Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth () is an annual festival of children's film in Zlín in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1961 in the former Czechoslovakia, the festival gradually gained international attention. The audience consists mainly of children and youth from the Zlín region, but also university students and adult visitors who come to late-night screenings with appropriate dramaturgy, as well as film professionals from around the world.
The anniversary 60th Zlín Film Festival took place exceptionally in September 2020.
History
The establishment of a regular film festival in Zlín was the result of efforts by local filmmakers to present their work in a local atmosphere. The first festival took place in 1961, 20 years after a previous film festival had been held in Zlín, named Film Harvest () or Zliennale. Film Harvest, held in the war years 1940–41, attracted most of the stars of that period's highly productive and internationally successful Czech and Slovak films. The main program was held in Zlín's Grand Cinema, the largest cinema in Central Europe at that time. The capacity of the building, completed in 1932, was over 2,500. The Grand Cinema is still open today, and hosts the opening ceremony of the festival.
In 1936, entrepreneur Jan Antonín Baťa founded a new film studio in the city, which gradually turned into Czechoslovakia's most prominent centre of filmmaking focused on children and youth. Film-makers such as Karel Zeman, Hermína Týrlová, Alexandr Hackenschmied, Břetislav Pojar and Josef Pinkava created their works in the Zlín film studios. The town's film-making tradition continues today in its two film schools.
Programme
The competitive sections of the festival include new films shot within the last two years. They are accompanied by films from other festivals and classic works of world cinema. Apart from the five competitive sections, the festival includes a number of informative and retrospective sections, including full-length documentary films. Each year the cinematography of one European nation showcased.
Competition Sections
International Competition of Feature Films in the Children's Category
International Competition of Feature Films in the Junior Category (over 11 years of age) International Competition of Feature Films in the Youth Category (over 15 years of age) International Competition of Short Animations for Children (up to 12 year of age) Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience Zlín Dog - International Competition of Student Films
Out-of-competition Sections
New Czech Film and TV Programmes: Presentation of Czech cinema and TV production from the year. Panorama: Informative section – presents mostly films awarded at other festivals which cannot compete in one of the competitive sections. Young Stars Films introducing young actors whom the audience can meet in person in Zlín. Limited thematic section Discover and Explore (2019) - nature, people, countries, 2020: Back to the Future (2020) - science, technology, special film effects, Literature in Film (2021) - film adaptation of the well-known books for young audience
Supporting program
Apart from the film projections, the festival offers a supporting programme of charity and entertainment, including concerts, exhibitions, public readings, and parties. The specialist part of the programme includes mostly classes, lectures and workshops. The festival also includes a supporting programme for the Film Industry.
One festival project is the Cinematrain, a railway car modified into a projection room that travels around the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a few weeks before the film festival. The festival is also the annual end of the Minisalon project - an auction of artistically rendered film. Czech artists and other celebrities design these film clapperboards during the autumn and winter. The collection of art works is then displayed and auctioned off during the film festival. The funds raised from their auction go to support student film productions.