"Czech That Film" – a festival of contemporary Czech film that will travel from coast to coast – kicks off in Los Angeles on 27 March (Friday) at the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Cinematic Arts. In total, audiences in 18 major American cities, from New York to San Francisco and Houston, will be treated to screenings of select Czech films. The festival wraps up on 12 July in Seattle. Accompanying the film screenings are various special events, such as opening and closing receptions and Q&A sessions with well-known Czech directors. The program includes such special sessions with Andrea Sedláčková, the director of Fair Play, the Czech entry for the Best Foreign Language at this year’s Oscars; Jiří Mádl, a popular Czech actor and director of To See the Sea; and Eva Jeníčková, the lead actress from the offbeat drama Clownwise. Apart from taking in these movies, visitors also will have a chance to see Krásno, a dark comedy by Ondřej Sokol and The Icing, a conversational comedy directed by Jan Hřebejk. “Although directors such as Miloš Forman, Ivan Passer and Jiří Menzel became household names in the United States long ago, the young contemporary Czech artistic leaders are unbeknown to most,” says Michal Sedláček, the Czech Consul General in Los Angeles. The Czech That Film festival will no doubt inspire people to explore Czech cinema further as they take part in this event, dedicated to spreading cultural appreciation, he says. “This year’s films are exceptional. While their flavor remains uniquely Czech, these movies will speak to everyone, young and old, whether American or Czech,” Sedláček says. Czech That Film is a joint project of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles and the Czech Centers. More information about the festival can be found online here: www.czechthatfilm.com