A dramatic story of an unwilling hero...
The film is set in a small Czech town occupied by German forces during the last years of the Second World War. Josef and Marie Čížek are a childless couple. She yearns for a child, but unfortunately, he is infertile. One day, by coincidence, they come across David, a Jewish young man to whom they offer him refuge in their little house. This is when their dramatic fight for survival begins.
Divided We Fall is a black comedy full of unexpected twists, a story about accidental heroes, about decent people and traitors, about thirst for life and apathetic passivity. In this story, based on real events, all the main characters somehow manage to save their lives. Here, heroism and collaboration with the enemy, generosity and cowardice overlap, making it difficult – if not impossible - to pass categorical judgements.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won 6 Czech Lions including Best Film and Best actress in a leading role for Anna Šišková.
Cast: Bolek Polívka, Csongor Kassai, Jaroslav Dušek, Anna Šišková (Marie Čížková), Jiří Pecha, Martin Huba, Simona Stašová, Vladimír Marek, Jiří Kodet, Richard Tesařík, Kryštof Hanzlík, Anička Jarchovská, Iveta Dušková, Oto Ševčík, Karel Heřmánek, Martin Dušek
Distributor: THA
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Dangal tells the true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former amateur wrestler in India, who defies gender stereotypes and trains his daughters, Geeta and Babita, to become world-class wrestlers. The film explores themes of gender equality, determination, and family bonds. It showcases the struggles and triumphs of women in sports, highlighting both personal growth and societal change. Audiences and critics worldwide have praised the film for its performances, inspiring story, and realistic depiction of wrestling.
Cast: Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Sakshi Tanwar
Festival partner of the film: The Embassy of India in Bratislava
Slovak premiere
This Finnish tragicomedy by Teemu Nikki, one of the leading voices of contemporary Scandinavian cinema, was Finland’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. With 235,060 admissions, it also became the most successful domestic Finnish theatrical release of 2025.
The film follows two sisters, Pirkko and Tainu, who are famous in their small village for brewing traditional sahti – a strong Finnish farmhouse beer. When their sister Päivi announces her wedding and asks them to brew 100 litres of sahti for the celebration, family tradition quickly spirals into disaster: the sisters end up drinking the entire batch themselves and wake up the next morning with a devastating hangover. What follows is a chaotic race against time as they desperately try to secure another 100 litres of quality sahti before it is too late.
Beneath its simple, almost grotesque premise, the film explores deeper themes of guilt, addiction, and family relationships. Hidden beneath the absurd comedy is a melancholic portrait of people trapped in cycles of self-destruction, as well as a moving study of sisterly love and solidarity that survives despite chaos and failure.
Cast: Pirjo Lonka, Elina Knihtilä, Ria Kataja, Eero Milonoff Ville
Sales: MMM Film Sales
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The International Film Festival Art Film traditionally opens with a festive opening ceremony held in the unique setting of Kunsthalle in Košice. Distinguished guests, filmmakers, artists, and festival partners gather here to mark the beginning of a week filled with outstanding cinema and inspiring encounters.
While the ceremony is primarily reserved for invited guests, the public has a unique opportunity to experience the film atmosphere right at the red carpet – one hour before the ceremony begins.
Come and witness the arrival of film stars, capture unforgettable moments, and be part of the opening night of Slovakia’s premier film event.
Festival premiere
Testament of Ann Lee is a gripping historical musical drama by Norwegian actress and director Mona Fastvold (co-writer of The Brutalist), which offers an original portrayal of the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker religious movement. In the title role, Amanda Seyfried delivers a standout performance widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed female acting achievements in recent years.
The film follows the journey of a woman marked by personal tragedy who, in the 18th century, becomes a charismatic spiritual leader. After a series of painful losses and visions, she begins to preach radical ideas of gender equality, communal living, and sexual abstinence. Together with her followers, she leaves England for America, where she attempts to build a utopian community based on faith, solidarity, and the rejection of violence.
