Cinematik is an international film festival held in Piešťany and is one of the largest film events in Slovakia. It was founded in 2006 and after rapid growth, it recorded over 16,000 visitors during its 4th year. Every September, it presents over 70 feature films and numerous short films with an emphasis on European and Slovak cinematography.
Young Talent vs. Giants
Cinematik aims to discover new talent, but also to focus attention on greats who are not widely discussed in Slovakia. Audiences could see retrospectives by Nicolas Winding Refn and Alain Resnais, and the festival was personally attended by Peter Strickland, Ben Wheatley, Jaime Rosales, György Pálfi, Veiko Õunpuu, Ventura Pons, and Luis Miñarro.
European films
The majority of the Cinematik festival programme is dedicated to European cinema. The best European films of the year are included in the main competition section, Meeting Point Europe, which is compiled by 15 critics from 15 European countries. Festival hits regularly meet less-known, progressive films in the selection.
Slovak documentary production
One of the aims of the Cinematik festival is to support Slovak cinematography. This is also why the competition section for Slovak feature-length documentaries, Cinematik.doc, was established. The festival also co-organises an international seminar focused on the development and co-production of documentaries in Europe.
Informal atmosphere
The spa town of Piešťany predisposes the festival to an informal atmosphere. The festival centre is located in the town park, which offers a suitable place to relax between films. Cinematik aims to offer its visitors a film holiday.