Films in the program

This years European competition program at Arras Film Festival features French premiere of Waves (CZ, SK) by Jiří Mádl. In his third feature film, a former Czech Film Springboard project, the actor-turned-director Jiří Mádl (To See the Sea, On the Roof) delves into the dramatic events of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia from the point of view of journalists working in the International Editorial Office of Czechoslovak Radio. The film is a co-production between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Monika Kristlová of the Czech production outfit Dawson Films is the main producer and the co-producers include Slovak Wandal Production and Czech Television. The film premiered at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) as a part of the Special Screenings section, where it garnered the Právo Audience Award and also the Blue Cube Award awarded by the energy company innogy. Waves will also represent the Czech Republic as the official submission for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category (more here). The Czech Film Fund supported the film with the amount of €620,000.

Living Large (CZ, SK, FR), a colorful puppet animation by Kristina Dufková, addressing the topic of teenage overweight in a sensitive coming-of-age story based on the book by French author Mikaël Ollivier was selected for the kid's program at Arras, thus prolonging its successful run around the prestigious world festivals. After the world premiere at the Annecy IAFF, where the film garnered the Contrechamp Jury Award, one of the two prizes awarded in the Contrechamp competition, which complements the Official Competition, the film found its way into the program of the 26th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), ranking among the biggest film festivals in Asia, and was also showcased – in its Czech premiere – at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Recently, it was awarded at the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival for children and young audiences and nominated for the European Film Award. Living Large is produced by Matěj Chlupáček of Barletta and co-produced by Czech Television, NOVINSKI (SK), and Novanima Productions (FR). The Czech Film Fund supported the film with the amount of €347,000.

After Party, a debut feature by Vojtěch Strakatý, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year, is the first of three Czech films selected for the East Visions section. After Party centers on Jindřiška, a 23-year-old woman whose life begins to unravel when she discovers her father's crippling debts, which threaten their family home. Following a night of partying, Jindřiška faces a tumultuous 24 hours as she grapples with the imminent seizure of their possessions. She must navigate saving what remains, evading loan sharks searching for her missing father, and reconciling with the jeopardy the situation poses to her plans, including studying in England. Jindřiška is supported by her best friend, the free-spirited Karolína, who unexpectedly becomes the voice of reason amidst the chaos. Karolína's guidance helps Jindřiška confront their existential crisis and the precariousness of their situation. After Party is produced by young producer Marek Novák of Xova Film, who was selected for the prestigious Berlinale Talents program with Strakatý’s project. The project was also presented at Czech Film Springboard industry program organized by the Czech Film Center at the Finále Plzeň Festival in 2019. In addition, After Party is co-produced by i/o post, Studio BEEP, and Czech Television, with support from the Czech Film Fund amounting to €236,000. The film will have its Czech premiere in Arras.

Another film selected for the East Visions program is the Year of the Widow (CZ, SK, HR), a feature debut by documentarist Veronika Lišková (The Visitors), which opened the Finále Plzeň Film Festival this year and will see its French premiere at Arras. The film follows Petra, a young widow, as she navigates deep grief and bureaucratic challenges after a sudden loss. As the film progresses, it broadens into an exploration of coping, societal norms, and individual autonomy. Year of the Widow is produced by Tomáš Michálek and Kristýna Michálek Květová of Cinémotif Films in co-production with Slovakia and Crotia. The Czech Film Fund supported the production of the film with 368,000 EUR.

The last film in the East Visions program is Jiří Havelka's (Emergency Situation, Owners) latest feature, The Gardener's Year.  In Havelska's film, a gardener and his wife live peacefully at the foot of a hill, caring for their small garden. But their quiet life is disturbed when a new owner moves into the nearby castle and tries to buy all the land around, including theirs. When the gardener refuses to sell, the new owner becomes aggressive, putting up a razor-wire fence and blocking their access road. Due to the police and the mayor failing to help, the gardener decides to fight back and protect their home. The film is produced by Jiří Tuček through his production and distribution outfit DonArt Film in co-production with Czech Television, and got support from the Czech Film Fund for script development. Havelka's film will have its Czech premiere in Arras.

