Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia 2014

Overview

Following their successful debut in Melbourne last June, one of Australia's most exciting new film festivals is doubling down in their sophomore year. Extending their dates and adding Sydney to the rotation, the second annual Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA) promises to be even more intriguing than the first.

A tale about family, friendship and an endearing love of movies, Jiri Madl's To the Sea will bookend the festival, launching the Melbourne leg on August 21 and screening on closing night in Sydney two-and-a-half weeks later. Other contemporary highlights include the 60s set surveillance thriller The Confidant and the action-packed mob movie The Godfather's Story.

Classic movie buffs can also look forward to a series of retrospective screenings, including a digital restoration of Jiri Menzel's 1966 Oscar winner Closely Observed Trains and a multi-session sidebar on the work of Czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer. The festival will also present a number of free exhibitions, for patrons looking to expand their understanding of Czech and Slovak history.

For the full CaSFFA program, visit the festival website. Image: To the Sea.