Prague film festival pays homage to Moretti and Dresen

by Viktor Palak

20/03/2012 - The 19th Prague Film Festival or Febiofest will start in the Czech capital on Thursday March 22 with screenings including that of Habemus Papam [trailer, film focus], whose director and upcoming Cannes film festival Jury President Nanni Moretti will attend. Moretti will also receive the festival´s award for contribution to world cinema and the tribute will include screenings of his other works. Andreas Dresen is also to present a collection of his films, as is Lech Majewski, in another of the festival´s homages.

French actress and director Sandrine Bonnaire will show her directing debut Elle s'appelle Sabine [trailer] (2007). Agnieszka Holland, currently involved in the production of HBO´s mini-series about Czech martyr Jan Palach, is also scheduled to attend. The festival will also be presenting the films of Garin Nugroho, whose work has previously been screened at the traditional Seminar of Asian Films in Veseli nad Moravou, an event that has now been discontinued.

The festival also has its competitive section featuring 12 films by European newcomers. A winner will be chosen by a jury of 33 members selected from the general public and will be presided by Miroslav Ondricek, an Academy-award nominated cinematographer and collaborator on the films by Milos Forman, Lindsay Anderson and Mike Nichols. The winning film will later be released in Czech cinemas, as was The Christening [trailer, film focus] by Maciej Wrona, which won in Prague last year.

The Prague Film Festival runs from March 22-30 and will then start its run in regional cinemas in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.