As he packs his bags for the Czech Republic to attend the Opening Night Gala screening of his film THE PERFECT AGE OF ROCK N ROLL as the kick-off event for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Zlin Film Festival on Monday evening, I had a chance to talk with the film's director Scott Rosenbaum about his American indie rock n roll drama. Rosenbaum, who also is serving on the jury for the Official Competition, is primed for his Zlin adventure. Sandy Mandelberger (SM): When did...

  On the eve of the Zlin Film Festival, which kicks off its 50th anniversary celebrations on Sunday, May 30, I spoke with the very busy Petr Koliha, the Festival's Artistic Director. As the first major film event following Cannes, the Zlin Film Festival takes up the mantle of film appreciation, with a particular focus to film and media projects produced for the children and youth market. As all eyes turn east to the UNESCO heritage city of Zlin in eastern Czech Republic, Petr Koliha sha...

  THE PERFECT AGE OF ROCK N ROLL, an award-winning American Independent drama directed by Scott Rosenbaum and featuring a stellar cast that includes Peter Fonda, Kevin Zegers, Jason Ritter, Lukas Haas, Kelly Lynch, Ruby Dee, Lauren Holly and Taryn Manning, will be the Opening Night Gala presentation of the Zlin Film Festival. The film, which is making its Eastern European Premiere at the Festival, kicks off the 50th anniversary celebrations on Monday evening, May 31, as one of Eur...

  As the Cannes Film Festival winds down and media professionals leave en masse for home (if their airplanes are not delayed by volcanic ash or French airline strikes), 500 miles to the northeast in the Czech Republic, the Zlin Film Festival is revving up for its 50th anniversary celebrations that begin next weekend. In the world of film festivals, the celebration of film never seems to end. The Zlin Film Festival, one of the oldest film events in the world, has been planning its 50...

  In preparation for the launch of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Zlin Film Festival, which officially opens on Sunday, May 30th, the Festival organization is displaying an art exhibit by one of its most famous native sons, Peter Sis, the Czech-born author, illustrator and filmmaker. To be technical, Sis was born in Brno, which is less than 50 miles away, but Zlin has many right to claim him as one of their own. As the major film event devoted to children and young adul...

  With less than 2 weeks to go until the 50th anniversary celebrations begin for the ZLIN FILM FESTIVAL, the first major film  event following CANNES, the question I am hearing from associates is: where and what is Zlin? Well, let me answer that with some relevant information on a city both historic and modern. Zlin is a city situated in the southeastern Moravian district of what is now the Czech Republic. The city is a natural metropolis, a city of statues, a university seat and ...

   Gunnar Karlsson, Self Portrait   Iceland has had a rough patch of late.....first there was the economic collapse that threatened to engulf its European neighbors and then was the volcanic ash that did just that (and continues to be a major problem for air travel). But as a corrective, the films championed by Iceland are a reminder of that island nation's special geography, culture and allure. At this year's Zlin Film Festival, award-winning animator and visual de...

  Oscar-winning director Istvan Szabo will be attending this year's Zlin Film Festival, the first major film event after Cannes. The Festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a number of special events, takes place in the UNESCO heritage city of Zlin in eastern Czech Republic from May 30 to June 6. Website: www.zlinfest.cz/en Szabo was born in Budapest in 1938 to an upper middle class Jewish family. His family were hidden by family friends during the Holo...

  So, you may be saying.....what exactly is a film clapperboard? Well, since the beginning of films, the clapperboard has  been used to visually introduce scenes so that a director and editor can organize their shots. While some prefer the new digital clapperboards, many filmmakers prefer the traditional wooden ones. Not only are a kind of nostalgia for the classic period of cinema but the loud "thwack" they make when they are closed is a sound that technicians, actors and di...

  British actress Jodie Whittaker is the first of many international guests to be announced who will be coming to the Zlin Film Festival in the Czech Republic later this month to help fete the Festival on its 50th anniverary. Whittaker has previously been seen at the Zlin Film Festival before, albeit only on the big screen. Two years ago, the Festival screened the screen comedy ST. TRINIAN'S in its Competition Section. This year, Whittaker appears in two films screening at the ...

    The Zlin Film Festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary from May 30 to June 6, is a chance to not only discover cinema from the past and the present, but also an introduction to the city's unique status as a UNESCO Heritage Site. For those who know their modernist architectural history, Zlin is indeed a utopia of modernity. Situated in the Moravian district in the eastern corner of what is now the Czech Republic, Zlin was a planned city that espoused modernis...

  2010 is a special year in the history of Czech cinema. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of the Zlin Film Festival (which runs from May 30 to June 6 in the UNESCO heritage city in the Czech Republic) but the Festival will honor milestones in Czech cinema, both old and new.         The Festival is marking the centenary of the birth of one of the cofounders of Zlín’s film...

  One of the oldest film festival events in Europe and the largest celebration of films specifically for the youth and young adult market, Film Festival Zlin marks a milestone 50th anniversary this year when it unspools from May 30 to June 6 in the cultural heritage Moravian city in eastern Czech Republic.    Petr Koliha, Artistic Director "We are expecing attendance at the Festival this year to be over one hundred thousand", Film Festival Zlin artistic d...