Eastern Selection program showcases the French premiere of the co-production family film Block 5 (SI, CZ, HR, RS) by Slovenian multi-genre director and producer Klemen Dvornik, produced by Barbara Daljavec and Branislav Srdić of A Atalanta and co-produced by Jakub Rálek of BFILM.cz on the Czech side. The film tells the story of the twelve-year-old Mia, who realizes that the playground near her new block will be turned into a parking lot. To save the playground from its immediate obliteration, Mia teams up with local skateboarders led by Rudi. Block 5 is Dvornik's fifth feature film. His biggest international success so far was the TV series The Lake (2019), which premiered globally at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Block 5 was supported by the Czech Film Fund within the minority co-production scheme with 79,000 EUR.

Same program also features the French premiere of The Hungarian Dressmaker, a drama set during the WW2 by celebrated Slovak director Iveta Grófová (Crystal Bear-winning Little Harbour). Grófová's film tells a story of Marika, a Hungarian widow dressmaker, who shelters a Jewish boy in her home on the Slovak-Hungarian border during the turbulent years of WW2 and Wartime Slovak State. Grófová casted in the titular role EFA European Actress of 2017 Alexandra Borbély. The film is produced by Zuzana Mistríková's PubRes in Slovakia and Ondřej Trojan's TotalHelpArt T.H.A. in Czech Republic, in co-production with Campfilm, RTVS, Fortuna Film und TV and Czech Television. The Czech Film Fund supported the film within the minority co-production scheme in the amount of EUR 116,000.

ArrasDays

For more than 20 years, the Arras Film Festival has been striving to highlight European cinema talents and to reveal new authors, notably through its competition and its industry platform ArrasDays. The ArrasDays aim to create international partnerships for co-productions, allowing directors, producers, distributors, buyers, and festival managers to meet during project presentations and round tables. The ArrasDays Jury, composed of three film professionals, awards two grants for the development of films: a €7500 grant (endowed by the Arras Film Festival) and a €5000 grant (endowed by the City of Arras).

The main pitching of 2024 ArrasDays features one Czech project, Veronika Lišková's upcoming feature documentary My Other Perfect Me (CZ, SK, IT) centering on Tereza Marečková, an award-winning actress and musician, and her struggle with eating disorder. The project will be presented by the director along with the main producer Kristýna Michálek Květová of Cinémotif Films.

As a focus country this year, the Czech Republic also hosts a special presentation dedicated to Czech films on Sunday, November 17, featuring the following 5 projects:

Europa (in development) – presented by director Jan Gebert
In Good Faith (in development) – presented by producer Tomáš Pertold (Perfilm)
Hotel Moldau (in development) – presented by producer Petr Oplatka (Strairway Films) & director Jan Švejkar
Three Weeks Under the Sea (in post-production) – presented by producer Miloš Lochman (moloko film)
Wirbel (post-production) – presented by producer Jan Macola (Mimesis Film)

This program was financially supported by the Czech Film Fund.

About Arras Film Festival

From the very outset, the Arras Film Festival has opened up to European cinema (90% of the films screened), with a leaning toward the countries of Eastern and Nothern Europe. Its main objectives are to support the European creation, and circulation of films. Every year, for 10 days in November, the Arras Film Festival offers a program of 120 feature films to more than 50,000 spectators.

The Festival discovers and highlights new European talents, who participate in European Competition, East Vision section, and European Discoveries. World Cinemas section promotes European co-productions and a large selection of previews presents films intended for a large audience. For children and their families, the Festival offers films appropriate to these age groups, as well as educational activities, and a diversity of workshops. Tributes to celebrated European talents and thematic retrospectives provide a unique opportunity to explore cinema history. Film screenings are enriched with Q&A sessions, round-table discussions, and master classes.