Zlín Film Pioneers: Would the Baťa-Era Educational Film Succeed Today?

Marián
Polák

Marián Polák is a director, cinematographer and producer specializing in popular educational films and documentaries. His feature-length theatrical debut for young audiences, Planet Czechia, attracted 100,000 cinema viewers. The film received the FITES Trilobit Award, the award for Best European Documentary for Children at the Zlín Film Festival, and was nominated for the Czech Lion Award in the Best Documentary Film category. He frequently collaborates with Czech Television on projects such as Bird Families, Endangered Amazonia, The Story of Prague Zoo and A Living Picture of a Better World, as well as with universities on films including The World According to Termites and Behind the Scenes of Nature. He also develops his own cinema projects, such as Jeseníky – Kingdom of Mountain Wilderness. He is currently developing the live-action adventure series Pirates and Castaways for the whole family, produced by Punkfilm.

The Zlín educational film was a unique phenomenon that combined education with cinematic art, seeking new, visually engaging ways to convey knowledge. In the Zlín studios, films were created that managed to unite technical accuracy with creative ingenuity, employing modern filmmaking techniques and often staying ahead of their time. How would such an approach stand today, in the era of digital media and fast content consumption? The discussion will explore the transformation of educational film and its current possibilities in the context of a new generation of creators, represented by director and producer Marián Polák.

A unique program that brings the renowned Zlín film history to life and confronts it with the present. It highlights the areas in which Zlín filmmakers were true pioneers and shows how their approach resonates in today’s work. The sessions offer a lively connection between past and present in a light and accessible format—through dialogue with contemporary creators. The series of talks is held on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Zlín film studios.