27-09-2011

FESTIVALS: Lithuania Hosts Slovak New Wave

By FNE Staff

    KAUNAS, LITHUANIA: The 5th Kaunas film festival (27 September - 16 October 2011, www.kinofestivalis.lt) screens nine films in a 1960's Slovak New Wave special section, introduced by a two-part documentary from Slovak director Martin Sulik. The retrospective comes as Slovakia is riding its own current wave of success for a banner crop of new films heading to festivals around the world.

    The Kaunas retrospective features films from legendary Slovak directors Štefan Uher, Dušan Hanák, and Juraj Jakubisko among others.

    Meanwhile, Sulik's own heralded feature film, Gypsy, continues its triumphant march, earning a shot at an Oscar nomination as Slovakia's official entry. The film screens next at the Warsaw IFF (7-16 October, www.wff.pl), BFI in London, and the Pusan IFF.

    Zuzana Liova's The House also travels to London and screens at CinEast Luxembourg, along with Visible World directed by Peter Krištúfek (who picked up the best director award at the Arsenals IFF held in Riga 10-18 September), and Matchmaking Mayor directed by Erika Hníková -- one of the newer prize-winning documentaries coming out of Slovakia in recent years.