Culture

karlovy vary film festival 2021

Karlovy Vary Film Festival Lineup Features 27 World Premieres

Thirty-three films comprise the eclectic lineup for the 56th Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, the programming team led by the artistic director Karel Och revealed Tuesday. The selection includes 27 world premieres, three international premieres, and three European premieres, covering five continents. In addition to the Crystal Globe Competition and Special Screenings section, KVIFF’s new competition, Proxima, will make its debut in this year’s edition. Proxima aims to be “an inclusive space for pictures by young filmmakers and renowned auteurs alike, presenting bold works that defy categorization,” the festival said. In contrast to the East of the West competition, which it replaces, Proxima has no geographical restrictions. (East of the West was for films from Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.) Thirteen titles in the official selection are directed by filmmakers who have competed in KVIFF before. Nine films are debut features. Melodramas, dystopian sci-fi, romantic comedies, and essay documentaries are part of the wide-ranging lineup. “From the 1,500 films that have been submitted this year, we have chosen 33 brand new works of cinema that offer the accurate reflection of our taste – a taste derived from a belief in a meaningful edginess and the championing of new means...

 by Prague Morning May 31, 2022
Colours of Ostrava 2022

Colours of Ostrava Returns July 13-16, 2022

The Colours of Ostrava International Music Festival is in its 19th edition for four days and four nights. And after two years of cancelling the festival, Colours of Ostrava returns to form this summer. Since Colours places so much emphasis on inviting musical artists with an international flavor, and across genres, it was impossible to do it right with the ever-shifting travel restrictions and rules accordingly. Some headliners for this year were promised for either the past one or two years, like The Killers, Twenty-One Pilots, Franz Ferdinand, LP and Martin Garrix. There are also many newer additions this year for upgrading the appeal including Modest Mouse, Hiromi, Tindersticks and Princess Nokia. Most impressively for this festival as always is the wide array of artists from mainstream to experimental from indie rock, electronica, jazz, punk, blues and eclectic world music choices from across the globe. Hiromi is someone who best showcases the more eclectic side of Colours, as Hiromi Uehara is an irrepressible jazz pianist and composer from Japan, and while she is best known due to her collaborations with fusion jazz stars Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea, or for playing opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2021, her performance...

 by Tony O. May 31, 2022
classic music werich vila

The Werich Villa Garden Is Alive With The Sound Of Classical Music

Classical Music at Werich’s is a festival of outdoor chamber music recitals and concerts taking place from May 31 to 13  September 2022, always at 7 p.m., in the Werich Villa Garden on Kampa Island. The second edition of the classical music cycle is performed by exceptional and talented young artists in the Werich Villa garden – the former home of the incomparable actor, philosopher, and writer Jan Werich. For the first time with international guests, an accompanying program for children and “Echoes”, i.e. concerts of the Prague programs in selected locations in the Czech Republic – in the “Horácké divadlo” theatre in Jihlava and the Schwarzenberg Tomb in Třeboň. The opening concert on Tuesday, May 31 (you can buy your tickets here) will present Lithuanian, Czech, Slovak, and Polish songs. The aim is to provide a colorful picture of Slavic authors on the axis of Lithuania – Poland – Czechia – Slovakia. Following this are two concerts devoted to the sung repertory. The first, the Nordic Evening (30 August), features mezzo-soprano Arnheiður Eiríksdóttir. On 13 September is a concert in tribute to Austrian music. Kristýna Kůstková (soprano) and Lukáš Bařák (baritone) will perform breathtaking songs. The pianist Ahmad Hedar...

 by Prague Morning May 31, 2022
top gun L-39 Albatros

Top Gun: Maverick Starts in Theatres. It Was Filmed on Czech L-39 Albatros Aircraft!

Top Gun: Maverick, a long-awaited movie from the aviation world, has a significant Czech footprint. Czech Aero L-39s Albatros jet trainer aircraft, produced by AERO Vodochody, were involved in the filming and training of the actors. As a multi-purpose aircraft designed for basic, advanced, and combat flight training, the L-39 was used by the Top Gun: Maverick filmmakers to give the actors a taste of jet flying before getting into the cockpit of a F/A-18 Hornet fighter. Most of the breathtaking flight footage was shot in Cinejet’s specially modified L-39 aircraft. The nose of this aircraft is fitted with a gyrostabilized SHOTOVER F1 RUSH camera system designed for filming aircraft at high speeds of up to 650 km/h and forces of up to 3G. It is the first aircraft of its kind in the world. No Czech pilot was involved in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick. It was a different case during the filming of another blockbuster, the “Bond” film Tomorrow Never Dies, in 1997. At that time, the filmmakers approached the largest Czech aircraft manufacturer with a request to provide an L-39 aircraft with a pilot to double for James Bond’s Pierce Brosnan. Ladislav Šnýdr, the Aero test...

