AFO

Academia Film Olomouc 2012

47th International Festival of Science Documentary Films

April 17 - 22, 2012, Olomouc, Czech Republic

„Of several film festivals in which I have taken part as speaker, panelist, judge, or simple observer, the one in Olomouc was the most intellectually stimulating and intense.“ (Robert Rosenstone)

„I had a wonderful time at the Olomouc film festival; the films were engaging, the town was beautiful, and most importantly, the people were inspiring and stimulating. " (Jeff Liebermann)

„A great occasion to meet deserving people, and experience one of the most relevant events on the field.“ (Antonella Testa)

What is AFO?

AFO currently ranks among top European festivals focusing on science documentaries. Its major goal is to present topical information from all spheres of knowledge, and thus promote science in general public, young audiences, and film and television professionals.

The festival is devoted to all fields of knowledge and brings together humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Its unique focus combines competition screenings of new Czech and world science documentaries, with lectures and presentations of scientists, creating a unique atmosphere, where filmmakers meet with scholars and enthusiastic audiences.

Academia Film Olomouc is the oldest festival in Central Europe devoted to a consistent mapping of science documentary film and TV production. It was founded in 1966 as a joint initiative of Short Film Prague, Palacky University in Olomouc and the Czechoslovak Academy of Science. At present, its main organizer is Palacky University in Olomouc.

Among the festival guests in recent years were Robert Winston, Martha Holmes, Jeff Lieberman, Andrew Holtz, Nigel Marven, Christine LeGoff, Robert Rosenstone, Timothy Boon, Albert Barillé, Alison Griffiths, Lisa Cartwright and others.

AFO Program

Science film is a unique category of documentary film, an important field of cinema, that represents a substantial part of contemporary television broadcasting. AFO´s active programming seeks significant works in Czech and world science cinema, and present them to general as well as academic public. It focuses not only on current productions, but reviews, and revives the history of the genre in special program sections. Each year, a dominant topic brings together films and guests from all over the world, presenting science as a thrilling adventure.

AFO program consists of international and Czech competition, featuring the best science documentaries from last two years, selected from approx. 400 submissions every year. Specialized juries select the winners of The Best World Science Documentary and The Best Czech Science Documentary, festival visitors choose their best film which is awarded the Audience Award.

AFO awards the Lifelong Contribution to the Popularization of Science Award to outstanding scientists who devote their time to bring their expertise closer to the general public in innovative and intriguing ways, deconstructing the image of science as a dull, boring business, and scientists as quirky eccentrics.

Besides competition screenings, AFO organizes screenings, lectures by prominent Czech as well as international scientists, and debates around various topics, its major goal being to unveil little-known spheres of knowledge, or to cast new light upon well-known ones, and promote contact between the scientific commonity and the general public.

AFO is proud of its rich accompanying program, including outdoor screenings, screenings for children, concerts, readings and exhibitions, which gives the festival its youthful an lively vibe and spread the event all over the whole city.

AFO in numbers