Art Film Fest Opens in Košice With Strong Words in Defense of Culture

The Art Film Fest, one of Slovakia's leading international film festivals, opened in grand style with pointed remarks about the state of culture in the country. Actress and cultural figure Anka Šišková declared that culture is being "programmatically suppressed" in Slovakia, drawing attention to what she and others at the event described as a systematic sidelining of the arts. The festival, traditionally held in Košice in eastern Slovakia, brought together filmmakers, actors, and cultural figures who used the opening ceremony as a platform to call for solidarity within the cultural community, with the message "we must help each other" resonating through the event. The remarks reflect growing concern among Slovak artists and cultural workers about reduced state support and political attitudes toward the arts under the current government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose Smer-SD party has been accused by critics of neglecting or undermining cultural institutions.