About the festival

Whose idea was it?

The Film Sokolov was founded by the great support of Senator Jan Hadrava 10 years ago. The idea came from Premek Martinek and Tereza Hadravova, the former students of the grammar school in Sokolov and currently studying film studies and aesthetics respectively, whose aim was to bring a different kind of cinema experience to Sokolov.

What was the reaction?

A unique form of the event, which evoked more an underground event than a traditional film festival attracted attention and was unexpectedly successful, especially among the film professionals. Although the festival with all the supporting events has become very popular during the 10 years of its existence, it has always kept its authentic and spontaneous face.

Every year, the festival organizers welcome students of various film departments, prominent film theoreticians and filmmakers themselves but mainly the general public, offering them great film experience. The Film Sokolov tries to avoid the stereotypes of film clubs and concentrates on showing and discussing films that often represent a revelation to the Czech audience. Professionals but also the general public appreciate the unique dramaturgy. Not to mention the free entry, which certainly helps to gain the popularity of the general audiences.

Who should visit the Film Sokolov?

The Film Sokolov has been avoiding the strict rules of dramaturgy of the Czech commercial distribution as well as permanently used archives. It is focused on those who gasp for tasting a high quality film production, so rarely present in the Czech cinemas. The Film Sokolov devours the viewers with a lot of stimuli as well as opportunities for discussion. The Film Sokolov is also an itinerant seminar of some departments of Charles University (yes, if you attend this seminar, you`re going to get your credits), which makes the festival even more unique and popular among the other festivals in the Czech Republic.

Team

Jan Hadrava

Jan Hadrava is the spirit of the Film Sokolov. He started his career as a dissident. Should he have not interrupt his dissident career, he would have risen in the world. But as he did, he had to put up with the ungrateful role of being the mayor of the town Loket, more grateful role of being a senator and the most grateful role of being the founder of the Film Sokolov. Jan has been our know-it-all father whose advice we always highly appreciate.

Premysl Martinek

Premek loves watching football on TV. He had worked as a programme director of Febio Fest for a long time. Nowadays, his job is a cryptic scientist at Bonton Film. He was one of the founders of the Film Sokolov and has stayed the director of the festival in spite of efforts of the power influences until today. Except of the Film Sokolov, he organizes projections for his guests at some place in the Zizkov quarter in Prague.

Tereza Hadravova

Tereza is the last of the three founders of the Film Sokolov. Because of the fact, that she is a woman, she has got some special privilege, which have to be accepted by everybody. Nowadays, she is a Ph. D. student at the department of aesthetics, has been founding an ambitious magazine, dedicated to the central european aesthetics, takes part in different seminars and experiences the secrets of exotic cuisines.

Lukas Benes

He doesn`t belong to the group of the three main founders and therefore we are mentioning his name at the forth place. He wouldn`t deserve any better position, even if he took care of the promotion of the Film Sokolov the best he could. There is simply no chance he could reach the qualities of us – founders and co-founders.

Radek Rubas

One day, Radek surprised us by his interest in controversial Austrian experimental films and since then, he was allowed to be the head of production, dramaturgy and the lay-out of the opening and closing ceremonies, pricing and celebrating. He worked in the theatre Vichr z Hor, which is totally meaningless in the whole film industry. He knows an enormous number of people. He knows so many people, that sometimes, we suspect him of knowing totally nobody.

Jana Hadravova

She is a fascinating person because she understands things that nobody else ever understands (programming, design, web design) but also has got no notion of things we do every day automatically (are there any?).