| | Festival Report. 18th 70mm Film Seminar, KRRR! | Read more at
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The 70mm Newsletter
| | Written by: Projectionist Cieran McCusker, Scotland. Unless noted, pictures by: Thomas Hauerslev | Date: 26.04.2025 |  DAY ONE: GETTING TO KRNOV
Departing Prague central train station just after 8am on a lovely April morning, it should hopefully take me around 4˝ hours to make it to the north-eastern Czech town of Krnov for the official start of KRRR! 2025 (if all goes to plan!). Delighted to have a seat on one of those trains with neat, communal compartments - frequently-used throughout Europe but which aren’t really seen in the UK - we set off into the countryside and a pleasant 2 hours later, we reach the city of Olomouc. It isn’t possible to go directly to Krnov so a change of train is needed - one which will take a single-track route deep into the lush, green, mountainous Moravian-Silesian region. Admiring the scenery as we creep closer to Krnov and a 1pm start at Kino Mir 70, the train eventually pulls into the station at 12:51pm. I dash off, manage to find the taxi I’d hastily booked online earlier, and 5 minutes later we arrive, the street and front of the cinema already bustling with attendees. Somehow I seem to have made it…
| More in 70mm reading:
• Gallery A trip to Krnov, CZ to attend KRRR! 2025
• Home of "7OMM Seminar" at Kino Mir 70, Krnov, Czech Republic
18th 70mm Film Seminar, KRRR!
• Behind the Scenes of KRRR! with Ivan Školuda
• Ze Zákulisí KRRR! s Ivan Školuda
7OMM Seminar Through the Years:
• Film Program
• Text and Image
About Todd-AO
• Počátky Todd-AO
|  OPENING FILM: COCOON
Kino Mir 70 reception staff at accreditation desk are handing out delegates visitors cards
As I enter Kino Mir 70 for the first time I only have a brief moment to take in the packed foyer, the various stalls, and the incredible 35mm and 70mm projectors on-display. But I am hurriedly headed for the accreditation desk to collect my 3-day pass and hopefully make it on time for the opening film, Ron Howard’s "COCOON" in 70mm. After receiving my lanyard, a headset, and scrambling up several staircases with my bags, I step into the auditorium and thankfully we are still on the introductions. Glancing around the lovely hall where I will be spending many of the next 72 hours, I find a convenient seat, and am very pleased to discover that the headset I was given allows me listen to the Czech-spoken introductions being live-translated into English - for me, one of the true and, admittedly, unexpected successes of the entire festival. Once the introductions are complete, it is time for the 70mm to roll! But not before a curious bell chimes around the auditorium - I guess perhaps a tradition in Czech cinemas which seems to signal the start of the performance and the dimming of the house lights (this would be procedure for all films at the festival which I come to grow quite enamoured with). Then, gracefully, the tabs open for the first time and the film is unleashed before the audience on a lovely, big masked screen, bearing a slight curve. "COCOON" is in 1.85:1 - a blow-up from 35mm - and the print is in good shape but I already can’t wait to see a picture use the full-width of this screen later in the weekend.
As for the film, well one can only really describe "COCOON" as being a strange mix of a few others - like if "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" had a child with "Jaws" but was then raised by "The Abyss" (although it pre-dates it) and eventually adopted by Happy Madison Productions. A comedy-drama about old age, set by the sea, with a showcase for some special effects and underwater cinematography. Quite strange. However, the 70mm print is in good condition and acts as a fun way to get things started.
Exiting the auditorium slightly bemused I unfortunately cannot stick around as I have yet to check into my hotel which is some 15-20 minutes walk away. It means missing the presentation of "DUNE: PART TWO" but I’m sure everyone enjoyed a good screening!
