This week, Kino Art will once again host a celebration of short-form cinema in all its varieties. The 67th edition of BRNO16, taking place from Wednesday to Sunday this week (14-18 October), will present a selection of the most compelling contemporary short films from around the world.
The festival has continued uninterrupted since 1960, making it one of the oldest short film festivals in the world. As every year, BRNO16 will screen the most interesting contemporary short films in two competitions. The programme includes 33 films in the International Competition and 17 in the Czech-Slovak Competition.
The accompanying programme will feature retrospective, experimental, and amateur films, alongside a selection of Jan Švankmajer’s films exploring food and eating. The representation of food is the central theme of this year’s festival.
Food Starring in the Main Role
The programme will feature short films by Jan Švankmajer, a selection of experimental movies curated by Vladimir Nadein, archival footage showing eating and sanatoriums, a midnight screening from the curator Kristína Aschenbrennerová focusing on Asian cinema, and a series of films with the theme of cannibalism. BRNO16 will also screen Švankmajer’s ‘The Ossuary’ in Brno’s real-life Ossuary, in a special screening combined with a tour of the space. There will also be a screening of the cult movie ‘Adéla ještě nevečeřela’ in the Hussite Church Building, and a programme of silent films accompanied by live music.
“The themes that shape the accompanying programme of festival editions often emerge from discussions with filmmakers, the festival team, and other guests and audiences during the festival itself,” explained Jana Glocarová, the festival’s dramaturge. “This year’s theme grew out of the realisation that some members of our audience are still largely unfamiliar with the work of Jan Švankmajer. Although he is a legendary Czech artist, his films are still too rarely shown on the big screen. His work encompasses many different strands that we could explore and present to audiences. We were particularly drawn to the theme of food, which runs throughout his work almost as an (un)healthy fixation. We wanted to examine this aspect more closely in our programme, and from Švankmajer we moved on to the broader culture of eating as captured in film in all its diverse forms.”
This theme will also be reflected in the gaming programme, curated by Kuba Špiřík and Pavel Skoták from the Gamer Pie festival. The programme will feature big-screen gaming with live musical accompaniment, a video game quiz, a live Quest podcast, and an interactive gamebook, whose story is shaped by the audience in real time.
Accreditation for the entire festival can be purchased at www.brno16.cz or at the Kino Art box office. For festival supporters, there is the Well Done accreditation that includes entry to the entire programme, merchandise, and other gifts. Tickets for the individual programme blocks can be purchased directly before the screenings at festival venues or online on the websites of the festival and Kino Art.
BRNO16 is organized by TIC BRNO, a contributory organization of the City of Brno, through Kino Art and Galerie TIC. Further financial support comes from the Czech Ministry of Culture and the Czech Audiovisual Fund. For further information see the festival website or Facebook page.
