Festival was founded in 1993 by FEBIO, an independent film and TV company. Starting as an enthusiastically organized, basically no-budget event for a couple of friends and film buffs, Febiofest has grown during the past years into one of the largest film festivals in the Czech Republic.
In recent years, the Prague International Film Festival – Febiofest has hosted renowned directors and actors such as Catherine Deneuve, Bille August, Arnaud Desplechin, Leos Carax, Louis Garrel, Mark Gatiss, Nanni Moretti, Claude Lelouch, Peter Weir, Olivier Assayas, Roman Polanski, Volker Schloendorff, Istvan Szabo, Tsai Ming-Liang, Tom Tykwer, Hal Hartley, Andrey Konchalovski, Armin Mueller Stahl, Nikita Michalkov, Carlos Saura and Claudia Cardinale.
Basically the festival is oriented towards full length films, bringing to Czech audiences the best films of the last year, as well as distribution premieres, retrospectives and tributes.
Thanks to its broad overview of the latest and best cinematography from around the world, high quality screenings and famous guests, every year the festival’s exceptional programme draws large, curious and appreciative audiences of all ages and receives much critical acclaim in the press.
After the festival has completed its run in Prague, selected films (mostly distribution pre-premieres) travel to other Czech cities to give movie lovers beyond the capital an opportunity to see high quality films. The spirit of Febiofest even makes its way to neighbouring Slovakia.
PRAGUE IFF – FEBIOFEST 2020 MAIN COMPETITION
The 27th Prague IFF – Febiofest presents for the first time its Main Competition, which will feature seven of the latest authorial pictures by emerging world-class directors. The expert jury evaluating contenders will comprise film professionals.
PRAGUE IFF – FEBIOFEST 2020 COMEDY COMPETITION
The new Prague IFF – Febiofest competition section Comedy Competition is focused on art-house style comedic pictures that reflect modern-day realities. They have a prominent place in the festival programme. The section’s jury is comprised of 33 selected film fans while the honorary chair of the jury.
INDUSTRY DAYS PRAGUE IFF – FEBIOFEST 2020
Febiofest’s Industry Days are intended for film professionals and film school students. The sidebar comprises lectures, panel discussions and, for the first time Czech Works in Progress, in cooperation film Czech Film Found/Czech Film Center, presentations of projects by domestic filmmakers that are in the production or post-production stage, as well as new projects from inspiring European filmmakers. Guided by international experts, filmmakers focus on shaping their marketing strategies and launching their outreach campaigns, they will consult advisors on dramaturgy and editing, discuss opportunities to present their films with programmers from top international festivals or acquire sales agents.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FEBIOFEST AWARD 2020
The Czech branch of Amnesty International and the Prague IFF – Febiofest are working together for the sixth year in a row. Eight films focused on the themes of freedom, freedom of expression and the struggle for a dignified life have been selected for this year’s programme. While only one will take the Amnesty International Febiofest Award, AI aims to highlight via all the selected films the injustice and iniquity that occur in our society as well as the heroes able and willing to stand up to them and not give up the fight.