The 14th edition of the Noir Film Festival will return to Český Šternberk Castle later this month, once again transforming the medieval landmark into one of Europe’s most distinctive destinations for classic crime cinema. Running from Aug. 19-22, the festival will present nearly 50 screenings alongside discussions, exhibitions and live events across the castle grounds and the nearby Kino Sokol.
Over more than a decade, the festival has established itself as a unique showcase for film noir, exploring not only Hollywood classics but also British, European and Czechoslovak interpretations of the genre. This year’s program continues that approach with retrospectives, anniversary screenings and thematic sections that connect noir with literature, history and contemporary Czech film culture.
Rare retrospectives and new thematic sections
One of the festival’s central retrospectives celebrates director Joseph H. Lewis, whose stylish low-budget productions helped define American noir in the late 1940s and 1950s. The program includes his best-known works, Gun Crazy (1949) and The Big Combo (1955), along with several lesser-known titles, including A Lady Without Passport (1950), starring Hedy Lamarr.
Another major focus examines the many screen interpretations of detective Philip Marlowe, the iconic private investigator created by novelist Raymond Chandler. The selection spans several decades and actors, including The Brasher Doubloon (1947), Lady in the Lake (1947), and Farewell, My Lovely (1975), starring Robert Mitchum.
British noir also receives special attention this year, with a program presented under the patronage of British Ambassador Matt Field. Featured films include Gaslight (1940), Obsession (1949) and Hunted (1952), highlighting how British filmmakers adapted noir conventions beyond their American origins.
Perhaps the festival’s most unusual addition is a new section exploring connections between William Shakespeare and noir storytelling. Rather than focusing on visual style alone, the program examines themes shared by Shakespeare’s tragedies and classic noir, including crime, moral ambiguity, doomed romance and fatalism.
The festival’s annual actor tributes honor two performers whose careers reflected very different paths through Hollywood. Welsh actor Ray Milland, who won the Academy Award for The Lost Weekend (1945), will be remembered through Alias Nick Beal (1949), in which he portrays the Devil in a supernatural noir.
The second tribute celebrates Cathy O’Donnell, whose performances helped define postwar American noir. The festival will screen Side Street (1950), reuniting O’Donnell with Farley Granger after their acclaimed collaboration in They Live by Night (1949). O’Donnell later appeared in Ben-Hur (1959) before her career was cut short by cancer at age 46.
Czech noir and accessible castle screenings
Czechoslovak cinema again occupies an important place in this year’s program, with a section highlighting psychological crime dramas and darker works from the postwar and communist eras.
Among the featured titles is Christmas with Elizabeth (Vánoce s Alžbětou, 1968), directed by Karel Kachyňa, which will also receive a ceremonial DVD launch during the festival. Other selections include Snowstorm (1962), Shadows of a Hot Summer (Stíny horkého léta, 1977), Seven Witnesses (Sedem svedkov, 1967) and The Sign of the Anchor (Znamení kotvy, 1947), demonstrating how noir themes developed within Czechoslovak filmmaking despite very different historical and political circumstances.
The festival’s most ambitious event takes place Friday evening in the castle’s private upper courtyard. The program opens with the 1968 documentary Black Days (Čierne dni), accompanied by a live musical performance by saxophonist Kamil Janský and guitarist Joe Karafiát. It will be followed by Christmas with Elizabeth, presented with live audio description through headphones for blind and visually impaired audiences.
Organizers say the screening has been designed as a shared cinematic experience for both sighted and visually impaired visitors. Both films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles, reflecting the festival’s growing international audience.
The final program section, special screenings, combines anniversaries, restored works and contemporary productions. Highlights include Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, Mona Lisa (1986) on its 40th anniversary, William Friedkin’s Sorcerer (1977), and selected episodes from the Czech television series Monyová, starring Tereza Ramba.
The festival will also remember longtime supporter Hana Maciuchová with a screening of the 1975 television film Open Your Eyes. Actors Petr Kostka, Marta Vančurová and Tomáš Hanák are among this year’s festival patrons.
More information about this year’s fest and a full program can be found at the official Noir Film Festival website.
