Czech film at Palace Theatre to benefit Food Bank of CNY

The Food Bank of Central New York will join The Syracuse International Film Festival and SyracuseFirst on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Eastwood to screen the award-winning Czech film “Skritek.” The film won the Best of Fest prize at the 2007 Syracuse Film Festival and has just been released by New Classics, the festival’s DVD label.

Tickets, available at the door, are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Those bringing a canned good for donation to the Food Bank of CNY will receive a $1 coupon for future ticket purchases.

Filmed in the Czech Republic, “Skritek” tells the story of a butcher and his family, and their hilarious, everyday adventures. The adult comedy follows the butcher, his wife, his teenage vegetarian son, his young daughter and the Skritek—a leprechaun-like figure in Czech myths. Like an old silent film, the story unfolds entirely without words. Its simplicity, playfulness and pictorial storytelling make the film understandable anywhere in the world, even without subtitles.

In addition to the Syracuse Festival, “Skritek” has been screened throughout Europe and won the Czech equivalent of the Academy Awards for cinematography and directing.

The Syracuse International Film Festival has chosen to begin its new monthly program series for 2010 with the screening of its newest DVD release. “As a locally created and produced event, we are listening to the comments of the community and creating more year-round programming,” says festival managing director Christine Fawcett-Shapiro. “And what better way to demonstrate our dedication to the community than to give back when we can. That’s why a portion of the event’s proceeds will go to the Food Bank of Central New York and why we are joining with SyracuseFirst to present the event. We’ll even give you a coupon good for a future ticket discount if you bring a canned good to the Skritek screening.”