Film, Art, and Music at New Horizons

One of Wroclaw's most exciting cultural happenings - Era Nowe Horyzonty (New Horizons) - begins this week. The film, music, and art festival will feature over 500 film screenings and several musical performances and artistic exhibitions.

As a film festival first and foremost, Nowe Horyzonty has a schedule impressively packed full of international hits and curiosities. The festival's comeptitions are divided into several categories including "Films about Art", "New Polish Film", and "European Short Debut". The central competition is the "International New Horizons", which will award the Grand Prix of 20 000 euro to its winner.

The Nowe Horyzonty festival will also feature an overview of Contemporary Turkish Cinema, as well as retrospectives of several filmmakers including Daniel Szczechura, Laura Mulvey, the Quay Brothers, Jean-Luc Godard, and Wojciech Jerzy Has.

Faith No More frontman Mike Patton will kick off the musical side of things for the festival, performing as part of his Mondo Cane project (singing vintage Italian tunes no less). Other acts scheduled to perform throughout the festival include Chrome Hoof, Daedelus, Telepathe, King Midas Sound, Gonjasufi, Konono No 1, and Cooly G. Also make sure to look out for the festival's only opera - Michel van der Aa's The Book of Disquiet.

Tickets for concerts and screenings are available at the festival's website or you can head to Wroclaw's main Market Square for an outdoor free screening everyday.

Era Nowe Horyzonty will take place from 22 July to 1 August 2010.