Academia Film Olomouc kicks off in just one week

In just one week, Olomouc will host the international Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) at Palacký University, which from April 28 to May 3 will offer a selection of today’s most compelling documentaries, inspiring guests, and a supporting programme – an outdoor cinema, concerts and DJ sets, VR screenings, lectures, walks, scientific experiments held in the town square, and activities for children and teenagers. Basic admission is free; all you need is accreditation on the festival website. 

For 61 years, AFO has been showcasing science as a natural part of life. This year, approximately 600 titles from around the world were submitted to the festival. Sixty-one documentaries are competing for the unique prize—a kaleidoscope by glassmaker Martin Hlubuček. In addition, audiences can look forward to films in non-competitive sections, bringing the festival’s total lineup to 139 titles.

“I would recommend, for example, the film About Time and Water, a documentary adaptation of Andri Magnason’s Icelandic book about coming to terms with the loss of glaciers and one’s own ancestors, or the film Super Nature, a collective declaration of love for the landscape and film material, shot on a historic Super 8 camera. My Chemical Information System presents science and the life of a scientist without embellishment as a socially beneficial yet often overlooked vocation; André Is an Idiot reminds us not to underestimate even such a basic examination as a colonoscopy; and the film Afterlives analyses the principles of media propaganda,” said programme director Dominik Vontor, inviting audiences to the festival.

Among the Czech films, the series Potížistky (Troublemaking Women) —an entertaining, collage-like history of feminism—is worth noting, as is Návštěvník Jindřich Polák (Visitor Jindřich Polák), a portrait of a seminal genre filmmaker working with the methodology of new film history, and in the short film competition, for example, the heartwarming collection Co se mění? (What Is Changing?), perfect for lifting spirits.

“We don’t view the festival merely as a film showcase, but as a platform for sharing, discussion, and exploring connections. Science is not isolated; it is present in people’s stories, in the landscape, and in everyday decisions,” says Dominik Vontor. He added that AFO will, for the first time, offer screenings with audio description for the blind and subtitles for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the opening ceremony will be interpreted into sign language. Alongside traditional documentaries, there will be virtual reality projects and screenings at unconventional locations, such as the Huss Congregational Hall or the cemetery in Neředín.

Programme outside cinema halls

The square will feature the popular giant inflatable models of the Earth and the so-called Astrosphere, which displays the night sky, including constellations not visible from the Czech Republic. On Saturday, visitors can also look forward to an inflatable planetarium. “This year’s accompanying programme also includes a new feature, the so-called ‘spring’ cinema—that is, a summer cinema in challenging weather conditions, but with an all the better atmosphere. We’ll be screening films right on Olomouc’s Upper Square; the screen will be set up right next to the astronomical clock, and we’ve selected titles that can warm even casual passersby. “I’m delighted that we can bring film a little closer to the public space again,” says AFO director Eva Navrátilová, inviting audiences to the festival.

The festival as a space for understanding

This year’s AFO lineup explores the theme of shared discourse across a range of sections that focus on current social and personal issues. For example, the section “Hello! How Are You?” explores dating and the transformations of interpersonal relationships in the digital age, while “Diagnosis: Unknown” presents powerful testimonies about living with chronic illness and draws attention to the lack of attention we devote to these issues. “Echoes of the Future” reflects on the future as a space of both fear and hope. The Culture of Victory explores our need to compete and the significance of sports in society. At the same time, AFO Junior offers children and adults alike a space for shared discovery, empathy, and understanding. A prominent part of the programme is also the Music is Science section, which, in addition to concerts, features audiovisual performances connecting music, science, and technology. Among others, musician and producer Max Cooper will be coming to Olomouc.

“AFO has long demonstrated the important role the university plays not only as a place for education, science, and research, but also as an active part of our society. The festival is one of the most striking examples of fulfilling the so-called third mission of the university – it opens science to the public, fosters dialogue, and contributes to understanding the contemporary world. I greatly appreciate the significant contribution of Palacký University students to its organisation,” said UP Rector Michael Kohajda.

AFO attracts world-class personalities

Olomouc will welcome Robert Petit, director of the film Underland, as well as American filmmaker Erin Espelie and British volcanologist and filmmaker Clive Oppenheimer. Both will present their films Ideas of Order and Vulcano Voices in world premieres at AFO. The programme will also feature projects at the intersection of film, science, and new media, such as Hacking at Leaves by Johannes Grenzfurthner and Phenomena: When the Elements Dance directed by Josef Gatti. Guests will also include American journalist Molly Webster and choreographer Marika Hedemyr.

In addition to international guests, visitors will meet, for example, Daniel Stach, Markéta Šetinová, Vojtěch Mýlek, Anežka Dašková, Prokop Pithart, and Daniel Kortus. The program will also feature other guests across various fields—from science to media to the arts.

Science needs a common language

This year’s theme resonates among scientific institutions and festival partners as well. Pavel Banáš, director of the CATRIN UP university institute, highlights the importance of interdisciplinary communication. “When I learned that this year’s AFO theme is a common language, it immediately occurred to me how crucial this is for science. Over the past century, science has become incredibly specialised, and each field has developed its own language. Yet, the most significant discoveries today arise at their intersections. The search for a common language is therefore a prerequisite for truly groundbreaking research.”

According to Jan Konvalinka, director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ÚOCHB AV ČR), the festival is significant even in an international context: “What the AFO festival has achieved over the past few decades is unique in both the European and global contexts. We are honoured to be able to support such an event.” Jan Hlaváč, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science at Palacký University, also emphasises his support for the festival: “The festival connects science with the public and demonstrates that even complex topics can be communicated clearly and engagingly. We share a commitment to critical thinking, openness, and the search for solutions to current challenges.”