FNE: When exactly did you take on your position as artistic director of the festival and how has the festival changed during that time?
OCH: I took over the position of Eva Zaoralova, now the artistic consultant of the festival, effective 1 January 2011. In addition to several smaller changes the major one is the re-launch of the East of the West competiton, which is still focused on Central and Eastern Europe, but now features brand new debuts and second films exclusively. The opening film slot of this programme has also been created.
FNE: What do you look for when selecting films for the main competitions??
OCH: I look for a smart film which has a big enough ego to challenge me. See, we festival people tend to talk about films as if they were human beings. It is a bingo if the same film offers a strong emotional experience.
FNE: What is the role of East of the West competition at KVIFF and why is it important?
OCH: Unlike the non-specialized main competitive section, the East of the West competition is a program focused on brand new films of first- and second-time directors from Central and Eastern Europe and as such one of the most important festival sections. Our aim is to introduce talented filmmakers emerging from our part of the world.
FNE: What have been the main trends in European cinema over the past 12 months and how will this be reflected in the 2013 programme???
Trends are suspicious, we try to avoid them. What we aim for is the diversity in both content and style.
FNE: KVIFF has always been known for its young audiences. Do you see this changing and if so how:
OCH: We are still blessed to have crowds of youngsters hungry to see thought-provoking films from all around the world.
FNE: What challenges does the festival face in the new digital age??
OCH: Obviously this has been a major issue during last few years. Almost all venues are now ready to screen films from DCPs. We enlarged the print traffic department...as a matter of fact, it should change the name as there are only 18 prints we screen from this year and 172 DCPs. Just to give you an idea, last year we received 82 DCPs and the year before only 15 (having pretty much the same number of films in the programme, approx. 200 titles).
FNE: FNE has become one of the top five most important European film newswires in the past five years and one of its main functions is to support cultural diversity in European film. How does the programme of KVIFF reflect European cultural diversity in film:
OCH: By presenting films from as many European countries as possible, directed by newcomers (we have a Czech film directed by an 18-years filmmaker) as well as respected doyens. Also, KVIFF closely collaborates with the LUX prize (announcing the 10 nominees) which strives for cultural diversity in the first place.
FNE: What are the biggest challenges that the festival faces over the next 5 years and how do you see the festival evolving in the future??
OCH: We have to continue working hard and remain faithful to our taste.
