Cinematik announces other film headliners. The world’s most acclaimed films will arrive in Piešt’any

The 20th edition of the Cinematik International Film Festival will be a six-day celebration of high-quality domestic and foreign cinema. A rich selection of attractive films awaits festival visitors from September 10 to 15, including the popular Paths of Glory section, which presents a selection of A-list film events. The organizers expect extraordinary audience interest again this year and all festival cinemas to be filled to capacity. The celebration of 20 years of film experiences will be an unforgettable highlight of the summer.

“When compiling the Paths of Glory section, I always strive for a genre-rich selection, and I believe that just like the films that have reached me at foreign festivals, they will also reach Cinematik’s audience.The 20th edition is also a certain important programming moment, as the festival’s attendance continues to grow, we feel a great responsibility to select titles with precision. Important are not only the successes of the films in international forums, but also their exceptional qualities,” says Peter Konečný, a member of the programme committee.

One of the key titles in the Paths of Glory section this year will be the top Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto, 2025), directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. During the 1977 military dictatorship, technology expert Wagner Moura (Marcelo Alves) flees a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in northeastern Brazil. However, he soon realises that the port city is far from a safe haven. The film earned a thirteen-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 and became one of the most talked-about titles on the program. The success also brought laurels for Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role and a FIPRESCI award. Cinematik will present the film in an exclusive Slovak premiere and there will be several similar premieres.

From this year’s Berlinale, Cinematik will also present an American film by director and screenwriter Mary Bronstein with the sarcastic title If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025). A mix of original black comedy, drama and precise social satire. Protagonist Linda’s world is gradually falling to pieces – she’s plagued by a strange child’s illness, her husband’s long-term absence, plus increasingly problematic encounters with her therapist. Everyday events turn into an unsolvable bunch of problems, and the falling ceiling in the apartment is just a bitter metaphor for the ills of the modern world. What to do when literally everything is falling on us? Rose Byrne gives an extremely authentic and emotional performance in the lead role, for which she won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale.

The original, deeply human story of Spanish director Eva Libertad Deaf (Sorda, 2025) will be seen by the Slovak audience in its home festival premiere after the Berlinale, Málaga, Seattle and Karlovy Vary festivals. During her pregnancy, the deaf Angela struggles with fears about whether she will be able tobond with her daughter. After giving birth, her partner Héctor stands by her side while she learns to cope with motherhood in an environment that does not provide enough support or understanding for people with hearing impairments.

An exceptional and sensitive film that uses a precise script to open up the world of the deaf to the audience. How they feel, what they experience, how they struggle for understanding in a space of varied sounds. Inclusion thus becomes the all-important, often invisible handshake. The film won the Audience Award in the Panorama section at the Berlinale. 

In the same section of Paths of Glory, the audience will also see the Slovak premiere of one of the best optimistic dramas of this year, Rebuilding (2025) by American director Max Walker-Silverman, which was an immediate success after its world premiere at the Sundance Festival. Cowboy Dusty (Josh O’Connor) has lost his old family ranch to a forest fire and finds himself in a small FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) camp, where people who share the fate of losing their home come together. Together, they build unexpected friendships – and perhaps hope, love and a mindset for the future – at the RV camp. All gradually, slowly and from the ground up. “One of the most emotional film experiences of the year and a great programming event for this year’s Cinematik,” says Peter Konečný about the film.

This year’s winner of the Audience Award at the well-known American festival SXSW (South by Southwest), The Baltimorons (2025) by director Jay Duplass, will not be absent either. A Christmas Eve and a visit to the dental emergency room will bring the main characters together in this positive and humanity-filled story. The unexpected romance of a dentist and her estranged patient, will change the lives of everyone they meet overnight. Discovering Baltimore has never been as melancholy and joyous as it is in this smart romantic surprise of the year. “Director Jay Duplass once again confirms how he understands his characters and knows how to blend them into humorous yet authentically natural screenwriting situations. A joy to watch as American independent filmmaking continues to evolve, even under the pressure of the mainstream, often soulless mainstream,” adds Peter Konečný.

