In 2026, Prague’s Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts, known internationally as FAMU, is marking 80 years since its founding. Established in 1946, FAMU is one of the world’s oldest film schools and has played a central role in shaping Czech and Central European cinema, while also influencing international film culture through its alumni and teaching methods.
The anniversary comes at a moment when the school continues to balance its historical legacy with a changing audiovisual landscape. Over eight decades, FAMU has trained generations of directors, cinematographers, editors, producers and screenwriters, many of whom have gone on to define key movements in European cinema or build international careers. At the same time, the school has expanded its focus to include animation, documentary, audiovisual studies and international programs taught in English.
To mark the milestone, FAMU has prepared a yearlong program of screenings, discussions, distribution projects and multimedia events. Rather than a single commemorative moment, the anniversary is structured as an ongoing reflection on how the school’s past and present intersect, and how its work continues to resonate beyond the classroom.
A year of screenings and dialogue
The backbone of FAMU’s anniversary program is Best of FAMU, a regular screening series hosted at Prague’s Ponrepo cinema throughout 2026. Each evening will focus on a different department within the school, presenting curated selections that trace artistic approaches across decades while placing historical works alongside more recent student films.
The series opens Jan. 28 with a program titled FAMU on FAMU, a collection of films in which students reflect on the school itself across different historical and social contexts. The selection highlights how FAMU has functioned not only as an educational institution, but also as a shared social space shaped by everyday life, creative conflict and humor.
Among the featured works is Academy Newsreel (Žurnál FAMU: První občasník, 1961), a collective journal film created by Věra Chytilová, Jiří Menzel, and others, which became a touchstone of early 1960s student filmmaking in Czechoslovakia. The program also includes Zvukový film o FAMU (1969), a historical mosaic offering a behind-the-scenes look at the obligations and routines of aspiring filmmakers during a period of political and cultural change.
Each screening evening will be accompanied by discussions with filmmakers and educators connected to the school. Guests scheduled for the opening event include director Václav Marhoul, cinematographer Ivan Šlapeta and documentary filmmaker Helena Třeštíková, among others. Two of the Best of FAMU evenings will be curated by the Academy’s sister faculties, DAMU and HAMU, reflecting the broader interdisciplinary environment of the Academy of Performing Arts.
FAMU Dean David Čeněk said the anniversary is intended to emphasize continuity rather than nostalgia. “Eighty years of FAMU is a reminder of a rich past, but also confirmation of a living continuity,” he said, noting that the school has consistently offered space for independent creative thinking while remaining open to international exchange.
International reach and a multimedia culmination
Beyond Prague cinemas, the anniversary will extend to festivals, television and international distribution. A special domestic and international compilation titled Best of FAMU 80 is scheduled to premiere in October 2026, when the anniversary celebrations will reach their peak. Curated by members of the research team led by Professor Jiří Voráč, the program is designed to introduce FAMU student work to audiences outside the Czech Republic, continuing the school’s long-standing emphasis on global visibility.
Additional anniversary programming is planned for selected Czech film festivals, further integrating student and alumni work into existing industry and public platforms. According to Vice Dean for External Relations and Development Vít Schmarc, the goal is to situate FAMU’s anniversary where audiovisual culture naturally lives. “This is not a closed cycle of reminders of a famous past,” he said. “It is about opening the doors to everyone who wants to celebrate film and audiovisual art as essential to how we perceive the world.”
The anniversary year will culminate Oct. 9, 2026, with a large-scale multimedia event titled FAMU at ARCHA+. The evening-long program will combine exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and other audiovisual forms, bringing together multiple generations of students, graduates and collaborators in a single space.
Partners for the anniversary include the Czech Ministry of Culture, the National Film Archive, Kino Ponrepo, ARCHA+, the Czech Centre in Paris and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Czech Television serves as the main media partner.