| |  OPENING NIGHT: NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Before "North by Northwest", audience is invited on stage to have the annual picture taken. Picture: Paul Rayton
A few hours later and I am on the way back to Kino Mir 70 refreshed, backpack-free, enjoying the sunshine, and walking along the banks of the Opava river which - unbeknownst to me at the time - burst it’s banks and caused widespread devastation to the venue and the majority of Krnov in September 2024. Indeed a closer look around the foyer at Kino Mir 70 and the scars remain visible, the walls stripped back several feet high to the bare brick giving one only an idea as to the extent of the damage (Kino Mir 70 sits right next to the river so suffered greatly). In this context, it really is testament to the staff of the festival, Kino Mir 70, and the people of Krnov that this year’s festival could take place at all. Many of those responsible take their flowers, applause, and to the stage on this opening night to address what looks like a sold-out house for Alfred Hitchcock’s "NORTH BY NORTHWEST". It is fantastic to see the cinema so busy and so vibrant especially - for me - having not known what to expect in a town of 23,000 people so far from most major cities (lesson learned: do not underestimate Krnov). After the introductions, the audience is also invited for an on-stage photograph, further enlivening the excitement and anticipation as we pose together for our pictures. Once 300+ people have retaken their seats we are then treated to a rarity: "NEDĚLE/SUNDAY", a 1965, Czechoslovakian, 70mm short which depicts what looks like a very fun Sunday in the town of Náchod - around 160km from Krnov - on a day of motorbike races, mountain climbing, plane rides, and festivities. Following this unexpected treasure (and I think the only print in existence) it is then time for the main event. For myself, despite having seen many of the familiar shots and scenes over the years, this is actually my first ever full viewing of "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" and there could be no better way - the VistaVision cinematography dazzling on this new, pristine 70mm restoration print (which we are also looking forward to screening in Glasgow in a few weeks’ time!). An engrossing spectacle full of intrigue, tension, and twists and turns to the point of near-parody, it is a delight to see Hitch at the top of his game and to share the experience alongside a packed crowd.
| |  I am thoroughly exhausted by the end and after such a long day but I cannot resist the chance to finally explore Kino Mir 70 downstairs; seeing more of the exhibits, meeting fellow delegates, getting some food, and enjoying a few well-needed beers from the local monkey-branded brewery, Nachmelená Opice (highly recommended). A wonderful end to a wonderful opening day.
DAY TWO
On my first morning in Krnov, one thing is noticeable: the weather. Warmth has turned to cold, blue skies to grey, and sun to even some snow! Nevertheless, I am eager to explore following a pleasant but chilly walk to the Czech-Polish border, about an hour from town. Krnov, itself, interestingly displays many signs of its Soviet past with old factories, offices, and warehouses from the era dotted around, several abandoned. An interesting sight for someone new to this part of Europe. Yet there are many quaint little houses, bars, and restaurants to be found as well as an attractive main square which includes some historic buildings such as the town hall, the Church of Saint Martin, and the Krnov Synagogue which survived WWII. Like Kino Mir 70, the town also shows a bit of the damage from last year’s floods and things seem rather quiet for a Saturday - I guess everyone is at the cinema watching the morning’s 70mm presentation of "READY PLAYER ONE"! I have chosen to miss this having seen it a few years ago at Widescreen Weekend in Bradford but soon enough it is time to head back to Kino Mir 70 myself and not before time as it is starting to get pretty cold.
| |  LECTURES
Ivan Školuda, on stage. Picture: Projectionist Cieran McCusker, Scotland
The afternoon’s agenda does not begin with a film but with two lectures. The first by Head Programmer and Projectionist, Ivan Školuda, who gives a detailed breakdown of the festival’s programme and prints - how films were selected, how they arrived, what condition they arrived in - but perhaps the most fascinating aspect is the lengths the festival goes to regarding subtitles and accessibility. The technical team at KRRR! ensures that every film at the festival is accessible for speakers of both Czech and English. Of course one cannot always choose which subtitles a rare 70mm print may or may not have so if a print at the festival is in English (for example) but is without subtitles, the team works to get Czech subtitles on-screen using digital projection. In some cases, I understand, this can involve filming performances months in advance from inside the auditorium which allows the team to then work on their own, entirely new and unique subtitle file which is rehearsed and synced to play from the digital projector alongside the 70mm projection (I believe some of the English subtitles may be done this way as well). Pretty brilliant and surely painstaking work for some titles but work which essentially means that no 70mm print is off-limits for selection so long as it is in screenable condition. This not only allows the programme an incredible degree of range and versatility but it can moreover provide audiences the chance to see films they may otherwise never be able to (or at least not understand). It is even sometimes the case that TWO sets of subtitles are on-screen at the same time: printed on the film + digital subtitles or even two sets of digital subtitles where none are printed and the film is not in English. We would see this in action later in the day…
| |  Todd-AO legacy lecture. Picture: Projectionist Cieran McCusker, Scotland
Before this however, Mr Thomas Hauerslev (who you may be familiar with) takes to the stage to deliver an in-depth, illustrated talk about The Legacy of Todd-AO on the 70th anniversary of the first feature to use the process, "Oklahoma!" Thomas presents in English - and of course KRRR! can accommodate this - so it is everyone else’s turn to scramble for translation headsets and with the use of slides, illustrations and video excerpts, he expertly guides us through the history of large-format cinema, from early interwar experiments to the grandeur of Cinerama and eventually Todd-AO; the impact it had on the industry, the many other formats it spawned, and the influence on cinema we see today. I thought I knew a little about Todd-AO from attending Widescreen Weekend in the past but the lecture is a comprehensive dive into its history and also introduces me to a new figure - Dr Brian O’Brien of the American Optical Company which partnered with Mike Todd to invent the format. Todd had the vision, O’Brien made it happen, and Thomas’ talk makes it clear how much we have to thank both men for. Indeed without them we would not be sitting here in Krnov at a 70mm film festival!
