Matěj Sláma

The pig-killing fest on an old farm is a tradition Karel looks forward to every year. It’s the only chance for the whole family to get together, have a good time, engage in a squabble or two, and enjoy some great food. But this time things are different. The butcher hides the fact his cartridges are damp, grampa can’t bring himself to tell Karel, recently widowed, that this slaughter will be their last, daughter Lucie is depressed after her marital breakup, and grandson Dušík runs away while his parents argue over whether he’s old enough to watch the kill. As for Karel, the pig’s blood spilling everywhere is the last straw...

Futnet - a game similar to volleyball, played with one's feet, and on a tennis court - originated in Czechoslovakia in the 1920s. Now played internationally, village tournaments are still considered a point of pride.

This year’s gallery of artistically inspiring portraits of uncompromising eccentrics (among them The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld, Robert Richardson: The White Devil and A Pint of Ink) features another unobtrusive stand-out in the shape of Igor Luther, a key figure of Slovak and European cinematography. Ivan Ostrochovský’s perspective is rare, dynamic and also meditative, while Luther himself co-authored the project during the last few months of his life. Works such as Juraj Jakubisko’s Birds, Orphans and Fools, Volker Schlöndorff’s The Tin Drum and Andrzej Wajda’s Danton, in the persuasive words of their creators, wouldn't have the same timeless energy today if it weren't for Luther's visionary endeavours.

The disappearance of two boys at a lake, during a scorching summer afternoon, forces us to question who we really are in the face of our own humanity.

Like every year, a group of friends arrives at a remote and secluded place to "celebrate their friendship". This is the 36th time now, but this year is going to be different. Stana has lost his battle with cancer and for the first time ever there are only five friends. Spring is blooming, they kill a lamb with their own hands and drink to Stana's memory. However, one of them, Dalibor, has a secret he does not want to share.

Jan Merta (1952) is currently one of the most important Czech visual artists. In his painting work, shaped by the postmodernism of the 1980s, he leans towards abstract abbreviation and symbolic depiction of reality through everyday objects. The film is a snapshot of his life filled with painting, working in his garden and cohabitation with his partner. The civilian camera follows Merta as he prepares an exhibition for which he attempts to create new works. However, his engagement with the current geopolitical situation enters into the work, as well as the discovery of new compositional principles and creative otherworldliness that co-create his enchanted personal world.

Jaroslav Kučera in an intimate portrait composed of private footage, in which he sketches the most intimate space of his family with a relaxed hand. Thanks to the director's sensitive selection, we observe scenes of spontaneous posing in front of the camera as well as moments of soothing repose, captivatingly brought together by a soundtrack produced by Aid Kid.