Five short films from the rich animated works of Viktor Kubal will be screened this month at the Kaohsiung Film Festival, an international film festival in Taiwan. The event, which is the largest international platform for short films in Taiwan, will take place from 12 to 27 October 2024, and Slovak classic cinema will be represented in its program for the second time.
The Kaohsiung Film Festival offers an international short film competition focused on discovering films with creative style and unique perspective, supporting new filmmaking talent, and fostering cultural exchange. Kubal’s animated films will be shown in the non-competitive section of the festival, in a program titled The Wizard of Childhood.
“Films from the archive of the Slovak Film Institute are not being shown in Taiwan for the first time,” says Lea Pagáčová from the Audiovisual Center of the Slovak Film Institute, who curated the program for the Taiwanese festival. “Our collaboration with the festival began last year with Vladimír Pikalík’s films about the mischievous and inventive Joey, which were recently released in France on DVD. The response from both organizers and audiences was very positive, which led us to continue with Viktor Kubal’s works.“
The films to be screened include The Marzipan Comedy (1987), based on the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel,” Earth (1966), about fertile land giving way to industrial construction, the comedy Chess (1974), Tom Thumb at the Magician’s (1973) about the travels of Janko Hraško, and finally What Happened to Johnny on the Road (1981), a film about Johnny learning traffic signs. “Kubal’s work is timeless and unique. During his career, he created hundreds of animated films, filled with gentle humor and situational gags that appeal to audiences of all ages, including the youngest,” Pagáčová explains the choice of Kubal’s films.
The festival screens films for both children and adults, mainly focusing on contemporary cinema. Last year’s selection of five Pikalík films from the Slovak Film Institute’s collection stood out as the only classic children’s films in the festival program. Pagáčová considers this year’s presentation of Slovak films at the Taiwanese festival to be a significant event, stating, “Our cinema remains relatively unknown in the international context, especially in Asian countries, and in some cases almost undiscovered. This opportunity to spread awareness about Slovak audiovisual heritage is truly exceptional.“
