2021 Sydney Czech & Slovak Film Festival

After a truly challenging 2020, we are excited to be able to invite you back to the cinema and present our new showcase of enthralling Czech & Slovak films. In spite of the existing challenges in the filmmaking industry, we’ve managed to bring you an array of new releases - from drama, adventure, political thriller to comedy and fairy tale fantasy as well as some cute short animations, many of them award winning.

To lighten the mood, this year’s opening feature is the Australian premiere of the newly released award-winning The Man with Hare Ears. This delightful Slovak comedy-drama is the 10 th film by one of the most prominent contemporary Slovak filmmakers, Martin Šulík A couple of other highlights from the program include Charlatan by renowned Polish director Agnieszka Holland which is a fascinating personal tale of the Czech healer Jan Mikolášek as well as Bohdan Sláma’s black and white epic drama Shadow Country about the coexistence of Czechs and Germans in a Czech-Austrian border village during a particularly historically trying period of the 20th century.

The Man With Hare Ears - 24 March
The delightful comedy The Man with Hare Ears is a story of a self-centred writer Josef who thinks that nothing can surprise him anymore. One evening, though, he finds himself caught up in a series of events that turn his world upside-down. He acquires an unexpected ability – extraordinary hearing as a result of a new pair of rabbit ears.

Charlatan - 25 March
The historical drama Charlatan by the renowned Polish director Agnieszka Holland is inspired by the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek who dedicated his life to treating the sick with his uncanny knack for “urinary diagnosis” and using medicinal plants. Like the century he lived in, his fascinating personal tale is full of twists and is a reflection on the price a person pays for single mindedly following their calling.

Scumbag - 26 March - Australian Premiere
A box office hit Scumbag is a political thriller inspired by real-life events in a picturesque European country where anything goes. Fortunes can be made from government contracts and blackmail is just another type of business. If you have power, you can do anything. In this country some will do well. Very well. And sticking your nose into other people’s business can be fatal. Life is sometimes cheap and death is just another commodity.

Princess Cursed - 27 March
Princess Elen wakes up on her birthday knowing she must either kill the evil witch who cursed her or find her true love. The princess has got one last chance to save herself and the kingdom. If she doesn´t manage either, the kingdom will be destroyed. Will she be able to persuade her friends, break the strong spell and defeat the powerful witch?

Shadow Country - 27 March
Bohdan Sláma’s striking black and white epic Shadow Country is a unique account of life in the Czech-Austrian border village of Schwarzwald from the 1930s through WWII to the 1950s, a time which saw a small community of decent people sacrificed to political ideology. The Austrian and Czech villagers must choose their allegiances, some which will have dire consequences.

Droneman - 27 March
Droneman is a 2020 psychological thriller directed by Petr Zelenka. Chemist and drone navigator Pavel has a strong sense of justice and wants to fix the wrongs in the world while his businessman friend and part time rapper Plech dreams of big money and a comfortable life. Pavel enjoys working with the drones, but he realises that there is a lot of tension among people, but no one has taken any action or even seen the bigger picture. So, Pavel sets out to “do the right thing.”

Night Riders - 28 March
Shortly after World War I and the creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, two war veterans face off against each other in a small village bordering Poland in the north of Slovakia in a western style confrontation set. The horse smuggler has the backing of the whole, albeit poor village, while the custom officer has the law on his side.