The Czech papers have remained fairly quiet about the festival during the run up to this year's event.

However, HospodáÞské noviny devotes a full page of its colour weekend supplement to an interview with JiÞí Samek, chairman of Bohemia Promotion, the festival's organiser, and fest director Martin Pachovskù.

Samek says Bohemia Promotion wants to "save the festival for the Czech Republic".

Samek insists that the festival is chiefly a cultural event, however, given the fact that film attracts 90% of the population all over the world, it becomes an interesting marketing tool.

The fest is being funded mainly by Bohemia itself and a series of prominent sponsors.

The event's budget should run to about 60 million crowns.

Práce's piece on the festival ends with a sombre reminder of the problems marring last year's event. JiÞí Samek affirms that debts amounting to several dozen million crowns have now been paid.

Pachovsky hopes that the fest organisers will be able to quash any lack of faith on the part of potential partners in order to create "a solid and professional film environment".

Karolinka Vocadlo

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