The Prague Science Film Fest returns to the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) from Oct. 19-22, bringing four days of international science documentaries, world premieres and discussions with filmmakers and researchers. The free festival will explore subjects ranging from microscopic fungal networks to wildlife conservation, artificial intelligence and the mysteries of human perception.
This year’s edition takes “Perspective” as its central theme, examining how scientific discoveries and personal experiences can change our understanding of the world. The program includes 15 documentaries selected for competition, alongside special screenings, an outdoor cinema, workshops and an unconventional comedy event billed as the “Boring Conference.”
“At the festival, we will show films that cannot be seen anywhere else in the Czech Republic,” festival director Zdeněk Rychtera said. Many screenings will be accompanied by discussions with Czech and international filmmakers, scientists and other specialists, with several events accessible to English-speaking audiences.
Fungi, wildlife and the landscapes humans leave behind
One of the festival’s major premieres is Mycocosm (Mykokosmospictured above), a new Czech documentary from director Judita Hunáková, screening Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. The film follows scientists Petr Kohout and Tomáš Větrovský as they investigate the complex fungal networks beneath the Earth’s surface and their relationship with soil health and climate change.
Combining field research, animation and music by Czech alternative rock band Please the Trees, Mycocosm also considers the difficulties of communicating scientific findings amid political manipulation and public indifference. Hunáková and Větrovský will attend the world premiere in person.
The subject continues Wednesday, Oct. 21, with the international and European premiere of Kingdom Fungidirected by Joshua Thompson. The documentary follows four mycologists from the woodlands of England to the rainforests of Bhutan as they search for unfamiliar species and investigate the importance of fungi to natural ecosystems.
Other wildlife documentaries include the Czech premiere of Serge-Olivier Rondeau’s The Inheritorswhich observes a colony of gulls living near Canada’s largest landfill. The film examines the uneasy relationship between human development and animal survival, with its director joining the post-screening discussion online.
Czech environmental issues also feature prominently. Michal Gálik’s After Mining: A New Life for the Landscapepremiering Oct. 21, examines the transformation of former mining areas in northern Bohemia, including the landscapes surrounding Lakes Most and Milada.
The documentary raises questions about whether damaged ecosystems are better restored through human intervention or natural processes. Jan Hošek’s Back Under the Treesreceiving its world premiere Oct. 20, approaches forest conservation from another perspective, exploring the consequences of abandoning traditional woodland management.
From optical illusions to a deliberately boring conference
Beyond environmental science, the festival examines the limitations of human perception in Our Brain Is Playing Tricks on Usa documentary investigating optical illusions, magic tricks and the ways the brain constructs its understanding of reality.
Other selections tackle contemporary technological and medical questions. The Cost of Convenience explores artificial intelligence’s growing involvement in intimate relationships and elder care, while André Is an Idiot takes an unconventional, darkly humorous approach to mortality through the experiences of a man confronting a terminal cancer diagnosis.
The program also includes Sara Dosa’s Oscar-nominated Fire of Lovescreening outdoors Monday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. Built around extraordinary archival footage shot by volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, the documentary chronicles their marriage and shared fascination with some of the world’s most dangerous natural phenomena.
A less conventional event arrives Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 5:30 p.m. with the Boring Conference, a stand-up comedy program featuring Roman Kyzlink, Martin Dočkal, Lukáš Horáček and Petr Fridrich. The event uses absurdist humor to explore seemingly mundane subjects, challenging the assumption that some topics are inherently uninteresting.
Filmmakers will compete for several festival honors, including Best International Science Documentary, the Student Jury Award and the Audience Award. The main prize carries a cash award of CZK 50,000. Aspiring filmmakers can also participate in Film Lab: Ways of Seeing and Camera Worka workshop organized in collaboration with My Street Films.
Organized by the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and Palacký University Olomouc in cooperation with the Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) festival team, the Prague Science Film Fest runs through Thursday, Oct. 22.
Admission to all screenings and accompanying events is free, with no festival registration required. Advance sign-up is needed only for the filmmaking workshop. Numerous screenings are designated English-friendly, with language accessibility indicated in the official festival program.
Source: www.praguereporter.com