Both lectures are perfectly-placed, setting us up nicely for the next film in the programme… (and if anything I’ve said above is inaccurate, Mr Školuda and Mr Hauerslev are welcome to correct me!).
| |  70MM DOUBLE FEATURE: CAN-CAN + THE BLACK TULIP
CAN-CAN. A Todd-AO picture. The first film of the festival to have an intermission. The first feature of the weekend to have been shot on 65mm stock. The first opportunity (for me) to see the full width of the Kino Mir 70 screen. I am very excited. And, after the introduction, the bell chimes once again and the lights start to dim…
As the tabs open it is apparent that the print has unfortunately suffered a fair bit of fading but still retains some colour and it is nevertheless special to see a real Todd-AO film projected in 70mm. Whilst the sound on the print is English, the subtitles are actually in Swedish which means dual subtitles: those on the print, plus Czech, digitally-projected subtitles. Personally I do not find this a distraction - again, more of a technical achievement really. The film itself, which follows the attempts of a nightclub to circumvent laws prohibiting the can-can in 1896 Paris, may not - in my opinion - rank alongside the great musicals of the era but it is still fantastic to admire some of the big numbers and choreography on the big-screen. Shirely MacLaine is also magnificent. "CAN-CAN" was released in 1960 and one thing cannot be argued: they certainly do not make ‘em like this anymore.
After "CAN-CAN", and a quick dash downstairs for some air and refreshments, the next film of the day is Christian-Jaque’s "THE BLACK TULIP" - a film I know very little about except the fact that it stars the legendary Alain Delon as a masked bandit. Like "CAN-CAN", it is also a true 70mm picture although this is instead one of a handful of feature films shot in MCS 70/Superpanorama 70. Also like "CAN-CAN", the print has suffered colour fade but even more drastically. An epic tale of deceit and sword fighting, unfortunately the film does not do much for me either but it is redeemed by the presence of 2x Alain Delons on-screen. Moreover, being entirely in French and without printed subtitles, this is another technical achievement for the festival: not only projecting a vintage 70mm archive print (directly shipped in from France) but also displaying perfectly-syncronised English and Czech subtitles alongside it. I may not be a massive fan of the film but I certainly appreciate the rarity of the screening and unique circumstances and work which allows me to see it. Hats off again to KRRR!.
| |  PROJECTION ROOM TOUR: THE BRUTALIST
The main event on Saturday night is the big 70mm release of the year: "THE BRUTALIST". Shot in VistaVision and presented with an intermission, it truly is an epic that we do not see often these days. Personally, however, having already projected it over a dozen times in 70mm myself, I have seen it often enough so I am skipping this one as there may be a chance to visit the fabled projection room of Kino Mir 70! Beforehand, however, it is wonderful to soak up the atmosphere inside the venue. This must be the busiest screening of the weekend (sold out minus one) and the one everybody seems to be most looking forward to. The bar and concessions stalls are rammed and the audience is eager to take their seats for the 3x Oscar-winning movie. I lurk at the back of the auditorium to watch the introduction and opening few minutes when Michal of the projection team invites me through a slender door which sits just outside the entrance at the top of the stairs. Up a further few stairs and the familiar sound - krrrrrrrrrr - of a film projector in action can be heard. Michal and I step into the booth past four sets of massive, metal 70mm storage cabinets where Ivan and his team are already entertaining some other guests (but like true professionals, keeping an eye on the show, naturally!). The first thing to note is how pristine the room is. Kudos to all. The second thing to note is, naturally, the machines. Kino Mir 70 has an extensive collection of projectors but those of choice for screenings are two huge, hulking Meopta UM 70/35 X machines. A rare sight in the UK - I have only ever seen one set of 35mm Meoptas here - but seemingly quite a popular choice in central and eastern Europe. I find them fascinating (and, admittedly, somewhat intimidating) as the design is so different to the Kinoton, Phillips, Century, and Cinemeccanicas I am more used to. Very unique beasts and again, I must add, absolutely f***ing HUGE! Despite having two of them, Kino Mir 70 is also equipped with a platter which gives them versatility for screenings. "THE BRUTALIST" however is being shown on changeovers so a lot of effort for the team with a 3hr 36min film which consists of 5x double reels and 1x triple reel (the last, which itself weighs over 20kg!).
| |  I am very thankful to have Michal with me as he is not only able to guide me around the booth but to also translate (my Czech and Slovak are a little rusty). Through him I ask Ivan if I can take a closer look at one of the Meoptas, get some pictures, and watch him lace-up and perform a changeover which he does flawlessly, of course. To the side of the Meoptas is also the Christie digital projector displaying the Czech subtitles for this show.
