Welcome to the 2nd Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA), taking place not just in Melbourne, but in Sydney too. On which note, welcome also to the team from IKSIMA Films, co-producers for the Sydney leg of our expanding festival.
A theme of “resistance” informs this year’s program, as 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the non-violent “Velvet Revolution” in Czechoslovakia. CaSFFA will celebrate these momentous events with Czech and Slovak films of all kinds – features, shorts, documentaries and animations, present day hits as well as 1960s New Wave classics, an extraordinary HBO Europe mini-series (Burning Bush) and a retrospective of one of the cinema’s great iconoclasts, Jan Švankmajer. Complementary exhibitions will further explore the people and ideas behind resistance, in its many guises across multiple eras, within the Czech and Slovak lands.
Whether it’s in Melbourne or in Sydney you attend this year’s festival, it is my hope that you will find our many and varied offerings this year thought-provoking, moving, tremendously enjoyable and, in the first instance… irresistible.
Cerise Howard, Artistic Director
The CaSFFA Team Melbourne
Artistic Director | Cerise Howard
Producer | Brendan Black
Finance Manager | Denisa Sehnalová
Marketing and Brand Manager | Linda Studená
Communications | Jana Ridillová
PR and Publicity | Rochelle Siemienowicz, Olivia Hărşan, Lenka Hadravová, Sofie Ham
Classification | Carmen Reid, Lilliana Hajncl, Olivia Hărşan, Sofie Ham, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Jessica Mitchell
Community Liaison | Miriam Fletcher
Volunteers Coordinator | Jack Russo
Exhibition Curator | Carmen Reid
Program Editor | Cerise Howard
CaSFFA Co-producer (Sydney)
IKSIMA Films and its team
Producer | Ika de Detrich
Producer, Slovakia | Silvia Panáková
Festival Coordinator, Czech Republic | Martina Vacková
Festival Trailer
Animation | Dean McInerney
Sound Effects | Rod Cooper
Technical Support | Georgie Pinn
Audio Production | Brendan Black
Robert Kirchhoff
Born in 1968, Slovak director and producer Robert Kirchhoff is a founder and CEO of atelier.doc Ltd. (www.atelierdoc.sk). His latest film Normalization screens in this year’s festival. He leads courses at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in Directing Documentary Film and Auteur Documentary Film.
Adam Hradilek
Head of the Oral History Group at the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in Prague since 2008. In 2010 he edited a monograph, For Your Freedom and Ours, a collection of interviews and essays on protests against the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia in Warsaw Pact countries.
Alexandra Strelkova
Director of the National Cinematographic Centre of the Slovak Film Institute, in charge of Slovak film promotion. She is a member of the Slovak Film and Television Academy and the representative of the Slovak Film Institute in the European Film Promotion.
The Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia and IKSIMA Films wish to acknowledge their tremendous appreciation for the support they have received from the Vice-Consul of the Czech Republic in Sydney, Šárka Ponroy Vamberová, and for the patronage of the Slovak Minister of Culture, Marek Maďarič and Czech film director, Jan Hřebejk.
The 2nd Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia is proudly supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Our consulate in Sydney has been preparing an exhibition and presentations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which will also be reflected in the film programming.
There is a strong Czech and Slovak community in both cities, ensuring a solid base of moviegoers. The festival has become the most important cultural event for the community and a showcase of the two republics’ film art for the Australian public.
I will be happy to personally open the inaugural Sydney leg of the festival.
Martin Pohl
Ambassador of the Czech Republic
The Embassy of the Slovak Republic is pleased to support the 2nd Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. We believe that the festival creates a unique opportunity to present part of our culture to a wide Australian and expatriate audience and to promote cultural diversity among our nations. We hope that the festival will inspire people to visit our beautiful, culturally rich country in the middle of Europe – Slovakia.
Igor Bartho
Ambassador of the Slovak Republic
Following the successful inauguration of the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA) last year in Melbourne, it is with great pleasure that I welcome its 2nd edition, extended, for the first time, to include Sydney.
