Press Release
At the opening ceremony of Febiofest, “Professor Snape” from Harry Potter, Alan Rickman will
receive the Kristian award and introduce his new film, A Little Chaos, starring Kate Winslet.
The festival is publishing the program today, ticket sales begin on March 11th
Alan Rickman in A Little Chaos
At the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival Prague – Febiofest, the Kristian award
for contribution to world cinema will not only be awarded to actress Kim Novak and Oscar-winning
director Jean-Jacques Annaud, but also to one of today’s best British actors, Alan Rickman.
Febiofest will begin on March 19th with a magnificent costume spectacle from the period of King Louis
XIV (the Sun King), A Little Chaos, starring and directed by Rickman. Febiofest's second opening film
will be the latest film by Annaud, Wolf Totem. The festival is also publishing the complete program
today, which will include Poland 44, a section dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the end of World
War II, and the competition section of New Europe. For the very first time, the program is also
available through the Febiofest Mobile App. Tickets will go on sale on March 11th.
Alan Rickman, one of the best contemporary British actors, the winner of the Golden Globe and
Emmy for the leading role in Rasputin, well known as Professor Snape from the Harry Potter films,
and an actor of many faces, devoted the first half of his career to the stage. Rickman also debuted in
the 1990s as a director with the critically acclaimed The Winter Guest, starring Emma Thompson.
Febiofest visitors will have the first opportunity to see his second directorial venture, A Little Chaos, in
its Czech pre-premiere. Rickman also stars opposite Kate Winslet in this exquisitely staged romance
about the creation of the Versailles gardens during the rule of Louis XIV (the Sun King). Rickman has
portrayed many roles; the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves earned
him the Bafta award, he also played in Love Actually and Sense and Sensibility, and he is also wellknown for his role as the evil Hans Gruber in the 1980s hit, Die Hard.
The festival's second day will welcome the internationally acclaimed Israeli director, Eran Riklis,
whose first films were presented at Berlinale and Venice in the 1990s. His Tribute section at Febiofest
includes four films. The Syrian Bride, won the audience prize at Locarno, observes the bureaucratic
difficulties of wedding guests in the area of the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights. Riklis won a
similar award at Berlinale for Lemon Tree about a Palestinian widow who wants to prevent her lemon
tree from being cut down by her new neighbour, the Israeli Minister of Defence. The festival visitors
will also see Riklis' tragicomedy, The Human Resources Manager, and Dancing Arabs – the story
of a Palestinian youth growing up in a Jewish environment – which is currently nominated for four
annual awards of the Israeli Film Academy, including the one for the best leading actor.
In cooperation with the Polish Institute in Prague, Febiofest will introduce the Poland 44 section on the
occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The section will attempt to deal with the
most tragic national experience of the 20th century through answering the question of whether film
serves to strengthen or destroy national myths, and will portray the experience of war even to
generations which haven't lived through it. Two views of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 will be
presented by Andrzej Wajda's Canal, and an eagerly awaited epic war film, City 44 by young Jan
Komasa about a love story between young rebels against the backdrop of the destruction of Warsaw.
Jan Łomnicki's classic picture, Operation Arsenal, and Stones for the Rampart by Robert Gliński
are adaptations of the same story of the history of the Scout anti-Nazi movement. The section is
completed by Andrzej Munk's Eroica, a film that tears down national myths, and a unique
contemporary pseudo-documentary consisting of colourised archival shots accompanied by a
soundtrack, called Warsaw Uprising. City 44, Stones for the Rampart, and Warsaw Uprising will be
screened in the Czech Republic for the first time. The films of the Poland 44 section will be introduced
by a special guest, Jan Ołdakowski, the director of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which initiated and
produced the film Warsaw Uprising.
Unusual characters and their feelings of loneliness, displacement, exclusion, social handicaps and
exclusivity appearing from Iceland to Africa – this is the list of the central motives of this year's New
Europe competition. The main protagonist of Patrick's Day suffers from schizophrenia, yet his
condition unexpectedly improves when he falls in love. Love also plays a pivotal role in the British
X+Y, as autistic Nathan takes part in the Olympiad in China, where he meets beautiful Mei. Aerobics:
A Love Story brings together two mentally handicapped people who want to be on television with their
own show dedicated to aerobics. Displacement is a key feeling for the protagonists of the Finnish
They Have Escaped, who decide to run from a youth detention centre. African refugees are the focus
of Hope, while The Kindergarten Teacher sees a miraculous child create mature poems at the age of
five. A lighter note is provided by Pause, a romantic comedy about an introverted musician, or a poetic
fairy-tale for adults, Liza, the Fox-Fairy. The Czech representative in this year's competition is the
debut Schmitke about an ageing German engineer who is sent to the Czech borderland to repair a
wind power plant turbine, and we can also find a bit of Czech influence in Life in a Fishbowl, an
Icelandic-Czech co-production drama.
World Cinema Panorama, will offer a total of 17 films, dedicates about one-third of its time to British
cinema. Several films also represent Poland, whose cinema is currently on the rise. Probably the most
distinctive Polish filmmaker currently, Wojciech Smarzowski, who had his tribute at Febiofest five
years ago, directed a powerful story about a writer struggling with the demon of alcohol, The Mighty
Angel. The festival will also present the latest film by legendary Polish director, Krzysztof Zanussi,
Foreign Body, which was the opening film of the prestigious Toronto film festival last year. Zanussi
was awarded the Kristian award in 2001. Our selection of last year's most interesting productions
includes the latest film by Carlos Vermuta, Magical Girl. The unusual drama with elements of a thriller
received the awards for Best Film and Best Director in San Sebastian. Michael Winterbottom, a
productive British filmmaker who has won awards in Cannes and Berlin, returns a few years into the
past in his latest film. The Face of an Angel, inspired by the story of an American student charged
with the murder of her roommate, boasts a star cast including Kate Beckinsale and Daniel Brühl. The
Australian continent will be represented by the greatest of stars at this year's Febiofest: Hollywood
mega-star, Russell Crowe, who will be in the role of director this year with his debut The Water
Diviner, where he also plays opposite Bond girl Olga Kurylenko.
This year, the visitors will have the opportunity to check the program via the Febiofest Mobile App,
available for download at Google Play Store and App Store. Apart from the program, it will offer
trailers, information about the films, news, and updates. It will also enable notifications for the
individual screenings in advance, thanks to its ability to synchronize with the mobile calendar. The
Android version will be available as of March 2nd, the iPhone version on March 10th.
The International Film Festival Prague – Febiofest will take place from March 19th to 27th. More
information and the program are available at www.febiofest.cz
Press service: Martina Chvojka Reková, martina.rekova@4press, +420 731 573 993, Klára Mixová,
klara.mixova@4press.cz, +420 731 514 462 MFF Praha – Febiofest, Růžová 13, Praha 1,
www.febiofest.cz, www.facebook.com/febiofest