December 18, 2023

Tariq Anwar, editor of such films as American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, or The King’s Speech, laureate of two BAFTAs and two-time Academy Award nominee; Rúnar Rúnarsson, one of the most awarded short film directors of our time, holder of the Palme d’Or, the European Film Award, and one Oscar nomination. These and many other acclaimed filmmakers will be coming to Bratislava for the Visegrad Film Forum, a four-day event filled with informal meetings and discussions, lectures, and film screenings.

The Visegrad Film Forum provides informal education and networking opportunities for a broad international audience. Participants will enjoy four amazing days of learning and networking, student film screenings, masterclasses with renowned experts, case studies of interesting film projects, and discussions. “We are glad that, ten years into its existence, the Visegrad Film Forum continues to provide a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and motivation between established filmmakers and those who are only just starting out in the industry, or those who want a sneak peek into the making of exceptional films,” says director of the Visegrad Film Forum, Jakub Viktorín.

Collecting pieces of reality

Rúnar Rúnarsson is an acclaimed Icelandic screenwriter and director. Nominated for an Oscar in 2006 and the Palme d’Or and European Film Award in 2008, Rúnar is probably the most awarded short film director of his time. He made his feature debut with Volcano (2011), which was selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. Volcano went on to become a festival darling, collecting 17 international awards. Rúnar’s latest feature film, Echo (2019), won two awards in Locarno. Rúnar was also screenwriter for Solitude (2023), an Icelandic-Slovak-French co-production premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Solitude will be a part of the festival programme.

Making the material work in a way that wasn’t intended

Tariq Anwar is an Indian-born British-American film editor. Over his 40-year career,

he has edited an assortment of films, from BBC documentaries to fiction films such as the Oscar-winning American Beauty (1999), The Good Shepherd (2006), Revolutionary Road (2008), and Law-Abiding Citizen (2009). Tariq has worked with some of the world’s top directors, including Mike Newell, Franco Zeffirelli, Nick Hytner, Sam Mendes, Danny Boyle, and Robert De Niro. He has received numerous awards, including two BAFTAs and the European Film Award – Best European Editor for The King’s Speech (2010). He also holds two Academy Award nominations, for The King’s Speech and American Beauty.

Creating different (film) worlds

Peter Suschitzky, A.S.C. is a British cinematographer and photographer. Peter was director of photography on more than 50 films, among his most known works are cult classics as Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Mars Attacks! (1996) and the later films of David Cronenberg since 1988 Crash (1996), eXistenZ (1999) or Eastern Promises (2007). He got a BAFTA award nomination and was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival with the Pierre Angénieux “Excellens” in Cinematography Award.

Involvement of V4 partner schools

The Visegrad Film Forum will once again present films by students from its partner film schools. The screenings will be followed by discussions about cinematography as a whole, about the circumstances under which the individual films emerged, and about the professional training provided at the selected educational institutions. The following V4 schools will be taking part in the event: ELTE, Budapest, Hungary; UTB Zlín, Czech Republic; Lodz Film School, Poland; VŠMU Bratislava, Slovakia.

Get the Cinepass for special price

Since 2019, the Visegrad Film Forum has been in close collaboration with the Febiofest Bratislava International Film Festival (March 13–16). Cinepasses purchased for the VFF are also valid for Febiofest. The Cinepass Christmas Edition, valid for both events, is currently available for pre-purchase at a reduced price of 15 EUR. To buy your Cinepass, follow the link below.