flute" and the publishing house H&H will present its book "Mozart in Vienna".

May 12 will see the opening of the most important music festival in the Czech Republic, the Prague Spring, which will also feature a series of concerts of Mozart’s works.
At the end of June, in cooperation with the Czech Association of Cooks and Confectioners, the first round of the „Confectioner of the Year“ competition in the Sladkovský Hall at the Municipal House will have Mozart and Prague as its theme.

July and August promise some superb festivals that will attract visitors to the Czech capital from far and wide. An excellent production by Opera Mozart of Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre promises to be an unforgettable event, as do the summer concerts at the Bertramka Villa, set to run all summer, and the Prague Music Festival which will include some particularly interesting performances, especially in August.

The rest of 2006 promises a feast of superb concerts, operas, exhibitions, and interesting cultural events commemorating Mozart and his special relationship to Prague.
A more detailed and constantly updated programme of all the events being held as part of MOZART PRAGUE 2006 is available at www.mozartprague2006.com.



Colours of Ostrava


An international music festival - Member of the EUROPEAN FORUM OF WORLDWIDE MUSIC FESTIVALS
Under the auspices of Ing. Evzen Tosenovsky, district administrator of Moravia-Silesia and supported by the Information centre UNIC, Statute City of Ostrava, City quarters of Moravska Ostrava and Privoz, PHARE CBS, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, and the French Embassy in the Czech Republic.
The Festival differs essentially from other similar events held in the CR in the fact that:
As the first and until now, only music festival in the CR, it became a member of the EUROPEAN FORUM OF WORLDWIDE MUSIC FESTIVALS.
EFWMF is a non-profit association of the 44 most significant, independent European festivals which commit themselves to supporting world, ethnic, traditional and original culture from individual world nations and connecting them in cultural exchanges. Within the association, there are festivals such as Sfinks in Antwerp, Tanz und Folkfest in Rudolstadt, Germany, one of the biggest world festivals Dunya in Dutch Rotterdam, Netherlands, as well as the festival in Roskilde, Denmark. Along with Colours of Ostrava, only the Polish Crossroads Festival of Traditional Music in Krakow and the Hungarian Kalaka Folk Festival in Miskolc are East-European members of EFWMF.
As is not usual, it is situated in the centre of town - in the well-known entertainment district of Stodolni street and the fairground of Cerna Louka.
with its innovative and, for the Czech Republic, bold repertoire, this multi-genre festival is aimed not only at the younger generation. Fans of all music styles can get their fill of world and dance music, ethnic music, and a host of celebrities from the Czech music scene, including alternative groups and artists. The diversity of genres is similarly and appropriately expressed in the name of the Colours of Ostrava Festival.
Interaction with many world cultures occurs in an inviting, relaxed atmosphere across an expansive space of the open city that leaves the visitor the freedom of choice and movement, as was evident in the first year of the festival.


International Music Festival Cesky Krumlov


Not only the famous spaces of the Hall of Masks and the Riding Hall will sound with music; but we also plan, believing in St. Peter's affection, to perform 11 concerts at places where music is not usually heard as most of them are not openly accessible: at the area in front of the Monastery Church of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, in the gardens of Kooperativa, pojistovna, a.s., at the second Chateau Courtyard, or by the Baroque Fountain in the Chateau Garden.
Apart from chamber pieces, vocal-instrumental and opera compositions, there will be also solo recitals and concerts with banquets presented within the Festival.

Rock for People


For the last 10 years Rock for People has been the most recognized and popular rock music festival in the Czech Republic, providing the highest quality music in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Rock for People has been recognized annually in various magazines and readers polls as the best event of the year, receiving in 1998 certification from the Czech Republic Ministry of Culture and in 2000 the Czech Grammy Award for Best Event of the Year.



Smetana´s Litomysl International Opera Festival


The Smetana´s Litomysl International Opera Festival (founded in 1949) is the second oldest music festival in the Czech Republic, after the Prague Spring Festival. It is also the largest open-air festival of classical music held in this country.


