A new film festival dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films will debut its first edition at Prague’s Bio Oko cinema next weekend. Kinomixér promises to highlight new genre films that local cinemagoers wouldn’t otherwise get to see, and will transition to Brno’s Kino Art after a three-day event in Prague.

The new Kinomixér festival was founded by the team behind the Czech Republic’s popular Future Gate sci-fi film fest, and aims to bring the same level of exposure to lesser-seen horror and fantasy features.

“There is a wide range of film festivals in the Czech Republic, but there’s a lack of programming that focuses on genres such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy. We wanted to create a show where fans of these genres will be fulfilled, and Kinomixér was born,” the organizers state in a press release.

“The goal is to create a community event where attendees will have fun and get the chance to see the best of contemporary world filmmaking across the globe that these genres have to offer. All films presented will be having their Czech premiere.”

Kinomixér will officially kick off in Prague with a screening of the Swiss action movie Mad Heidi, starring Alice Lucy as a mountain girl who fights back against cheese-wielding government baddies. Mad Heidi was dubbed the first “Swissploitation” movie by its producers, who include Iron Sky‘s Tero Kaukomaa.

Among the films screening at Kinomixér will be the British film The Group, a psychological thriller about a support group invaded by a mysterious gunman. Director William Higo will accompany the film to Prague and host a Q&A session after the screening at Bio Oko.

Also screening at the is the adults-only animated feature Unicorn Wars (pictured at top) from director Alberto Vázquez, best known for his 2015 post-apocalyptic feature Birdboy: The Forgotten Children. Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera: The Bone Woman, which won two awards at last year’s Sitges Film Festival, will also have its Czech premiere at the Kinomixér fesitval.

Kinomixér will run in Prague from February 17-19, 2023 at Bio Oko before moving to Brno’s Kino Art from February 20-22. All films, including those screening in the block of short films, will be presented in English-friendly versions. Tickets run 140 crowns (120 crowns for the block of shorts). More details about the new festival can be found at the Future Gate website.

Here’s the full Kinomixér schedule for Prague at Bio Oko:

February 17:

18:30: Mad Heidi + festival opening ceremony
21:00: iShorts: Short Genre Films

February 18:

18:30: The Group + Q&A with director William Higo
20:45: Huesera: The Bone Woman + lecture by Petr Janeček

February 19:

18:00: Unicorn Wars

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