Film Forum

Irena Kovarova is an independent film programmer, film exhibitions producer and occasional writer. The focus of her work is European and independent cinema. A native of Prague, and resident of New York since 1996, she’s curated and/or produced over a dozen touring programs, especially of Czech cinema, including retrospectives of Miloš Forman (2008), Jan Švankmajer, František Vláčil, Pavel Juráček and Jan Němec. Irena’s recent work includes North American retrospective tours of Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, the Czech master of animation Jiří Trnka, and the Slovak director Juraj Herz, and a Central European touring retrospective of Kelly Reichardt, all produced for her outfit, Comeback Company. In 2017 she co-curated the most complete Jan Němec retrospective for the International Film Festival Rotterdam. She also curated and produced five annual festivals of current European cinema titled Disappearing Act (2009-2013), 10 annual showcases New Czech Films at BAMcinématek, and its U.S. tour in 2012. More details at comebackcompany.com. (Photo credit: Ryuhei Shindo)

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