Before too long it is time to leave the gentleman to their work, grab some food, and get an early night but not before wishing Ivan a happy birthday. Not a bad way to spend your birthday - projecting 70mm. Všetko najlepšie!
DAY THREE
Waking up on Day Three of KRRR!, it's hard to believe that we are already nearing the end. With 4 four films, 2 lectures, 1 projection room tour, plenty of good food and drink, and a decent venture around the local area, I’ve already squeezed in a fair bit and a hearty breakfast at my hotel is needed for what’s going to be a mammoth 15-hour final day…
BRING ON THE BLOW-UPS: DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Alongside "NORTH BY NORTHWEST", this is probably my most-anticipated film of the festival and another I have never watched in full despite seeing and hearing a lot about it. This is soon to change and occasions like these make it worth the wait. Some bleary eyes (including my own) are noticeable around Kino Mir for this 9:30am start but we are assured during the introduction that the next 3 hours will fly past. How true this would prove to be. Although a blow-up from 35mm on a 70mm print of mixed quality - some sections heavily faded, some ok - the beauty and tragedy of David Lean’s epic still washes over the Krnov audience. It feels to me a much more sad, blunt, and dark film overall than the mighty "Lawrence of Arabia" but while perhaps not quite on its level (what is?) I am still bowled over by the time we reach the intermission. Then, after a quick refuel, it is back into the hall for Part II. It is worth noting that this is another print with Swedish subtitles (Sweden becoming a bit of a theme this weekend) and the Czech subtitles are once again projected digitally with the film being mostly in English. It is hard to know what to say when all is said and done with "DOCTOR ZHIVAGO" - a complex film of such epic proportions and grandeur - and harder still to launch straight into another film right after it. Thankfully, we don’t have to…
| |  FRAGMENTS
For those familiar with Widescreen Weekend, FRAGMENTS at KRRR! works a bit like Cineramacana - a random assortment of all things widescreen and/or 70mm. Michal had told me the night before that we were in for a treat but rightly refused to give away any spoilers. Not knowing what to expect, the next hour and a half unfolds as a barrage of mostly degraded but still wonderful excerpts of 70mm classics - "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines", "The Agony and the Ecstasy", "Airport", "Cleopatra" to name a few. For someone who hasn’t had the chance to see most of these films on the big-screen it is a tantalising tease. I am particularly getting into "Airport" before a jarring cut to the next film - ah well, maybe next year, KRRR!? Nevertheless, the FRAGMENTS section is a welcome break and a good slice of fun following "DOCTOR ZHIVAGO".
Before the penultimate film of the festival, I make a long overdue visit to the merch stall downstairs and buy a few souvenirs to take back home with me. KRRR! has almost anything you can think of with their brand on it - from pens to shot glasses to coffee and beyond. There’s way much more than I can take on the plane so I just opt for a t-shirt, cap, tote bag and wallet. Happy with my lot, it is then once again time to head back upstairs…
NEARING THE END: CLIFFHANGER
An eager audience awaits in the Kino Mir auditorium for Renny Harlin’s “CLIFFHANGER", a film which may not be the most highly-regarded or well-remembered - indeed when I think Renny Harlin, I think “Die Hard 2” - but little do we know what a treat we are in for! A big, loud, silly, but proper, old-school action movie - and probably the best original print of the festival ("THE BRUTALIST" aside). Another 35mm blow-up but it stands up remarkably well for its age - both print and film - sounding huge thanks to the Six-Track Dolby Stereo (Baby Boom format) and looking brilliant with next-to-no colour loss. The locations and stunts are breathtaking, from the opening cliff-climbing scene to the insane plane hijacking (surely an inspiration on "The Dark Knight Rises") all the way to the mountain-set climax. Come the end, I bounce out of the theatre, thrilled, with a huge grin on my face and the film is probably the biggest surprise of the festival for me. Little more needs said - a real treat.