However, Fastvold does not construct a traditional biographical portrait. Through expressive musical and dance sequences, she explores the boundary between spiritual enlightenment and fanaticism, between the liberating power of faith and the dangers of cult-like devotion. Ann Lee emerges as a visionary, a revolutionary figure, and a deeply contradictory leader whose legacy remains open to interpretation. The film stands out for its hypnotic visual style, its use of period Shaker hymns, and a powerful atmosphere of religious ecstasy.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition at the Venice IFF. It received particularly strong acclaim for Seyfried’s performance, which earned her nominations for both the Golden Globe and the Critics’ Choice Award.
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy
Distributor: Cinemart
Slovak premiere
A gripping French crime film inspired by the true story of one of the greatest counterfeiters of the 20th century. Set in postwar France, the story follows Polish refugee and engineer Jan Bojarski, who uses his extraordinary technical talent to produce nearly flawless banknotes. For years, he secretly manufactures them in his own backyard – with such precision that even the Banque de France is deceived. The film traces his double life, where brilliance is constantly shadowed by the threat of discovery. Opposing him is the obsessive Commissioner Mattei, for whom the case gradually becomes a personal mission and a tense game of cat and mouse. Reda Kateb portrays Bojarski with remarkable nuance and sensitivity, turning him into more than just a criminal, but a man shaped by circumstance, talent, and inner conflict.
The film received awards at several festivals and was praised for its authentic recreation of the era and psychological depth.
Cast: Reda Kateb, Sara Giraudeau, Bastien Bouillon, Pierre Lottin, Quentin Dolmaire, Victor Poirier, Olivier Loustau.
Sales: Le Bureau Films
Slovak premiere
An intimate yet visually striking drama set against the backdrop of Paris Fashion Week. American filmmaker Maxine, played by Angelina Jolie, arrives in Paris to shoot a film for a prestigious fashion house. But her life is profoundly altered by a serious diagnosis, and her fate gradually intertwines with those of several other women – a model, a makeup artist, and a seamstress – each struggling with her own dreams and traumas.
Director Alice Winocour crafts a multilayered portrait of female experience in which haute couture becomes a metaphor: beneath its polished beauty lie vulnerability, pain, and the attempt to “stitch together” fractured lives. The film explores solidarity between women, identity, and the body as a site of both personal and societal pressure. The film premiered at the Toronto IFF and was later screened at festivals in San Sebastián and Rome, where it drew critical attention particularly for Angelina Jolie’s performance and its visual style.
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Louis Garrel, Ella Rumpf, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Grégoire Colin
Distributor: Magicbox
invitation only
International Film Festival Art Film commences annually with a joyous opening ceremony. Distinguished guests, filmmakers, artists, and partners of the international film festival have the opportunity to immerse themselves in this unforgettable atmosphere and captivating program, hosted at the Kunsthalle in Košice. While the program is primarily designed for invited guests, the public can also relish the chance to catch a glimpse of the film stars by arriving one hour prior to the ceremony and witnessing their walk on the red carpet.
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They call him Driver. By day, he works as a Hollywood stunt driver. By night, he makes extra money as a getaway driver for criminal gangs. His manager Shannon is planning to buy a race car and brings in Bernie Rose – a local businessman with questionable sources of income – as an investor. The solitary Driver meets his neighbour Irene and gradually starts spending more time with her. When her husband Standard is released from prison, Driver agrees to take part in one last robbery – but it turns out to be a trap. To protect both himself and Irene, he has to do what he does best.
One of the last films shot on the nocturnal streets of Los Angeles still lit by the yellow glow of sodium-vapour streetlights and neon signs, before they were replaced by LED lighting. That light, and “Nightcall” as the soundtrack to all your future night drives.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman
Distributor: Blue Sky Media
Východisco has become synonymous with genre-blending dance nights and will bring its distinctive musical selection to IFF Art Film. From infectious house music and darker shades of italo wave to club-oriented old and new disco, indie dance, and delightfully eccentric fairground-inspired sounds, their sets move effortlessly across styles and moods.