 by Prague Morning May 30, 2022
Angélica Liddell prague

Angélica Liddell Tells the “Bullfighter” Juan Belmonte at the National Theatre in Prague

One of the leading personalities of contemporary European theatre, Angélica Liddell, is coming to Prague on June 9 and 10 with her latest production, which was premiered last year at the Festival d’Avignon. There is nothing in contemporary theater quite like an Angélica Liddell monologue. The Spanish director and performer, who has crafted her share of monumental productions over the past three decades, pushes herself to grating, visceral extremes onstage. In her productions, she always deals with autobiographical themes, for which she seeks a metaphorical framework. This time, she combines the story of the “divine bullfighter” Juan Belmonte and the music of Richard Wagner to create her own theatrical language. “It‘s a history of theatre and a history of my roots,” says Angélica about Liebestod. “Liebestod” was inspired by the Spanish tradition of bullfighting, and especially by Juan Belmonte, an innovative bullfighter who died in 1962. Liddell sees a connection between his art form and her own: “Belmonte said that what frees us from death is actually longing for it,” she said, comparing it to a poet’s “death wish.” Her take on theater history is certainly idiosyncratic. In “Liebestod,” she describes the tradition as populated with “bureaucrats, bit-part players and...

 by Prague Morning May 24, 2022
United Islands of prague 2022

United Islands Reveals the First Part of the Line-Up

Post-punk, hyperpop, rap, R&B, and a fusion of electronic music and jazz – all  ofthat will be a part of this year’s United Islands of Europe which will showcase new faces of the music scene from the Czech Republic, its neighbours, but also from Eastern Europe and overseas, right in Prague. The festival is free of charge and will feature the Lithuanian project Akli, Romanian composer A-C Leonte, and the groundbreaking German performer Zouj. “The weekend of June 10–11 will enliven the islands of Prague with a multitude of genres and innovative tones,” says the festival manager Kamila Buráňová. The special edition of the United Islands of Europe festival called the Freedom Edition will offer seven stages in total and fifty artists of various genres from all over Europe. The main attraction of this edition is the Eastern Europe scene, which will be represented by the already announced Dlina Volny, but among others also the Romanian muse A-C Leonte, who underscores her clear vocals by interweaving jazz and electronic music. Lithuania will make its appearance in the Czech metropolis in the form of the young post-punk project Akli. Prague will also be graced by a visit of two figures of...

 by Prague Morning May 24, 2022

Metaverse Festival in Prague: Take a Look Into the Future

If you’ve been hearing the word Metaverse everywhere, but you still aren’t quite sure what it implies, take a look at Metaverse Festival happening on Thursday, June 2nd, and Friday, June 3rd, at VR PLAY PARK, Prague’s Virtual Reality theme park. The purpose of The Metaverse Festival is to inspire and teach us about the new virtual space and our possibilities in it. This will be an exciting educational event that will combine everything from live entertainment to keynote talks, panel discussions, exciting workshops, immersive experiences, 3D artist’s exhibitions, and much more. It’s an excellent opportunity for individuals and businesses to learn how Metaverse can change their practices. The event will welcome speakers from companies specialising in bringing virtual and augmented reality one step closer to us. Projections claim the investments of tech giants such as Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft, Apple, and Google will push this market to a whopping $800 billion by 2024. Those big companies are betting heavily on the Metaverse’s future, making it straightforward that something big is coming up for the rest of us. Smaller companies and brands are also well aware of this, so they have to uncover a way to convert their business into...

 by Prague Morning May 23, 2022
czech car brands

Car Brands: 10 Brands You Didn’t Know Were From Czech Republic

Automobiles are one of the Czech Republic’s most famous exports. Many iconic car brands hail from this small European country, including Skoda, Tatra, and Škoda Auto (formerly known as Laurin & Klement). Although you may be familiar with these cars and car manufacturers, did you know that there are dozens of other automobile companies in the Czech Republic? Check out this list of 10 Czech car brands you probably never knew were from the Czech Republic. Czech Car Brands 1) Škoda Auto Škoda Auto, a part of  Czech car brands and currently part of Volkswagen Group, is one of the leading automotive groups in Europe, and it is also the fourth-largest in terms of worldwide sales. Although based in Volkswagen’s historic hometown of Wolfsburg, Škoda Auto is a standalone company with its stock listed on various stock exchanges. These exchanges include Warsaw Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Prague Stock Exchange (PSE). Since 1925, when Laurin & Klement began producing cars in a rented railway wagon factory in Mladá Boleslav, Škoda has been building vehicles under its name. It remains one of Central Europe’s biggest sellers, with approximately 350 thousand sold since 2000. 2) Tatra Tatra is one of, if not...

