Visegrad Film Forum 2024: Program director Jakub Viktorín whetting our appetite

Ahead of the event, we had the pleasure of interviewing the director of VFF, Jakub Viktorín, who revealed the driving force behind the Visegrad Film Forum, tells about his mission to fill a gap in Slovakia’s film industry, its unique approach prioritizing filmmakers, and its role in nurturing emerging talents.

What fuels your fire when orchestrating such an ambitious event, bringing together film professionals, emerging talents, and international guests?

Jakub Viktorín: Our initial motivation was that such a platform was missing at our school (when we were students) and in Slovakia as a whole. With my colleagues, we attended several events abroad and were inspired to bring some variation of that to Slovakia. We managed to start the first edition in 2011, and after each new edition, we were motivated to continue. We believe that there is meaning in the Visegrad Film Forum being a platform to bring people together and provide inspiration to the audience from acclaimed film professionals across different professions in the film industry.

Could you outline the key principles guiding VFF’s efforts in nurturing up-and-coming talents? What sets VFF apart?

Jakub Viktorín: The key difference of VFF as a forum from other film festivals is that festivals are mainly about films, and filmmakers are guests to them, while our forum is mainly about filmmakers, with films as an additional program to them. So, we aim to bring filmmakers who have already accomplished some goals in their careers and are open to sharing their experiences, knowledge, and inspiration with our audience.

Can you tell us about the dynamics of the Visegrad film ecosystem? And what role does VFF play in this landscape?

Jakub Viktorín: In my view, the dynamics of the Visegrad film ecosystem involve international collaboration, with probably some exceptions. Creating a professional feature film costs a significant amount of money, which is quite challenging to raise in just one country. That is a reason why there is a strong emphasis on international co-productions in Europe. For filmmakers, it’s advantageous to learn how to work in an international environment. We believe that VFF is something of an initial step into such a world, a place where you can meet similarly enthusiastic filmmakers who want to learn and share their experiences. Additionally, through our acclaimed guest speakers from different areas, even the professional audience already within the industry can benefit from the program.

Is there a particular highlight on VFF’s 2024 agenda that has you counting down the days?

Jakub Viktorín: We are trying to create the VFF program in a way that it does not overlap; that is the reason why we believe the entire program is a highlight. The choice is for the audience to decide what is the most important element from the program for them.