Made In Prague announces 26th edition

Bird Atlas Photo: Courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival

The multi-genre festival Made in Prague is returning to London in its 26th edition this November and December and, though plans to bring some of the films to Edinburgh have been scuppered by the closure of the city's Filmhouse, the festival is also screening a selection of films via the BFI Player.

Přemysl Pela, director of the Czech Centre London said: “This year’s festival programme centres around personal stories, experiences and commitments conveyed through a wide range of vibrant and contemporary artistic expressions. There will be new film productions, many Czech and European film festival award winners; music, from the most famous classical composers performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to sizzling jazz and the latest beats of electronic music; poetry touching on the least expected science scientific themes; but also creativity and innovation that embrace a promise to effectively tackle our present and most pertinent issues such as future sustainability, climate change and gender equality.”

The film portion of the festival will present 13 movies, including a special gala screening of Olmo Omerzu's Bird Atlas and a closing gala screening of Gustav Machaty's 1929 silent film Erotikon at the BFI, with live musical accompaniment from pianist Stephen Horne.

Among the contemporary Czech films screening are the UK premiere of Michal Nohejl's debut feature Occupation, set during the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops, and documentary 107 Mothers, about mums and mums-to-be in a Ukranian jail.

Completing the selection of contemporary Czech films is an hommage to leading Czech composer Zdeněk Liška, which will be available as part of BFI’s Three You Must See from November 3 to December 3 in celebration of Liška’s 100th birth anniversary. Hailed as Czech Ennio Morricone or John Barry, Liška composed score for more than 200 films and collaborated with many leading Czech filmmakers. As part of the Made in Prague Festival, BFI Player will show the Oscar-winning The Shop On The High Street (1967) directed by Ján Kadár and Elman Klos, František Vláčil’s historical masterpiece The Devil’s Trap (1962) and Karel Zeman’s sci-fi adventure film Invention for Destruction (1958).

See our coverage of the festival here.

In addition to the film segment, the festival also celebrates, music, visual arts and science. The full programme is available on the Made In Prague website.