While the Cannes Film Festival echoed to the sound of popping champagne corks, it will be beer that flows in the capital on the Vlatava, as the second Prague International Film Festival takes off tonight at the Palác Kultury with the screening of Polish director Andrzej Wajda's Wielki tydzien (The Holy Night).

"With only two or three occasions to sport your black tie, this is definitely no high society event," said festival director Martin Pachovsky. "Our ambition is to show more quality features to more people in more cinemas, as a week's alternative to the regular repertoire of exploitation films."

"At the same time we attempt to establish a meeting point for international producers who wish to use Central European locations and facilities. We realise the business does not need another film market, so we will try to become a trading place for production opportunities."

With 150 movies unspooling at the Culture Palace and five cinemas around the Václavské Namésti before the Golden Golem ceremony next Saturday (29 June), the Prague fest is organised by a private company, Bohemia Promotion, providing the CSK60 million (US$2.2 million) budget.

"This year we have only minor sponsors, but there are large companies waiting in the wings for the 1997 event. So we had better prove ourselves worthy both of their support and the FIAPF inclusion of Prague among the 10 most important festivals in the world."

To boost audience admissions Pachovsky has liaised with Ticketpro, a professional sales agency with 15 booths operating in Prague. Ticketpro handles all advance bookings until two hours before the actual performances, when tickets go on sale at the venues.

All entries in the official selection are shown twice in original versions with English or Czech subtitles, and simultanuous translations into the two languages. With a total of 300 screenings, there will be in excess of 100,000 tickets available at the box offices.

Jorn Rossing Jensen

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