HoryZonty = an adventure festival for all
SUMMARY OF HORYZONTY 2011
The sixth year of the Adventure Film Festival was very special in many aspects. Films were viewed by record-breaking three thousand seven hundred viewers and over five hundred adults and children participated actively in accompanying events.
From 10th to 12th November 2011 Posádkový klub /ODA/ in Trenčín once again became a place for gathering of an unusually diversified group. Alpinists, sportsmen, tourists, travellers and people perceptive and open to adventure and nature’s beauty watched twenty one films about travelling, mountains, excellent sport performances and about life of people in other countries.
FILMS
“This year we selected for the competition seven from seventeen registered amateur films,” says the director of the festival Mária Dutková. “Other films were non-competition but they did not lack adrenaline for sure,” she adds.
The best of film offer certainly includes the Czech “road movie” Trabantom naprieč Afrikou (Trabant goes to Africa), a story of brave Scandinavian girls Buffin Babes, this year’s “headliner” of several foreign festivals - What happened on Pam Island, or excellent Pygmies from Barabáš. Pygmies were presented in Trenčín by the traveller Ivan Bulík who participated in the expedition to the smallest people in the world together with the most successful Slovak documentarist.
In the competition of amateur films the jury comprising of Janka Pekníková, Peter Pikna and Milan Packo awarded the Grand Prize to the film of Peter Csonka - Expedition to the Lake Kariba. This film convinced the three-member jury not only because of perfect sport performances of the cast but also because of technical processing. Special prize of the jury for seeking a deeper relationship between man and nature was awarded to the film Májové čučoriedky (May blueberries) directed by Jakub Majerčiak. This time the viewers’ choice agreed with a choice of the jury and Peter Csonka became also a happy owner of the Viewers’ Choice Award.
GUESTS
Festival highlights again included presentations of our guests. The festival started on Thursday evening with a talk of Ivan Fiala, first Czechoslovak who managed to climb the eight-thousander, for Friday evening Eliza Kubarska and David Kaszlikowski from Poland accepted our invitation, on Saturday afternoon the viewers had a chance to talk to paddling vice world champions Nina Halašová and Peter Csonka and the end of the festival belonged to the hitchhiker Roman Vehovský and his journey across Asia, Oceania and Australia.
ADVENTURES IN VISEGRAD REGION
Experienced waterman Tomáš Garlík had a demanding task in a limited time to present us opportunities for water sports in Bohemia and Moravia. With his rich presentation full of information about Czech rivers supplemented with his own experience and photographs he started a special section of presentations which is also a novelty of the festival called Adventures in Visegrad Region, realized with a support of the International Visegrad Fund.
Polish alpinists were represented by Eliza Kubarska and David Kaszlikowski, country of our southern neighbours was represented by the Hungarian biker Tamász Kovács who took viewers through cycling routes in surroundings of Balaton, in Bükk mountains but also in Budapest itself.
WORKSHOPS
Tamász Kovács was also a guest of the workshop called Mountain Terrain Biking which he conducted together with the instructor from Slovakia Pavol Chrenčík. Last October weekend they took participants of the workshop to the Czech-Polish border – the Polish Beskids. They shared their own experiences from this workshop with visitors of the festival in their presentation on Saturday afternoon in a special block called - After workshop. Within this block the viewers found out more also about another experience outdoor workshop for beginning filmmakers called Cinema Walkshop which took place in the middle of October in Roháče.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS
The festival traditionally included photography exhibitions – two authorial ones and one exhibition of competition photographs.
One hundred and seventy photographs in total were sent to the photography competition this year but only part of them attracted the attention of the jury. From theme, composition and quality perspective several pictures did not meet the criteria. Winners deserved their prizes and jury members, Čestmír Harníček, Vladimír Kampf and Juraj Ondriška finally awarded all eleven prizes. Grand Prix was awarded to Josef Franc for the photography Zapadlí vlastenci (Forgotten Patriots).
Besides exhibition of competition photographs the viewers had a chance to see also two authorial photo exhibitions. Pavol Barabáš took us on a journey through various places of the world through his “Traveller’s greeting”. The alpinist Vlado Linek introduced his exhibition Za lezením krížom krážom (Climbing Crisscross) to the viewers.
Exhibitions were available to visitors during all three festival days.
ACCOMPANYING EVENTS
Saturday, the last day of the festival was luring visitors not only to films but also to rich accompanying events in the centre of the town. Wide public watched dog mushing and had an opportunity to take a ride. Approximately 90 people used a chance to try a non-traditional sight-seeing ride on the special four-wheel cart pulled by six sled dogs led by the professional musher Daniel Filo from Turany. People from Trenčín also had a chance to try slacklining.
From other accompanying events the competition in carrying beer barrel up the Parish Stairs (Farské schody) Porter‘s dream was once again very attractive. This year’s winner in the category of porters was a beginner in the competition Juraj Bobot from Trenčín. He managed to run up one hundred and five steps seventy meters long in 48 seconds 69 hundredths. Kateřina Wolfová won the women’s category of 12 competitors carrying 30-kg load with the excellent time 55:93. The fastest little porter from all those who struggled with a heavy backpack was Hanka Galusková with a great time 30:90. From total number of registered porters – 82, the oldest one was 62-year-old František Sliviak who did not hesitate to carry 30 kg load up the stairs, the youngest participant was year and a half old Ivanka Brázdová.
This year was also another successful year for Run for the Cup of Horyzonty Festival. This event had a record-breaking attendance as well. In six children categories 117 children were running, organizers prepared for them interesting routes in lengths from 100 to 1 000 meters but also number of interesting prizes. Quality of races was proven by new records in both main adult categories. On 4600 metres long route in men’s category the fastest one was Ľuboš Kováčik with the time 15:22, two-times champion of the Slovak Republic for 2011 Ľubomíra Maníková won women’s category with the time 18:11. “We are very surprised in a positive way! Not only because of attendance which has doubled compared to last year, but especially because of increasing interest of public. Especially interest of people from Trenčín itself,” admitted the head of organization committee Juraj Hudák.
Competitions prepared by organizers included also climbing competition for children which took place on Sunday 13th November in OC Laugaricio. Competition was for children from 5 to 11 years old. In the category of 5-8 years old children the fastest one to climb the inflatable climbing wall was Oliver Trokan /52:62/, from 9-11 years old children Timotej Tupý was the fastest one to reach the top, his time was under 24 seconds! Forty three children in total participated in the competition, however many more tried this non-traditional sport activity just for fun.
HoryZonty 2011 is over. “Your favour pleases us and it is binding for us. Thank you.” These are the words of the festival director Mária Dutková to all visitors.
“We would also like to thank all our partners and sponsors! Only with their help can we offer such a rich program to our visitors!”