And with that, it is time to pop back downstairs, take on some liquids and dinner (a cheese toastie - the stall seems to be out of the usual hot food) and brace myself for the next 5 hours…
| |  FINALE: THE DELUGE
Having done a bit of research on this film beforehand - one I was admittedly unfamiliar with - I take my seat in the auditorium appreciating how rare a performance like this is. A 70mm screening of a two-part, 5-hour Polish historical epic from an original print. I wonder how often this has ever screened back in the UK and if ever at all in 70mm. I also wonder whether I will last the duration: beginning at 18:30, we will not be done until nearly midnight! But I do know one thing: there are not many places in the world to witness such a performance outside of Krnov, especially a 70mm performance of this film which caters for an English-speaking audience, so I feel very fortunate to be in the room. There may not be many other such occasions to witness it. And then, with the final introduction and thank yous aside, the audience takes a deep breath and settles in for the last film of KRRR! 2025 - "THE DELUGE…"
It is a film, at times, of pure spectacle with incredible locations, battles, and stunts but one that simultaneously does feel it’s full runtime with some heavy political discourse and a protagonist I find tough to get behind as he fights to save Poland from Swedish rule (those Swedes again!). The print, another blow-up, is a little choppy but still has good colour and curiously, Slovak subtitles - one guesses that Czech speakers can navigate this - as well as, of course, perfectly-syncronised, digital English subtitles.
By the time Part 1 comes to an end, I can however feel that everyone needs a comfort break. I pop out for some air and two final monkey-branded beers to round off the festival but the bar is closed so I settle for white wine at the concessions stand and climb back up the stairs of Kino Mir for the last time.
I do notice that not everyone has returned for Part II but this is understandable as it's nearly 10pm on a Sunday night. For us remaining soldiers, we return to the dark and to the muddy battlegrounds of Silesia. The white wine, as it turns out, is not the greatest idea - serving only to make me drowsier - but I manage to reach the end without drifting off. As the credits roll, the tabs close, and the lights come up for the final time, it does almost feel like we have all been to battle and back: bodies dotted across the auditorium, debris scattered on the floor, people in a daze struggling to stand up, squinting at the light. A real scene, but we have won. A 5-hour deluge overcome. A small gathering of the victors occurs in the aisles and some final photos are taken before Ivan and the projection team enter from the back of the room - the true heroes of the evening, nay, weekend. What they have achieved over these few days is pretty extraordinary and despite the language barrier I do my best to express my thanks for their efforts, hoping to return again one day to Kino Mir 70 - a true temple of cinema.
| |  OVERVIEW
Projectionist Cieran McCuskerrrrrrrrrr @ the Kino Mir 70. Picture: Projectionist Cieran McCusker, Scotland
I can only say, on reflection, that KRRR! 2025 was a massive success. One might expect a 70mm film festival in the Czech Republic to take place in a big city like Prague, perhaps, but to achieve what KRRR! does - to generate such crowds and atmosphere and to have such technical prowess - so far away from the touristy draw of the capital is rather special. It truly does punch above its own weight - but what a punch it packs as well with a programme of films, knowledgeable speakers, and rare 70mm prints that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world. The year-round work that goes into making all films, introductions, and information accessible to English speakers is pretty unprecedented for a festival like this as well - not something you see very often! As a first-time visitor to Czechia with very little knowledge of the language, I was a little apprehensive beforehand - particularly straying from the relative ease and comfort of Prague - but I was made to feel very welcome throughout by the staff at Kino Mir 70 and the festival’s overall provisions for foreign visitors. So to any English speakers reading this, thinking of attending KRRR! but worried about navigating their way around - don’t be! If you can book a flight to Prague/Vienna/Krakow and then a train to Krnov (all of which can be done in English) you will be in safe hands. Moreover, the sum of 1250 CZK/Ł43 approx for a weekend festival pass represents incredible value for money and the food and drinks are very reasonably-priced too. My only advice would be to book accommodation early as the festival is very popular and Krnov is not massive so places do tend to fill up (I booked my hotel quite late and got pretty lucky!).
All of this just leaves me to express my final thanks and admiration for the incredible efforts of all involved. From the front of house team to the festival staff, the translators, the projectionists - everyone - for their relentless work in the preparation and hosting of a record number of over 270 delegates, ⅕ of whom I understand came from outside Czech Republic. A massive achievement and fight against the odds considering last year’s floods so I hope everyone can be very proud of this year’s festival and the festival more broadly which seems to be going from strength to strength. It truly is a unique gem for cinephiles and fans of large-format cinema and a festival I’m not only delighted to have attended but hope to again very soon.
Long live 70mm!
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Updated 26-04-2025 | |
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