Embassy Launches Festival Website

The Embassy of the Czech Republic announces the launch of the Mutual Inspirations Festival 2012-Miloš Forman website www.mutualinspirations.org. This site features upcoming events, stories about Forman, US-Czech inspirational personalities, and more. Be sure to check the website periodically for the site is undergoing "construction" as new events and information are added.
Photo courtesy of Oldřich Škácha    
  
The Mutual Inspirations Festival 2012-Miloš Forman celebrates Oscar-winning, Czech director Miloš Forman’s 80th birthday, the best of Czech cinematography, and the accomplishments of the transatlantic film industry. The festival runs September-October 2012, and features over 30 films and events in prestigious venues throughout the Washington area, including the National Gallery of Art, AFI Silver Theater, Library of Congress, Avalon Theater, Katzen Arts Center at American University, among others. In addition, the festival incorporates concerts, lectures, and exhibitions, related to film and photography. A special component of the festival is the US-wide Forman retrospective: A Tribute to Miloš Forman.

The festival is an annual initiative spearheaded by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg, focusing on the mutual inspirations between Czech and American cultures. Last year, the festival highlighted Czech composer Antonín Dvořák and welcomed over 10,000 people at events featuring over 500 local and international artists throughout the nation’s capital. The events are open to the public and most of the events are free of charge.         

US-Wide Forman Retrospective: A Tribute to Miloš Forman        
A Tribute to Miloš Forman is a US-wide project where the Czech Honorary Consular Corps in the United States, the Czech Center in New York, and Czech Foreign Service Posts will screen a film by award-winning director Miloš Forman and host an evening exploring a particular theme in the film that has impacted society. The goal of the project is to present a retrospective of Forman’s films throughout the United States. Through Q&A sessions, lectures with leading experts, and discussions with the community, the project highlights the vibrant films of the renowned Czech-American director, pays tribute to his transatlantic success, and explores themes in his films that continue to play out in today’s society: including questions of personal freedom, social conformity, and the oppression of the individual, among others.

CZECH REPUBLIC and the FILM INDUSTRY        
In addition to bringing talented Czech filmmakers to the forefront, the festival also spotlights the Czech film industry. The Czech Republic has a rich heritage of filmmaking and has collaborated with the U.S. on numerous films and commercials. Economic incentives for filming in the Czech Republic include lower costs, stunning locations, and professional production teams.      

Enjoy the fall season packed with events accentuating director Miloš Forman and the mutual inspirations that ensue between the Czech Republic and the United States through the cinematic realm. Be sure to stay posted on www.mutualinspirations.org for upcoming events.