The 2020 Sydney Czech & Slovak Film Festival

The impressive line-up brings the Australian and International Premieres of films from both countries, including new features releases, docos, shorts, digitally remastered classics or box office hit comedies. Q&As with guests, film director Martin Dusek (old-timers) and producer Silvia Panakova (Jiri Suchy - Tackling Life With Ease) will complement the film showcase.

To celebrate the new decade, the festival is off to a big start: an international premiere of the political thriller Amnesty which was only recently released. This highly rated drama is inspired by true events surrounding President Havel’s controversial amnesty and subsequent release of thousands of prisoners in 1989 as well as the consequences it brought about.

Another scoop is highly controversial 1933 film Ecstasy with the Hollywood silver screen Hedy Lamarr in the lead. Innocent by today's standards, the film was banned in many countries and caused an uproar at the 1934 Venice IFF. The Sunday screening will be the Australian premiere of just-released, award-winning digitally remastered cult classic that had its premiere again, after 85 years last year at the Venice IFF.

Cute, funny and often surreal animations, as well as short features, have now become a fixture at the SCSFF. among them for example the newly crowned winner from Sundance FF, the Oscar finalist Daughter.

All films are with English subtitles. Popular festival multi-passes can be again purchased at the Dendy Newtown Box Office.