At the 3^rd Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA), we’re celebrating yesterday’s tomorrows, today, with our theme of “projection”. While this describes the fundamentally cinematic act of throwing images onto a screen, it also describes the practice of audience identification with scenarios and characters within the movies, upon whom we all project our innermost desires.

These movies can be grounded in reality, in actual times and places, and in worlds far removed, including those of legendary retro-futurist Karel Zeman, subject of this year’s retrospective. Look out for Zeman-esque wonders about our main venue, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), including within the Australian Mediatheque, filled nightly with fascinating objects and with its touchscreens re-programmed, CaSFFA-style.

A grand first for 2015 is our partnership with the City of Melbourne, with whom we’re presenting a free organ concert and silent film spectacular in the Melbourne Town Hall. We’re also thrilled to welcome our first ever Naming Rights Sponsor, Richmond Škoda. We at CaSFFA project great things for this partnership; our projections also state that you’ll have a wonderful time at this year’s festival! Lastly, we wish the team at IKSIMA Films all the best for their Czech and Slovak Film Festivals in Sydney and Perth.

Cerise Howard, Artistic Director

The CaSFFA Team 

Artistic Director | Cerise Howard

Festival Producer | Brendan Black

Finance Manager | Denisa Cross

Marketing and Brand Manager | Linda Studená

Association Secretary | Lilliana Hajncl

Exhibition Curator | Carmen Reid

PR and Publicity | Olivia Hărşan, Markéta Fillingerová, Eleanor Colla, Ioana-Lucia Demczuk

CaSFFAN | Markéta Fillingerová

Legals | Miriam Fletcher

Philanthropy & Grants | Victor Griss

Volunteer Coordinator | Jack Russo

Shipping | Ioana-Lucia Demczuk

Communications | Lenka Hadravová, Jana Ridillová

Classification | Carmen Reid, Eleanor Colla, Ioana-Lucia Demczuk, Lilliana Hajncl, Olivia Hărşan, Linda Studená

Live Subtitling | Markéta Fillingerová

Program Editor | Cerise Howard

Festival Trailer | Dean McInerney, Leonie Van Eyk, Lindsay Cox

CaSFFA functions with collaborative involvement across all areas.

Pavel Kohout

Winner at the age of 24 of both the prestigious First Prize and the J. S. Bach Prize in 2000 at Musashino-Tokyo, one of the world’s largest international organ competitions, Czech organist Pavel Kohout is regarded as one of the most brilliant representatives of the new generation of European concert artists.

As a concert organist, pianist and orchestra soloist, Pavel Kohout has performed in Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. For our special event presentation of The Cathedral Builder, utlising the Grand Organ in the Melbourne Town Hall, Pavel Kohout will be performing his own score.

Richmond Škoda is delighted to support the 2015 Czech and Slovak Film Festival. The shared heritage of the festival and the Škoda brand makes this partnership the perfect fit.

As part of the Zagame family of prestige automotive brands, the Richmond Škoda team are passionate supporters of cultural and arts festivals in Melbourne. Enjoy the films on offer and drop by and see us in Richmond for a tour and a test drive.

The Richmond Škoda team

The third Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia is looking forward to showcasing one of the finest of all Czech film directors, artists, production designers and animators, Mr. Karel Zeman, whose magical worlds of fantasy and special effects combined with live action have fascinated generations of spectators.

CaSFFA will take place in Melbourne at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square and the Melbourne Town Hall on September 16-25, 2015.

I will certainly not miss the opportunity to attend the Opening or Closing Nights of the festival in Melbourne and I would highly recommend this special event to anyone interested in an extraordinary trend in the creative arts, that of retro-futurism. Undoubtedly, there is something wonderful and entrancing about yesterday’s visions of tomorrow.

Martin Pohl

Ambassador of the Czech Republic

The Embassy of the Slovak Republic is pleased to support the third Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. We believe that the festival creates a unique opportunity to present part of our culture to a wide Australian and expatriate audience and hence to promote cultural diversity among our nations.

We hope that the festival will inspire people to want to visit our beautiful, culturally rich county in the middle of Europe – Slovakia.

Igor Bartho

Ambassador of the Slovak Republic

To showcase, celebrate and promote a contextualised range of classic and modern Czech and Slovak live-action and animated films to Australasian and expatriate audiences through a yearly, not-for-profit arts festival.

To encourage active participation in and from the Czech and Slovak communities for the advancement of their culture in Australasia.

To cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships with Czech, Slovak and local businesses and cultural organisations.

Alesh Macak, Alexandra Strelková, Alister Karl, Aly Aitken, Andrea Dvořáková, Andrea Průchová, Andrej Bučko, Anthony Lucas, Ariel Valent, Barbara Semenov, Bella Katz, Bronislava Vacková, Chloe Schnell, Chris Barwick, Cóilín O’Connor, Daniel Torcasio, Daniel Vadocký, Daniela Hurábová, David Barrett, David Donaldson, Debra Knight, Dorelle Davidson, Dr. Grant Caldwell, Duncan Freedman, Dylan Bird, Eddy Carroll, Esther Gyorki, Eva Přibylová, Fabio Giraldo, Filip Koubek, Fiona Jordan, Greg Hamilton, Guillaume Roux, Helena Bezděk Fraňková, Herbz, H.E. Mr. Igor Bartho, Ika de Detrich, Jáchym Topol, Jakub Matějka, James Cattell, Jan Hřebejk, Jana Bartik, Jenny Bartholomew, Jeremy Parker, Joanne Belford, Jon Moore, Karla Pringle, Karolína Pechová, Katherine Horejší, Katrina Wilson O’Brien, Kelli Keating, Kelly Abfalter, Kendyl Rossi, KGB (Klezmer Gypsy Balkan), Lara Marks, Lenka Allen, Lisa Goldsworthy, Lola Nikitina, Lorenzo Rosa, Louise Sheedy, Luica Langer, Lynda Bernard, Malcolm Turner, Marcel & Alicia Mihulka, Markéta Šantrochová, Martin Pohl, Martina Vacková, Mathew Knight, Megan Cameron, Michael Hancir, Michael Koller, Michael Scott, Mike Shuttleworth, Milan Hudeček, Milan Kantor, Minela Krupic, Miroslav Píša, Nadia Mercuri, Noubelle Noble, Orkeztra Glasso Balshade, Pat Ordenes, Paul Šindelař, Paul Tonta, Pavel Kohout, Pete Reid, Petr Vizina, Petra Hanzlíková, Rada Státního fondu kinematografie ČR, Radovan Holub, Reece Goodwin, Renuka Rajiv, Richard Sowada, Richard Watts, Robbie Rowlands, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Sandie Frost, Sarah Field, Šárka Ponroy Vamberová, Sharyn Stevens, Silvia Panáková, Skye Kelly, Sofie Ham, Tania Smith, Tereza Hejretova, Terry Williams, Theremones, Tina Saul, Tom Danby, Vardos, Wanda Gillespie, Ziggy, Zoe Hayden, Zuzana Vasitch and all our GENEROUS SPONSORS and WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS, with special thanks for the patronage of the late Tatana Mihulka.