Antonin Dvorak Memorial at Vysoka u Pribrami

The permanent exhibition´s front section contains information about the estate´s original owners, Count Vaclav Robert Kounic and his wife, Josefina (Cermakova), a prominent Prague stage actress. The following section, considerably larger-scale, devoted to Antonin Dvorak, informs about the composer´s life and work, with special emphasis on his association with Vysoka u Pribrami. The display´s current, radically streamlined and updated concept and design reflect the impact of this locality and its surrounding countryside on Dvorak´s inspiration and work. Scale models of stage sets of the premieres of select operas, and period costumes of the principal characters from the opera, Rusalka, make up the final section of the permanent exhibition.
The tour of the exhibition includes a guided part in the display´s introductory section; the Dvorak exhibit and the Memorial´s interior are open to individual visitors, with background music as the sole accompanying element. Beyond this continual music production, the Memorial´s finely stocked music library and listening-room are ready to meet individual visitors´ requests encompassing over 80 recordings of Dvorak works.

VISITORS SERVICES - Sale of CDs with music by Dvorak, publications, etc.
- Exhibitions, concerts - Antonin Dvorak´s festival, seminars, lectures, weddings
- Sale of souvenirs and light refreshments
- Concerts with tour of museum and light refreshment for travel agencies and groups by previous appointment
- Rental of space for cultural and social functions
- Car park


Brno International Music Festival


The Brno International Music Festival has been held at the end of September and the beginning of October each year since 1966. The festival is a member of the European Festivals Association (since 1993) and the European Conferences of Promoters of New Music, as well as a founding member of the Czech Association of Music Festivals.
The Easter Festival of Sacred Music answers to listeners´ continuing interest in concerts of sacred music thematically linked to the liturgically significant Easter season and presented in an authentic church settting. Since 1997 the festival has been held in the Catedral of St. Peter and Paul in Brno, under the patronage of the Bishop of Brno.
The Exposition of New Music takes the presentation of diverse contemporary compositional trends by quality international performers as its goal. Its concerts have taken place in conventional concerts halls as well as in untraditional spaces (brewery, planetarium, shopping mall lobby, atom bomb shelter, etc.).
The Moravian Autumn continues the nearly thirty-year tradition of autumn music festivals in Brno, appealing to a broad spectrum of listeners and maintaining its thematic character. Symphony orchestra concerts and opera performances are given in the Janacek Theater, while smallerscale events are mainly held in the recently-renovated Beseda House. Since 1966 a musicological colloquium has been an inseparable part of the festival, its discussions reflecting the festival´s overall theme. The first International Music Competition was held in 1996, and has since become a regular event at the festival.

Czech Association of Music Festivals


Since 1996 the Czech Association of Music Festivals has been created by prestigious international music festivals of the Czech Republic.
Step by step it is asserting itself in the Czech music life and is acquiring its position in the European context.
The Association has never been and doesn't intend to become a mass organisation, thus it accepts new members gradually and forethoughtfully. At present they are the following: International Music Festival (IMF) Brno, IMF Ceske Budejovice, IMF Cesky Krumlov, International Opera Festival Smetana´s Litomysl, International Organ Festival Olomouc, IMF Janacek´s Hukvaldy, IMF Janacek May Ostrava and IMF Prague Spring.



Czech Dreams


A presentation of the Czech Republic and its culture in the year of EU expansion
Czech Dreams 2004 - an international music festival bringing together towns and venues all over Europe will be held under the auspices of Magdalena Kozena and Vaclav Havel, the personal patronage of the EU Commissioner for expansion Günter Verheugen and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Cyril Svoboda.
The project is focused on presenting Czech music, deepening relations between participating towns, and supporting regional culture in the countries of the European Union. This truly international series of musical events will form a dignified complement to the upcoming entrance of the Czech Republic into the European Union, will contribute to the development of formal and informal partnerships between the Czech and European regions and towns, will also contribute to mutual dialogue and cooperation between them. None of the more than one hundred concerts will be held in the capitals of the participating countries - Czech music, culture and presentation of the Czech Republic itself will be brought to places which likely have not previously experienced them. Czech Dreams will influence the general public, not formal institutions, and will lead to the creation of new contacts not only in the area of culture.
The main organiser of the project is ISCM, the International Centre for Slavonic Music (Mezinarodni centrum slovanske hudby, an independent non-profit cultural institution. Organisation of the project is based on cooperation with the network of Czech Centres and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, with numerous individuals and personalities of European musical and social life, and with the mayors of cities and the presidents of local regions participating in the project. The idea of organising a series of more than a hundred concerts came from years of experience of running Concentus Moraviae, an international music festival of 13 towns, whose tenth year launches the first phase of Czech Dreams in the Czech Republic. During the international phase, from July to December of 2004, audiences in sixteen other countries will hear concerts of extraordinary breadth enriched by compositions by composers of the host countries. Czech music will be performed by the true elite of the young and middle generations of Czech musicians.



