Film Europe Media Company is running its very own festival, Be2Can, for the second time from 7-14 October. Originally conceived as a retrospective of the three most influential European festivals, Berlin, Cannes and Venice, the gathering – described by its organisers as a “an echo of the great festivals” – aims to enlighten visitors as to the backstage goings-on at the trendsetting festivals, enabling them to “better understand the structure and dramaturgy”, as the company’s CEO, Ivan Hronec, revealed last year when introducing the concept behind the event. 

Similarly to the first edition, the organisers are using a multi-platform model, screening 21 films in cinemas, 18 on a video-on-demand basis and 92 on Film Europe’s own television channel. The core of the model is a travelling mini-festival that will screen selected films in 44 cinemas in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The gathering has even established a partnership with the Slovakian public broadcaster’s second channel, meaning that it will show several titles from Film Europe’s slate. “A festival event with such a wide range of elements is totally unique,” adds Hronec.

The company kept the buzz about Be2Can alive throughout the year by reporting on its ever-expanding portfolio, mostly after award ceremonies. The line-up of the festival includes Jafar Panahi’s Golden Bear winner Taxi (see the news); Sebastian Schipper’s one-take wonder Victoria [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sebastian Schipper
fiche film], which was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Artistic Contribution; the Palme d’Or winner Dheepan [+lire aussi :
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Q&A : Jacques Audiard
fiche film] by Jacques Audiard; László Nemes’ lauded debut Son of Saul [+lire aussi :
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Q&A : László Nemes
interview : László Rajk
fiche film]; Michel Franco’s Chronic [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]; and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin. Among the titles being brought from the Lido are Abel Ferrara’s biopic drama Pasolini [+lire aussi :
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interview : Abel Ferrara
fiche film], Ulrich Seidl’s provocative documentary In the Basement [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], Francesco Munzi’s Black Souls [+lire aussi :
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interview : Francesco Munzi
fiche film], last year’s Golden Lion winner A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence [+lire aussi :
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interview : Roy Andersson
fiche film] by Roy Andersson and Xavier Beauvois’ The Price of Fame [+lire aussi :
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interview : Xavier Beauvois
fiche film]. The latest adaptation of Macbeth [+lire aussi :
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making of
fiche film], directed by Justin Kurzel, will have a special preview screening in Košice and Brno. In addition, Son of Saul will be presented by the film’s co-screenwriter, Clara Royer, in Prague. For the second edition, the organisers have prepared an English-friendly option for eight films judged to be the highlights of the festival. 

While the second edition has not even got under way yet, the company is already preparing for the third iteration with the latest crop of movies fresh from the Lido. This year’s Golden Lion winner, Desde Allá by Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas, has been added to Film Europe’s slate and the Be2Can 3 line-up, as have Aleksandr Sokurov’s Fedeora Award-winning latest outing, Francofonia [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], and Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]. The latter marks the expansion of the scope of the gathering as it ventures into the territory of American independent film.

Be2Can 2 runs from 7-14 October throughout Slovakia and the Czech Republic.