The festival will be taking place on the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and the fall of communism in central and Eastern Europe, which will inspire the focus of the festival. It presents an excellent opportunity to remind ourselves of this momentous event in history and, at the same time, to showcase the very best of our filmmaking to a country which is also known for its love of cinema.
I know from experience that there is great demand for Czech and Slovak films in Australia. During several visits, when my films have been screened there and, to my delight, won prizes, I saw that there was interest not only from the Czech and Slovak communities but also from Australians.
Audiences will no doubt welcome if, in the future, the festival is expanded to other cities and, conversely, reciprocal festival screenings in Prague of Australian films become a regular place to ‘meet’ Australia.
It is therefore my honour and pleasure to support these reciprocal festivals. I wish both events much luck and success.
Jan Hřebejk
Czech film director
To showcase, celebrate and promote a contextualised range of classic and modern Czech and Slovak live-action and animated films to Australasian and expatriate audiences through a yearly, not-for-profit arts festival.
To encourage active participation in and from the Czech and Slovak communities for the advancement of their culture in Australasia.
To cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships with Czech, Slovak and local businesses and cultural organisations.
Adam Hradilek, Adrian Danks, Alexandra Strelková, Alister Karl, Amanda Bell, Amanda Lauder, Andrej Bučko, Anna Petrášová, Antina Ittner, Barbora Greplová, Bec Matthews, Beth Evans, Biba Bohinská, Chloe Schnell, Chris Barwick, Chris Bielen, Claire Gandy, Conny Dietzschold, Czech & Slovak School of Sydney, Daniel Vadocký, Daniela Hurábová, David Buchler, David Tiley, Deborah Szapiro, Dylan Bird, Dylan Rainforth, Eloise Ross, Emma Mayall, Erik Panák, Eva Přibylová, Greg Hamilton, Guillaume Roux, Hana & Avni Sali, Hani Stolina, Ian Aaron, Igor Bartho, Information Planet, Ing. Jana Tomková, Ing. Jozef Brngál, Isabella B., Jakub Beseda, James Johnstone, Jan Herget, Jan Hřebejk, Jan Švankmajer, Jan Urban, Jessica Mitchell, Jim Knox, Katrina Wilson O’Brien, Kelli Keating, Kendyl Rossi, Kim Stone & Greg Noble, Klára Vysloužilová, Komisia Audiovizuálneho fondu SR (Slovak Audiovisual Fund Commission), Lauren Taylor, Lee Farrell, Lenka Allen, Lisa Goldsworthy, Litia Kirwin, Louise Sheedy, Luke Stephens, Magda Dąbrowa, Marek Maďarič, Mark Cummins, Markéta Šantrochová, Martin Pohl, Martin Šmatlák, Matthew Rive, Megan Sloley, Melody Henderson, Michael Koller, Michael Scott, Michaela Mertová, Michelle Carey, Mike Shuttleworth, Milan Beseda, Milan Kantor, Milan Neklapil, Mr Dusan Kren (President of the CzechoSlovakian Country Club), Pavel Valter, Pavla Kallistová, Pepca Stejskal, Peter Marko, Peter Švehla, Radovan Holub, Reece Goodwin, Renee Dudfield, Renzo Colla, Richard Bejsak, Richard Watts, Robert Kirchhoff, Ron Bolitho, Roxane Persehais, Ruth Hurley, Sabina Poláková, Samuel Maher, Sandie Frost, Sarah Ward, Šárka Ponroy Vamberová, SBS Czech Program, SBS Radio, Scott Ferguson, Stephen Hahn, Tereza Hejretova, The Smurf, Thomas Caldwell, Vardos, Vince Arnone, Wingdings, World View, Zuzana Fraňová, Zuzana Golianová, Zuzana Vasitch and our GENEROUS SPONSORS, AMAZING CROWDFUNDERS and WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS!
