Multiple award winner My Dog Killer (Mira Fox) directed by Mira Fornay will represent Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The film took home the Tiger Award from the Rotterdam IFF and the Golden Kingfisher at the Finale Plzen festival of Czech films. 

Georgia sends In Bloom (Polare Film), a coproduction with Germany and France directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili, about two teenage girls growing up in war-torn Georgia. Neighboring Austria is represented by Soldier Jane directed by Daniel Hoesl. 

Mexico has a pair of films in the competition: Heli directed by Amat Escalante, a coproduction with Germany, The Netherlands and France; and the Spanish coproduction La jaula de oro directed by Diego Quemada-Diez.

The U.S. puts in an appearance with The Motel Life directed by Alan Polsky and Gabriel Polsky.

European coproductions account for the remainder of the films: Before Snowfall by Hisham Zaman (Norway/Germany/Iraq); Eat, Sleep, Die by Gabriela Pichler (Sweden); Mold by Ali Aydin (Turkey/Germany); Harmony Lessons by Emir Bajgazin (Kazakhstan/Germany/France); and Wajma: An Afghan Love Story by Barmak Akram (Afghan/France).

Slovak production will be on view in the Slovak Season section, consisting of eight short and feature-length films, along with seven films from students of the VSMU film school in Bratislava screening at Art Film Fest in cooperation with Slovak distribution company Continental Film (www.continental-film.sk) for the first time.  

Six blocks of short films, 38 films in total, comprise the festival’s International Competition of Short Films. Other special sections include a focus on Scandinavian films and a selection of Asian films. 

A two-day schedule of industry events on 24 and 25 June will focus on distribution and the annual presentation of upcoming Slovak feature films.