One of the strongest relationship stories of this year, Love Me Tender (2025), a French production by director Anna Cazenave Cambet, will arrive in Piešt’any from the Cannes Film Festival. Clémence, a lawyer, leaves her marriage and a stable job to finally start living her own life and embrace her true identity. Her ex-husband fights for custody of their son Paul and launches a series of manipulative ways to limit their seeing each other. As their relationship deteriorates, Clémence struggles to maintain her love for her child, no matter the cost. The main character is brilliantly portrayed by Vicky Krieps, whose acting captivatingly explores the position of women in society and the complexities of parental relationships.

Cinematik is bringing several of the most anticipated titles from Cannes, including the original wild American comedy Splitsville (2025). Two couples, one common question – relationships have changed and each partner may be looking for something completely different. The idea of an open relationship tests their friendship and shatters the certainties they previously thought were solid. Michael Angelo Covino, both director and one of the main protagonists, creates a lively relationship comedy full of provocative situations and plot ideas. “The film will be part of the award ceremony and will thus clearly add to the genre diversity of this year’s Cinematik,” adds Peter Konečný.

The next big directorial name in the Paths of Glory section is Sergei Loznitsa and his latest feature film Two Prosecutors (Zwei Staatsanwälte, 2025). We go back to 1937. When a letter from one of the political prisoners, despite the strict rules, makes it outside the prison walls and ends up on the desk of the young prosecutor Kornev, it triggers a series of revelations of corruption and violence within the ranks of the NKVD (People’s Commissariat of the Interior).

But his desire for justice in the Stalin era draws him into a deadly struggle with a regime that is mercilessly devouring its own people. Sergei Loznitsa comes up with another chilling glimpse into the past, but one that is uncomfortably timely. Coming to terms with the past, while also opening eyes to today’s complicated times, is the long-term direction of the award-winning director’s work.

The film awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival is a regular part of the Cinematik programme. Renowned Iranian director Jafar Panahi comes with a work inspired by his own prison experiences. One night, a seemingly insignificant event takes place, but it fatefully links two men – a former political prisoner, Vahid, and a stranger, in whom he gradually recognises his former tormentor. Though Vahid has never seen the man’s face, the rhythm of his footsteps and the distinctive sound of his prosthesis lead him to a terrifying realisation. But can he really be sure? A suggestive drama full of moral dilemmas, It Was Just an Accident (Yek tasadef sadeh, 2025) is clearly one of this year’s best films.

Kabul, 15 August 2021. US troops leave Afghanistan and the Taliban attack the capital. They take it and the whole of Kabul falls into complete chaos. Thousands of terrified Afghans flock to the last safe haven, the French embassy, where Commander Mohamed Bida and his elite team provide security. The Franco-Belgian film 13 Days, 13 Nights (13 jours, 13 nuits, 2025) is based on a fascinating but true story published in Mohamed Bida’s book of the same name. After its world premiere at this year’s Cannes, this shocking war drama will be presented by Cinematik in an exclusive first Slovak screening.

The Love That Remains (Ástin sem eftir er, 2025), the latest film by close observer of human fates and complicated relationships Hlynur Pálmason (White, White Day, Godland), captures a year in the life of an Icelandic family as the parents cope with separation and mutual misunderstanding. Through intimate scenes and strange events, the film explores the complexity of love and the impact of memories. Authentic performances by both the couple and their children – portrayed by the director’s own offspring – make for a unique visual and formal cinematic experience. “Pálmason is able to build the principles of existential drama with an immense attention to detail and originality in each image. The visual distinctiveness is also defined by shooting on film stock,” clarifies Peter Konečný.

Pasha lives in a small Russian town and is a popular teacher at the local school. When the invasion of Ukraine begins, his job changes completely. He is forced to organize activities in accordance with the new war curriculum and document them on camera. The demands on teachers escalate, Pasha’s former pupils leave for the front and the atmosphere in the town thickens. He decides to fight as best he can. He begins filming not only state-mandated activities, but also everyday life inside and outside the school, in order to show the world the impact of the war and the authoritarian regime on the local community.Mr. Nobody against Putin (2025) provides a unique insight into the workings of Russian propaganda and tells the gripping story of a man who decides to risk everything to avoid betraying his values. Awarded the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, the Danish-Czech-German film is one of the most important documentary projects of the year.