One of the oldest and most prestigious film schools in the world, FAMU (the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague) will be presenting their annual student film festival FAMUFEST this week from November 13 – 18.
The largest event of its kind in the Czech Republic, a selection of shorts and feature-length films from FAMU students and graduates along with an accompanying program will be presented throughout the week at Prague cinemas Kino Světozor, Kino Lucerna, Studentská Hybernská, and FAMU itself.
From Tuesday through Friday, blocks of short and feature-length films screening in and out of competition will overtake the daily offerings at Kino Světozor, with tickets available for 120 CZK.
The opening ceremony will take place today, November 13, at Kino Lucerna from 19:30, hosted by Czech actress Simona Babčáková and featuring FAMU Dean Zdeněk Holý and the creative team behind the festival.
At the opening ceremony, a lifetime achievement award will be presented to a “prominent person within the film industry” whose name has yet to be announced.
And just because FAMUFEST showcases student films doesn’t mean their quality should be expected to be any lower than those at other film festivals.
After the opening ceremony will be a screening of Out, the feature-length graduation project of FAMU grad György Kristóf, which had its world premiere in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes film festival earlier this year.
Two prominent guests will also be in attendance at this year’s festival, and will host two special master classes later in the week.
Screenwriter and director Barry W. Blaustein (Coming to America, The Nutty Professor) will be giving a master class titled ‘How to Survive Hollywood’ (Tuesday, November 14 from 18:30).
And on Thursday, November 16 from 17:30, Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson (Volcano, Sparrows) will hold a class on ‘How to Work with an Actor’.
The festival’s closing ceremony will take place at Kino Světozor on Friday, November 17 from 19:00.