 by Prague Morning May 23, 2022

On June 28 You Can Visit the Lobkowicz Palace for Free

On Tuesday, June 28, you can visit the Lobkowicz palác, usually closed to tourists, for free. From 14:00 to 19:00, guests will be able to explore the interior of the Baroque palace, built in 1702. Lobkowicz Palace is one of the most important High-Baroque buildings in Prague. It was projected by famous Baroque architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi and there is a large decorative garden behind it. It has been a seat of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague since 1973. It became an important place in 1989: thousands of citizens of the former GDR could move to the FRG from this palace at the time. The embassy will organize an exhibition of German tourism regions, food tents and other accompanying programs. The palace was planned with two facades: those of street side and the more impressive garden front. The Lobkowicz family acquired the palace in 1753, and it was given its Late-baroque appearance by Ignác Johann Palliardi in 1769. The garden (partly open to the public), which stretch the Petín Hill, was restyled in the manner of English “natural” landscaping in 1793 by J. Skalník, who had been responsible for the landscaping of Marienbad Spa. In...

 by Prague Morning May 19, 2022
Vltava Philharmonic Hall

Approved! Danish Studio Win Competition to Design the New Vltava Philharmonic Hall

The new Vltava Philharmonic will be built by the Danish architectural studio Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Prague City selected a total of 19 applicants in an international competition. The Vltava Philharmonic Hall should have a total of three auditoria: the main concert hall for about 1800 persons, a smaller hall for chamber music with a capacity of 700 seats and a multifunctional hall for other genres and events with a capacity of up to 500 seats. Bjarke Ingels Group plans to complete the new building, which will cost the city about six billion crowns, in 2032. The main concert hall should offer state-of-the-art acoustics, excellent spatial and visual characteristics and facilities corresponding to 21st century standards. The building should also accommodate both of the significant Prague orchestras – the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) and the Czech Philharmonic. The building should also integrate the music division of the Municipal Library of Prague and other creative spaces, which are to be another important pillar in the building’s construction program. It should also include a café or a rooftop restaurant. The roof, which offers a view of the capital, is to be a continuation of the square that will be built in front...

 by Prague Morning May 17, 2022

Concerts in Support of Ukraine to be Held in Prague on May 20, 21 and 22

A series of charitable concerts ‘Music. Support. Freedom.’ organized by Ukrainian singers CONSTANTINE, INGRET and TOHKA (TONKA). Art illuminates the world even in dark times, helps to express powerful emotions, unites the souls and hearts of the people of Earth,” concert organizers write. “The voices of Ukrainians must be heard. This is what the strength, beauty, love and pain of a beautiful, hardworking and talented country sounds like. CONSTANTINE, INGRET and TOНKA (TONKA) have already performed in Berlin and Tallinn and continue their charity tour of European cities. They also attended several meetings with Ukrainian refugees, where they were able to communicate with compatriots and perform music in gratitude for their courage and love of their native country. The proceeds from the concerts will be deployed to the ‘Masterskaya’ Charity Foundation, where they will be distributed for humanitarian, medical, cultural institutions, and children’s needs. For Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine because of the war, admission to the concert is free by pre-registration. You can get your tickets here  May 20 Ukrainian experimental indie band Tonka released a new EP, “Znov molodist’ ne bude,” just two days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Tonka has previously featured Ukrainian...

 by Prague Morning May 17, 2022

The Year Behind Us: Czech Press Photo Exhibit 2021

by Maddie Jacobson–Anglo-American University A mixture of strong emotions is immediately felt upon stepping into the Czech Press Photo exhibit at the National Museum. Surrounded by images capturing the upending world events of the last year, sadness, joy, loss, and unity are simultaneously evoked. The Czech Press Photo exhibit, open till October 31st, 2022, displays the winners of the Czech Press Photo competition along with other notable submissions. Located centrally at the National Museum in Prague’s Wenceslas Square, this exhibit is a must-see for everyone, from documentary photography aficionados to those who simply want to view the events of the past year from a different perspective. The Czech Press Photo Competition is currently in its 27th year, and it highlights Czech and Slovak photographers who are capturing everyday life and notable events in the Czech Republic and around the world. This is the second time that the National Museum has hosted this exhibition. The exhibition displays notable submissions from the 2021 competition, the winner of the Photo of the Year along with winners of the subcategories. The Photo of the Year was shot by Petr Topic with the title “Destruction.” It depicts a young man standing with his head in...

 by Prague Morning May 16, 2022

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