Plzeň Finále
One of the brightest initiatives that I’ve come across in terms of championing a single country’s film heritage is represented every spring by the Plzeň Finále Festival of Czech Films. Less renowned than the venerable, more internationally-focused Karlovy Vary festival, it’s arguably more important, as its aim is to screen every Czech feature film made the previous year, together with the best documentaries. It therefore serves as a handy one-stop shop for anyone trying to keep up with Czech cinema, and my understanding is that the vast majority (if not all) the screenings have English subtitles.
Here’s an interview with festival director Ivan Jachim, and a report on the 2003 festival by Peter Hames.