International Film Festival For Children And Youth Zlin

The Zlin Film Festival, one of the oldest and biggest devoted to films for children and youth, kicked off its celebrations yesterday in high style. In truth, the Festival has two openings….the first occurs during the day with an audience packed with local children. They (and assembled adults) were treated to the world premiere of IN THE DUVET, the first 3D film produced in the Czech Republic. The musical mystery tour featured original songs from one of the country’s best pop composers and stylish digital effects, all with the sweetness of a story about the nightmares and dreams that share space under the duvet covers of a young child’s bed.In the evening, the more dress-up Opening occurred, with the local premiere of THE RUNWAY, a cross-cultural comedy/drama based on a true story, adapted by Irish writer/director Ian Power, who makes his feature debut with the film. THE RUNWAY is inspired by the true story of a South American pilot who crashed his plane near Mallow, a forgotten small town in Ireland’s County Cork in 1983. He is lucky to crash near the home of Paco, a fatherless boy who at least speaks a few words of Spanish. The troubled young lad offers the pilot a safe haven in his home, which he shares with his emotionally hungry mother. Against all odds, he convinces the town to build a runway and rebuild the airplane so the pilot can return to his homeland. The way that the town’s rabble, including an ambitious mayor and a zonked-out pirate radio dj, come together to help a total stranger captures the imagination of an entire nation.

The film’s charamatic lead, Mexican actor Demian Bichir, was present at the screening, held at the Grand Cinema, one of Eastern Europe’s last remaining movie palaces, as was Jamie Kierans who plays the young boy with a mix of spunk, determination and moody wistfulness. The film, which contains some adult content about the love-starved mother, the political ambitions of the mayor and the ways that the country as a whole ignores the citizens in its smallest corners, still ends on a rousing note. As the repaired airplane and the grateful pilot fly into the skies, everyone has been changed by this unexpected cross-cultural encounter. The exiting crowd also was requested to look up into the skies, not for any South American aircraft, but for the traditional fireworks display that officially opens the Festival. As the sultry day finally found a cool evening, the outdoors were quite welcome after sitting in a theater build long before the advent of air conditioning.

Petr Koliha

Once the fireworks concluded, the crowd entered the Moskva Hotel, one of the official venues of the Festival, for a festive Opening Night party. Festival artistic director Petr Koliha welcomed the crowd, which was a mix of filmmakers, visiting professionals and local cultural, governmental and social figures, with his characteristic low-key charm. “In this, our 51st year, we are stressed both the fifty and the one”, Koliha declared. “The 50 is for the traditions that we still hold dear as one of the oldest festivals in Europe”, he continued, “but the one is also very important, since it  points to several new things we are introducing this year and the beginnings of what we hope will be another 50 year adventure here in Zlin.” The party continued into the wee hours, with live music, smorgasboards of local delicacies and fine wines and spirits. The Zlin marathon is now officially on………..Sandy Mandelberger, Zlin Festival Dailies Editor