Their Balearic-inspired sound merges tropical rhythms and percussive grooves with the atmosphere of seaside sunsets. Refusing to play it safe, Východisco deliberately avoids genre boundaries and any trace of predictable mainstream entertainment. Instead, they deliver a sophisticated yet explosive mix that compels movement regardless of personal musical preferences.
Their DJ sets celebrate eclecticism, where nostalgia for analogue synthesizers meets the pulse of the contemporary club scene. It is an experience designed to pull audiences out of the cinema and transport them to an imaginary beach party in the courtyard of Tabačka.
Forget formulaic radio playlists and prepare for a night where every track has its own identity. For Východisco, music is a space of absolute freedom and joy — equally suited to sunset drinks as it is to long nights on the dance floor.
10% discount for Cinepass and Accreditation holders
Discover Košice through the eyes of locals. Join a guided walk filled with stories, history, architecture, memorable characters, and hidden gems that you won't find in ordinary guidebooks. Experience the city's unique atmosphere, explore its past and present, and uncover its authentic spirit with the passionate guides of Local Nomad.
World premiere
Nominated for FIPRESCI Award
This mysterious drama marks the feature debut of writer-director Tomáš Hubáček. A hypnotic tale of landscape, forgotten folk wisdom, and the search for lost direction, the story unfolds at the end of summer amid the rolling hills and remote borderlands of the Central Bohemian Uplands region. Martin unexpectedly inherits a dilapidated house standing in isolation. Although he initially plans to get rid of the troublesome inheritance, his intentions are disrupted by a strange encounter with the enigmatic Agnes. Guided by an old map, Martin discovers that the house forms part of a forgotten landscape composition shaped over centuries.
As a series of tremors causes wells to dry up, crops to fail, and an ancient force hidden beneath the earth to awaken, Martin realizes that Agnes is fatefully bound to this landscape – and in mortal danger. To save her, the land, and ultimately himself, he must restore the lost memory of this mysterious place.
Cast: David Švehlík, Judit Pecháček, Martin Finger, Milan Mikulčík, Alexej Pyško, Markéta Coufalová, Marie Švestková, Philipp Schenker
The film will be presented with the personal attendance: Tomáš Hubáček (director), Marek Urban (producer), Ján Macola (Czech producer), Judit Pecháček (actress), Tobias Potočný (sound engineer), Alan Soural (cinematographer)
Sales: Pilot Film
In post-war London, dresses designed by Reynolds Woodcock represent the pinnacle of social status. Yet the brilliant couturier himself is emotionally hollow – women are merely another part of his atelier. When he meets Alma, a shy waitress from a seaside town, he has no idea what he is getting himself into. Alma quickly learns the rules of his world and decides to fight for her place beside him.
"I first saw Phantom Thread nearly ten years ago in the newly reopened Kino Úsmev, sitting in an almost empty screening room. The quiet, intimate performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and the way the film works with silence and movement completely floored me at the time. Pure cinematic elegance." Lukáš Berberich
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Camilla Rutherford, Brian Gleeson, Harriet Sansom Harris
Distributor: Cinemart
Ceremonial awarding of the festival's honorary prizes with the participation of the general public in the park Kulturpark.
This year’s laureate of its honorary Actor’s Mission Award is the exceptional Slovak actress Anna Šišková - one of the most distinctive acting personalities of her generation, a Czech Lion winner and a two-time recipient of the Slovak DOSKY theatre award.
Anna (Anka) Šišková was born on 30 June 1960 in Žilina and grew up in the Vrátna Valley near Terchová, where her parents managed a hotel. After graduating from secondary school, she studied at the Faculty of Education in Trnava. During her studies, she became a member of the drama ensemble of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre. She subsequently pursued acting professionally, first at the Theatre for Children and Youth in Trnava (now the Ján Palárik Theatre), and from the 1990s as a permanent member of the ensemble of Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre in Bratislava, where she continues to perform to this day.
