Directors are often invited to discuss their work with audiences (Jiří Menzel) (photo: www.lfs.cz)

Every year towards the end of July, the Moravian town of Uherské Hradiště is invaded by film fans old and young for what this year will be the 35th Summer Film School.

While not an actual school, the Summer Film school is not a typical festival, either. You may want to think of it as a combination of both. Those interested in festival-type events will enjoy SFS as much as they will any other festival. Those anxious to delve deeper into the art of cinematography will have their expectations fulfilled as well. 

Over the course of one week, the festival will show close to a hundred movies - old and new - in ten different categories. This year's categories are Focus: Austria, featuring experimental film, "Österkitsch" (kitschy Austrian "Heimatfilme"), and new works by Christian Berger, Ulrich Seidl and others.

Other section on the program include The Other Belgium, Crosswise Europe: Migration as a Syndrom, Freeze Frame: Comics and Film, Visegrad Horizons (films from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary), Retrospectives, Films on the Edge (films banned in Czechoslovakia in 1989), Neo-baroqe in Film (the latest wave of French directions such as Leos Carax and Luc Besson), and Fim and Live Music (silent films with musical accompaniment).

The Summer Film School takes place July 24 through August 2. Tickets (one-day, three-day, or for the whole week) can be ordered on the festival's website, where you can also find links for accommodation or reserve a bed in some of the temporary hostels (popular with the 80% of festival visitors under 30) set up for the week.