Preparations of 24th Ji.hlava are in full swing! The packed programme will offer the first and the last film by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, a film portrait of artist Marina Abramović as well as the best doc of Sundance - Epicentro by Hubert Sauper. Women will dominate the music doc section. And the Inspiration Forum will turn its gaze towards Africa, technology and ecology.
This year’s Ji.hlava will kick off in six weeks, but it is already evident that it will be different from its previous editions. “This year’s journey is by far the most adventurous in the history of the festival. We still believe that Ji.hlava will take place on-site, safely and that it will again bring extraordinary cinematic experience,” says Marek Hovorka, the Festival Director. “We want to stay loyal to our audiences and the filmmakers also in the unpredictable times. While safety remains our priority, we don’t want to give up on getting together and inspiring our audiences with lively discussions. This is what makes Ji.hlava exceptional,” adds Marek Hovorka. And if cultural events are banned completely, the whole festival will go on-line. “We still believe this will not be the case. Our society has to learn how to live with the coronavirus and epidemiologists consider film screenings where the audience will be wearing face masks safe,” adds Hovorka.
What festival spot will accompany the 24th Ji.hlava IDFF? This year, the author of the spot is experimental filmmaker Mike Hoolboom, who visited Ji.hlava for the first time fifteen years ago. Two years later, he brought his film called Fascinations that made such a strong impression that the experimental festival section adopted its name. „The nun is Romy Cola, an artist who has a special interest in crossing over, stepping into forbidden zones, singing where others fear to tread. Who else could I ask to appear as a nun?,“ says Mike Hoolboom about this year’s festival spot. Before Hoolboom, the authors of the festival spot were the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Godfrey Reggio and Jóhann Jóhannsson.
