Screen savers

The film festival in Karlovy Vary is the country's best known but hardly the last chance for movie buffs to indulge themselves this summer. While the lamentable death of the annual summer cinema on Střelecký ostrov may be leaving cinephiles with a particularly whetted appetite this year, good news is on the way.  

Over the next few weeks, two small but noteworthy festivals will take up the open-air cinema mantle. While lacking some of the Karlovy Vary glitz, they offer the chance to see a wide range of independent and international films in an appealingly laidback setting while still managing to pull in major industry figures.

The big star of the inaugural River Film Fest (Festival nad řekou), in Písek, is without a doubt Terry Gilliam. Since creating the wacky animation sequences featured in Monty Python's Flying Circus, his directorial and screenwriting credits have included Time Bandits, Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Twelve Monkeys.

"Czech cinema played a large part in my film education," says Gilliam of his involvement. "Jan Švankmajer and Miloš Forman were huge influences and seriously altered my view of the world and what films were capable of."  

Given the fact that Gilliam's work is famed for surreal eccentricities, it comes as no surprise he acknowledges Kafka as a source of inspiration.

"It goes without saying, he has had a very powerful effect on my work, especially Brazil," said Gilliam, who will launch the festival and present a short retrospective of his work.

With a program including more than 170 feature length films and more than 150 shorts, River Film Fest has plenty to offer besides the presence of the former "Python."

Evald Schorm's 1966 film Ein Anlass zum sprechen (An Occasion to Talk) details the renowned Prague-based film school FAMU during the days of the Czech New Wave. More general festival themes like The World of Jozef K and The Golden Sixties, are obviously intended to shine a spotlight on Czech and Central European cinema but inclusions such as a showcase of Argentinean film ensure the event is not inward-looking. In fact, making River Film Fest accessible to as wide an audience as possible is a priority for organizers, who aim to ensure most films are subtitled in English.

Going international

"One of our main ambitions is to tap into the international diaspora in Prague. After all, Písek is only 109 kilometers away," says festival President Michael Havas.

All the screenings will take place in Písek's historic town center, within short strolls of one another, lending the event an intimate, relaxed feel. As Havas puts it, "We are not a red-carpet festival obsessed with the latest releases and box-office stars. For us, there is no such thing as an old film or a new film - just a good film."

Another treat for film buffs is the Uherské Hradiště Summer Film School. This event, in its 35th year, touts itself as neither a typical film festival nor a film school but rather a combination of both.

"Most of those attending are students aged from around 18 to 30," says Jakub Němeček, one of the organizers, "but there will still be plenty of old-timers around." Unfortunately, Němeček estimates that only around 30 percent to 40 percent of the screenings will be accessible to an English-speaking audience.

One of the main draws of Uherské Hradiště is the series of hands-on workshops run by the aforementioned FAMU. Again, accessibility is somewhat hit and miss for non-Czech speakers, but for those passionate about filmmaking with a sense of adventure, Uherské Hradiště offers an opportunity to work with skilled and experienced industry professionals.

As well as the film screenings, both events provide theater performances, concerts, exhibitions, poetry readings and children's events for those seeking a break from the cinematic marathon. These are, according to Havas, intended to complement the main program by "inspiring the audience to discover hidden contexts."

The headline act in Uherské Hradiště's musical program is sure to be a crowd pleaser: American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega is scheduled to perform June 26.

Whether opting for the Písek-based River Film Fest or the Moravian Uherské Hradiště, both offer an excuse to escape the hustle and bustle of Prague.

And then, of course, there are the movies.

Lisette Allen can be reached at
features@praguepost.com