OVER A HUNDRED SHORT STORIES IN A SINGLE WEEK. THE BEST OF EUROPEAN SHORT FILMS AT THE BOO FESTIVAL IN PRAGUE

A short film can, in the space of a few minutes, surprise, entertain, educate and spark a debate that continues long after the screening. The second edition of the BOO International Short Film Festival, taking place in Prague from 2 to 8 November, promises an exceptionally intense cinematic experience. Screenings featuring a selection of the best short films from across Europe, organised into six competition sections, will take place at the Kavalírka Cinema. The Ponrepo Cinema will host a programme inspired by Cannes’ Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique). Industry Days will be based at the KP Smíchov Evangelical Church, whilst special screenings of animated films accompanied by live music will take place at MeetFactory.

Of the more than 2,500 short films from across Europe that were submitted to BOO this year, only the most daring will make it into the competition programme. This year’s edition will screen more than 100 of them during the festival. The festival’s programme focuses primarily on boldness, originality and innovative cinematic language. The results of the two competitions – the European BOO and the Czech-German BOO – will be decided by an expert international jury comprising: European BOO: Chloë van Baar (programmer and programme coordinator of the Cinekid Festival), Sigrid Hadenius (Director of the Uppsala Short Film Festival), Jukka-Pekka Laakso (Director of the Tampere Film Festival); Czech-German BOO: Jana Cernik (Executive Director of the German Short Film Association – AG Kurzfilm), Ivana Indra (Editor-in-Chief of iVysílání at Czech Television), Michaela Režová (filmmaker, director and university lecturer), Kathi Seemann (Head of DOK.education at DOK.fest München).

Children, teenagers and viewers aged 60 and over will also be selecting their favourites as part of the mini BOO, 12 BOO, 15 BOO, and BOO for Seniors and Advanced Viewers competitions. It is precisely this in-depth engagement with audiences across generations and their active participation that makes BOO unique not only in the Czech Republic but also in Europe.

Echoes of Cannes’ Critics’ Week

The official screenings of the Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) competition section of the Cannes Film Festival are being held in collaboration with the Ponrepo cinema and the BOO International Short Film Festival. Three screening slots will showcase the complete collection of short films from the prestigious Cannes section dedicated to discovering new cinematic talent.

“I would certainly highlight, in particular, the relatively abundant selection of animated films with a more or less dystopian tone, building on the aesthetic tradition of *Wild Planet* as well as the best of the animated mockumentary genre,” says David Havas of the National Film Archive. As a bonus, audiences will also have the chance to meet the programmer of Critics’ Week, film critic Gregory Coutaut, who, as part of the industry programme, will reveal to filmmakers how to get their short film to Cannes.

Admission to all Semaine de la Critique screenings is free.

Industry Days

The action-packed Industry Days programme at the KP Smíchov Evangelical Church will appeal not only to film professionals, but also to teachers, cinema operators and other cultural professionals. A range of interesting workshops, networking opportunities and, above all, the International Industry Forum are on the programme. The festival will welcome 27 experts on topics such as audience development, audiovisual education, audience design, audiovisual literacy research and audience testing; there will also be discussions on cultural resilience, young people’s mental health, the distribution of short films and how to get a short film to Cannes! Guests include renowned figures such as Vincent Fröster (Berlinale Generation), Chloë van Baar (Cinekid Festival – the world’s largest film festival for children and young people), Kirsten Geekie (British Film Institute – Film Audience Network), the aforementioned Gregory Coutaut (Semaine de la Critique, Cannes), Christine Kopf (German Film Institute & DFF Film Museum), Dea Larsen (PUBLIKUM.io) and Monika Luczyk (an expert in audience design).

Special events

The BOO programme goes beyond a traditional cinema visit. Film & BOOze: WTF will combine strange and surprising short films with themed cocktails. At Sounds of Games, the cinema screen will be transformed into a gaming screen and visitors will be able to play games such as Mario Kart accompanied by live musicians. Cinema Walk will feature screenings of short films on the streets of Prague. New this year is the Film & Poetry event, which will combine short films with author readings.

Programmes for schools and families

Following last year’s success, Animáky with live music will return to MeetFactory for schools, with composer and Czech Lion award winner Petr Wajsar providing a live musical accompaniment to the film right in the auditorium. The youngest visitors will be entertained, for example, by the educational film session ‘Cinemini’, where children discover how films work and how to think about images through short films, games and group activities. Families can also enjoy programmes of short films for children. Rather than just one long story, during a single visit to the cinema they will get to know several different worlds, animation techniques and storytelling styles.

For more information, visit boofest.cz.

Source: pro-kulturu.cz