Emmy Destinn International Music Festival


The outstanding Czech soprano Emmy Destinn was among the world´s most famous singers. She enjoyed success on leading opera stages, such as the Berlin Court Opera, Bayreuth, Covent Garden in London, Paris and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, above all in operas by Puccini, Wagner, Verdi, Richard Strauss and Smetana. Among her partners on the stage was the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. After completing her international artistic career, Emmy Destinn lived for many years in seclusion at her mansion in Straz nad Nezarkou in South Bohemia. She died in Ceske Budejovice in 1930.
The Emmy Destinn Music Festival in Ceske Budejovice takes place each year at the end of August and the begining of September, and includes the Emmy Destinn International Singing Competition.



Janacek in Hukvaldy

Information and ticket booking:

Smetanovo nam. 8b - Find it on the Map
702 00 Ostrava
Czech Republic
phone/fax: +420 596 126 067
e-mail: info@janackovy-hukvaldy.cz



Janacek´s May International Music Festival


The International Music Festival "Janacek´s May" has been developing the rich musical traditions which have formed a special part of industrial Ostrava's profile since 1921. Due to the festival, the line of modern dramatics, guest performances of forefront composers and artists continues.
Ostrava has a large symphony orchestra (The Janacek´s Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava), an opera (The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre), the world renowned Janacek´s Chamber Orchestra and a whole range of excellent musicians, which - along with suitable concert auditoriums - create good conditions for the realisation of demanding festival programmes.



Jazz Meets World

Information about tickets:
Jazz Meets World (JMW)
P. O. Box 94
120 21 Praha 2
Czech Republic
E-mail: pjmusic@pjmusic.cz
Phone: +420 224 922 830
Fax: +420 224 914 284
e-mail: jmw@pjmusic.cz



OSTRAVA DAYS 2005 New Music Festival


August 21. – 27. 2005
3rd Year (Presented Biannually)
Place: Ostrava, Czech Republic – Philharmonic hall, Dum kultury mesta Ostravy and Janacek conservatory in Ostrava
Ostrava Days 2005 International New Music Festival will take place from August 21 to August 27, 2005 in Ostrava. It is a weeklong series of 14 concerts with an exclusive program of contemporary music. The festival features prominent compositions from the latter half of the 20th century as well as new works from young and emerging composers, residents of Ostrava Days 2005 Institute. Composers participate in the Czech and world premiers of the works performed at Ostrava Days 2005. Close cooperation with the Janacek Philharmonic makes this project unique.
The program of Ostrava Day 2005 features compositions by Christiana Wolff, Louis Andriessen, Rebecca Saunders, John Cage, Luigi Nono, Iannis Xenakis, Olga Neuwirth, Morton Feldman, Petr Kotik, Petr Kofron, Rudolf Komorous, Edgard Varèse, Pierre Boulez, Alvin Lucier, Cecil Taylor, Giacinto Scelsi, Charles Ives and other new and experimental music composers. These compositions will be performed by the Janacek Philharmonic and the international ensemble Ostravska banda with conductors Zsolt Nagy (Germany), Petr Kofron (CR), Petr Kotik (USA/CR) and Petr Vronsky (CR). OD is under the patronage of Pavel Dostal, Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic; Evzen Tosenovsky, President of the Moravian - Silesian Region and Ales Zednik, Mayor of Ostrava City.