Visegrad Film Forum has announced the names of the first two guests. Renowned filmmakers Jim Stark and Eddy Joseph who have collaborated with world-class directors on dozens of notorious films such as Batman, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Casino Royale or Coffee and Cigarettes will visit Bratislava to share their expertise in informal lectures. After a two-year break, the Visegrad Film Forum will take place as an on-site event on 15-19 March 2022 at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and at the Lumière Cinema in Bratislava.
„Creating a space for aspiring filmmakers and film enthusiasts to peek behind the „film curtain“ – behind the scenes of how a film is made – has always been our goal. The pandemic situation has prevented us from realizing this as a live event in recent years, but we believe that despite the recurring adversity we will prepare the next edition during March 2022 at the best possible quality level and in a safe form for every guest and participant“ says event director Jakub Viktorín.
The producer`s role in independent filmmaking
Producer Jim Stark has helped many iconic independent directors and their films come to light. Early in his career, he worked with director Jim Jarmusch on Down by Law (1986), Mystery Train (1989), Night on Earth (1991), and produced two vignettes from Coffee and Cigarettes (1986). He also collaborated on La Gomera (2019), which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and Foxtrot (2019), which won the Silver Lion at Venice.
The unique atmosphere of the film, enhanced by the sound
Sound engineer Eddy Joseph is the recipient of a BAFTA for sound in the film directed by Alan Parker, Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), and several nominations for Flight 93 (2006), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Quantum of Solace (2008). He has more than 70 feature films to his credit, including iconic films such as Batman (1989), Casino Royale (2006) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) among others.
What is the Visegrad Film Forum?
The Visegrad Film Forum is a networking and educational event bringing together film students and professionals from the film industry on an international level. It constitutes a platform for discussion about what goes behind the making of a film and also about current trends in cinema. Over five days, it will offer a rich audiovisual programme of lectures and screenings accompanied by debates with renowned filmmakers.
International participation of partner schools
The Visegrad Film Forum will once again present student projects from partner film schools. The meetings that will follow the screenings will provide a space for students to discuss not only the films, but also the filmmaking conditions and the system of teaching at the selected schools. In addition to the co-organiser, the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, the V4 partner schools will include the Film Academy of Miroslav Ondříček in Písek (FAMO), the Eszterházy Károly University in Eger and the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia in Katowice. Four more partner schools will soon be announced by the organisers.
The Visegrad Film Forum (VFF) will be held in parallel with the FEBIOFEST Bratislava International Film Festival, which will take place from 16-22 March 2022. Accreditations purchased at the VFF will also be valid for events organised within the framework of Febiofest. VFF accreditations can be purchased in advance for a discounted price.
Current pandemic measures
The Visegrad Film Forum will take place as an on-site event in compliance with current pandemic measures, which will be closely monitored by the organisers, and all participants will be informed of their development.