She gained significant international recognition for her portrayal of Mária in the Czech-Slovak film Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat, 2000), directed by Jan Hřebejk. For this performance, she won the 2001 Czech Lion Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Three years later, in 2004, she received another Czech Lion nomination for her supporting role in Cruel Joys (Kruté radosti, 2003), directed by Juraj Nvota. Her most recent Czech Lion nomination came in 2018 for her supporting role in Filthy (Špina, 2017), directed by her daughter, Tereza Nvotová. For the same performance, she was also nominated for the Sun in a Net Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actress.
Anna Šišková’s notable film work also includes Landscape (Krajinka, 2000) and The City of the Sun (Slnečný štát, 2005), both directed by Martin Šulík, as well as numerous other Slovak and Czech film and television productions.
Alongside her film work, Anna Šišková has long been one of the leading actresses at the Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre. For her exceptional performances at this theatre she has received two DOSKY Awards – the Slovak theatre prize of the season: in 2001 for the role of the Young Woman in Neil LaBute’s play Bash, and in 2003 for the role of Celia in T. S. Eliot’s play The Cocktail Party. Her long and consistent stage work places her among the most highly regarded theatre actresses of her generation.
Anna Šišková is the mother of actress Dorota Nvotová and director and actress Tereza Nvotová, who has gained international acclaim for the films Nightsiren (Golden Leopard in the Cineasti del presente section, Locarno IFF 2022) and Father (Bronze Horse for Best Film at the Stockholm IFF 2025, with last year’s Actor’s Mission laureate Milan Ondrík in the lead role). The family thus represents one of the most distinctive creative lineages in contemporary Slovak cinema.
“Anna Šišková is one of those acting personalities who have brought to Slovak and Czech cinema an exceptional combination of fragility and inner truth. Both her film and theatre work are characterised by a quiet, unsentimental approach to the character – an acting style that has not given itself over to effect, but to authentic experience and the small details of humanity. Whether in the iconic role of Mária in Divided We Fall, for which she won the Czech Lion and which was nominated for an Academy Award, or in dozens of roles at the Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre and in the films of Juraj Nvota and Martin Šulík, Anna Šišková proves that great acting does not need grand gestures. By presenting the Actor’s Mission Award, IFF Art Film honours not only her specific roles, but above all the attitude with which she approaches the acting profession – as a calling that connects generations of audiences on both sides of the border,” said the festival’s artistic director, Martin Palúch.
Slovak premiere
The action crime thriller Gangsters by directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah — best known for the Hollywood hits Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die – became one of Belgium’s biggest box-office successes of the year following its February premiere. The film attracted more than 200,000 admissions in Belgian cinemas and grossed over 3 million dollars worldwide. It also received the prestigious Platinum Award, given to films surpassing 200,000 admissions in Belgian theatres.
The story returns to the harsh world of Antwerp’s criminal underworld, where friends Badia, Junes, and Volt try to escape their past shaped by violence and crime. Meanwhile, their former associate Adamo has risen to become one of the most powerful figures in the drug trade, pulling them all back into a world of loyalty, betrayal, and constant danger. Blending explosive action, dark humour, and raw street energy, the film draws inspiration from real events connected to Antwerp’s drug scene.
El Arbi and Fallah deliver a film that balances genre entertainment with an authentic portrait of a generation growing up in an environment where crime has become part of everyday life. At the Oostende Film Festival, the film received the Belgian Ensor Award for Best Film and additional nominations for Best Director and Best Editing.
Cast: Matteo Simoni, Nora Gharib, Saïd Boumazoughe, Junes Lazaar, Yannick Jozefzoon, Stefan Perceval, Hans Royaards
Sales: Indie Sales
Festival partner of the film: PLOOM