CzechTourism Joins Forces with Cinematik for the 2025 International Film Festival!
The Meeting Point Europe award has been given to the German drama Looking into the Sun (In die Sonne schauen) directed by Maschi Schilinski. This film follows four girls – Alma, Erika, Angelika, and Lenka – as they navigate their youth on a farm in northern Germany. The changing house echoes with memories, and despite the passage of time, their lives begin to intertwine. Maschi Schilinski, a directing revelation of the decade, has crafted a captivating family saga that impressed the jury at the Cinematik IFF.
The second competition section, Cinematik.doc, focuses on local talent, with only Slovak documentary filmmakers vying for the prizes. The Cinematik.doc Literary Fund Award was awarded to Martin Kollár for his Slovak-Czech film Letopis. This film captures everyday stories, creating a collective portrait of contemporary life. It’s not just a document of the present but serves as an archive for the future. Through its visuals, it reveals the absurd routines and peculiar habits of life, prompting viewers to reflect on our reliance on systems we often question. Letters presents a fresh perspective on our choices, encouraging contemplation of our actions in the present. The jury — Ester Geislerová (Czech Republic), Daniela Hanusová (Slovakia), and Daniel Rihák (Slovakia) — lauded the film for its “exceptional visual sensitivity that invites us to slow down and shows how focused observation can reveal the subtle connections between the absurdities of everyday life and broader social structures.”
The Piešt’any Mayor’s Award went to director Miro Remo for his Czech-Slovak documentary Radier to go mad in the wilderness. This film features inseparable twins Franta and Ondra, who live away from civilization immersed in nature. Their tranquil daily life begins to fracture under internal pressures — Franta craves freedom and adventure, while Ondra clings to the security of routine. Their dual existence shatters like a mirror—similar in appearance but different in desires. The jury highlighted the film’s “extraordinarily free, playful, and imaginative cinematic language, which, like a roller coaster of emotions, presents the world of twins living outside civilization in all its poetry, prose, gentle reverie, and stark rawness.”
Festival audiences also cast their votes for their favorite films, with over fifteen thousand ballots submitted. The Audience Award of the 20th Cinematik was awarded to the Czech-Slovak documentary The Great Patriotic Trip, directed by Robin Kvapil. Do you think the war in Ukraine is a hoax? That the media misrepresents the realities and consequences of the “special military operation” in Ukraine? These were the questions posed by Kvapil, leading to conversations with sixty individuals challenging the Russian invasion. Three of them, identifying as “desolates” and supporters of Vladimir Putin, ultimately traveled to the Donbas with a crew.
The CzechTourism agency set up an informational stand in the foyer of the House of Arts during the festival. Among its materials was a roll-up that encouraged attendees to explore the capital city while referencing Dan Brown’s novel set in Prague.
Before each screening of Czech or co-produced films featuring Czech participation, a promotional spot from the CzechTourism agency was shown. This spot was also featured during the closing night and award ceremony, as well as for films like Radier to go mad in the wilderness by Miro Remo, Father by Tereza Nvotová, Caravan by Zuzana Kirchnerová, The Great Patriotic Trip by Robin Kvapil, Summer School 2001 by Duzan Duong, and in a separate block of FAMU student films.
“A significant part of Slovak films are co-produced with Czech producers, as we share common themes, history, and linguistic proximity. No political circumstances can weaken the strong ties between our two countries. Czech and Slovak cinema are naturally linked and have been enriching one another for a long time. At Cinematik, we regularly showcase films made through the collaborative efforts of Czech and Slovak filmmakers. We are thankful for the support of CzechTourism, enabling us to present quality films to our audience while also building cultural bridges that illustrate how closely connected our countries are both on and off the screen,” said Tomáš Klenovský, Director of the Cinematik Film Festival.
The 21st edition of the Cinematik IFF will be held in September 2026.
