Program director of the film festival Letní filmová škola (LFŠ) Uherské Hradiště Jan Jílek and LFŠ director Radana Korená spoke at a press conference on the festival program, June 14, 2023, Prague.
Prague – The annual award of the Association of Czech Film Clubs (AFČK) will be received at the Summer Film School by actor Ivan Trojan, Slovak director Miloslav Luther and Croatian director and graduate of Prague FAMU Rajko Grlič. The organizers of the film festival, the 49th edition of which will take place in Uherské Hradiště from July 28 to August 3, told journalists today. The festival will be opened by the new film Bod obnovy, which will be released in cinemas in September. The festival will screen films by screenwriter Jan Procházka or Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.
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Photo gallery: Summer Film School in Uherské Hradiště 2023
“Exactly 60 years after the premiere of the legendary Ikaria XB1, Czech cinematography has once again seen an epic sci-fi with an original and powerful idea,” said dramaturg Jaroslav Sedláček. The story of the film is set in 2041, when humanity uses very advanced technologies and the constitution guarantees all citizens the right to “one whole life”. Thus, after an unnatural death, a person can be restored from their digital backup; but everyone must back up their restore point regularly.
However, a seemingly perfect system can cause fatal actions in the hands of irresponsible people. The film was directed by Robert Hloz and stars Andrea Mohylová, Jan Vlasák, Matěj Hádek and Václav Neužil.
“Ivan Trojan, together with the seven Czech Lions, but above all with the incredibly varied constellation of characters he portrayed, is one of the greatest acting personalities we have,” said festival program director Iva Hejlíčková. Slovak director and screenwriter Miloslav Luther will also receive the association's prize, who, according to her, enriched Czechoslovak filmmaking with acclaimed adaptations of literary works in which he examines the eternal struggle of man with power against the background of diverse historical realities.
The Summer Film School (LFŠ) is dedicating a retrospective to the director of the classic Hollywood era, Howard Hawks. The Film Reader will introduce Italian neorealism, which called for a return to the beauty of the world, the truth of things, reality in the 40s and 50s of the 20th century, instead of the beauty of images. Space will mainly be given to films shot by Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini. This year, the organizers dedicate the Icon section to director Pedro Almodóvar. The Eastern Promises section, which offers film news from Eastern Europe, will not be missing again. A retrospective of screenwriter Jan Procházka is prepared in the Czech/Slovakia block.
The director of the festival and the chairwoman of the organizing Association of Czech Film Clubs, Radana Korená, stated today that the budget for this year's event is approximately 25 million crowns, 1.5 million more than a year ago. Last year, around 4,600 accredited visitors came to LFŠ. Another 2,120 tickets were sold in packages.
The LFŠ program also includes another exhibition prepared by the Czech Press Office (ČTK), which is one of the main media partners of the festival. The new outdoor traveling exhibition is called Presidential Moments. ČTK has selected over 100 images from its archive depicting 12 Czechoslovak and Czech presidents not only in official situations, but also in less formal moments. South Moravian photojournalist Václav Šálek will also show his work at the LFŠ.
