As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the Zlin Film Festival in eastern Czech Republic is mounting a photo exhibition of top Czech and Slovak directors. Yesterday afternoon, the photo exhibition was unveiled at the new University Centre, a strikingly modern building that is now a huge addition to the Zlin skyline. The photographs are thework of famed advertising and commercial photographer Karel Česal, wth a theme of highlighting the best film directing talents in both...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Each year, FESTROIA shines its spotlight on a different film producing country. This year, it is the turn of the Czech Republic, which has been at the forefront of international filmmaking since its celebrated heyday in the 1960s. One of its best known films of that era, CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS by Jiri Menzel was screened here on Sunday evening, with the 76-year-old director in attendance. A gentle satire on Czech life du...

Anyone wondering if there is film festival life in the Czech Republic after Karlovy wouldn't have long to wait. Barely two weeks after the closing of the KV International Film festival on July 12 where Czech films did very well in terms of prizes and recognition, another gathering of the Czech film tribes is taking place in the remote southern town of Uherske Hradiste (in the Moravian region near Brno). While this festival is known here as "The Summer Film School", don't let the name fool you -...