Thousands of visitors, especially young people, find a way every year to become a part of the only Czech Republic Category A film festival. The Karlovy Vary IFF brings them openness, and a carefully composed programme presenting the best, and the most interesting, movie productions of the previous year. The congenial atmosphere also attracts famous celebrities of the film industry, so the nice Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary is transformed for a week into a Hollywood boulevard.
PKN ORLEN, the biggest oil company in the Central and Eastern Europe, has supported the Karlovy Vary IFF since 2006, when it took on sponsorship of the festival alongside with Unipetrol, a member of the ORLEN Group. Unipetrol has a long tradition of supporting the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The cooperation started in 2000, because it was a highly satisfactory experience for both sides, it continued with sponsorship in 2001, 2005 and 2006. This year, the imaginary baton but real patronage takes in the Benzina company.
Since PKN ORLEN entered the Czech market after acquiring a majority stake in Unipetrol, PKN ORLEN has wanted to support not only Polish culture and art but also some of the major cultural events held in the Czech Republic. Its desire to sponsor European culture follows from the Group’s position as a leading player in the European economies. This consideration will determine PKN ORLEN´s further activities in the new economic environment, as the burden for supporting artistic activities will fall upon big and financially strong organizations, such as PKN ORLEN and Unipetrol, who feel a responsibility for the destiny and development of national cultures.
Realizing its mission as a Patron of Culture, PKN ORLEN has given support to a range of events. The most recent cultural project held in Czech Republic was PKN ORLEN’s partnership of the Charles IV – Emperor by the Grace of God Exhibition at Prague Castle, which became the Czech cultural event of the year. In 2004 PKN ORLEN was the partner of the “Ostře sledované filmy Festival (Closely Watched Movies)” which presented Czech and Slovak films from the golden era of the 60´s and 70´s. The festival was under the patronage of former president Václav Havel. The company also co-financed the purchase of the precious manuscript of Fryderyk Chopin in 2004, sponsored the XV International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2005, and the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival in 2007 held in Warsaw, and supported many other projects.
Unipetrol includes support of culture among its most important principles, which the company approves. Sponsorship of the National Theatre or Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in is a proof of it. The company also perceives education and development of science and research work as a process by of which means a human society may achieve the biggest potential and it recognizes support of such activities as essential. Therefore Unipetrol appreciates the opportunity to be a partner of the Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague for several years and also values the chance to support projects Česká hlava and Věda v ulicích.
Benzina, also a member of the Unipetrol Group, that manages the largest network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, is generally greatly associated with the film. Besides becoming a partner of the Film festival Karlovy Vary, Benzina as a Czech company also supports Czech film throughout the whole-year sales support promotional program for customers. From last May the company has been organizing a promotion at its filling stations, which gives a chance to drivers to get DVD with a chosen Czech film. The menu contents more than 60 cultic fizzers for young and also older generation.
New part of this sales support promotion campaign will be launched at the beginning of May and the Czech fairy tales and bedtime stories are the main topics for this year. Benzina is the first in the history to set up a whole series of bedtime stories about “Maxipes Fík” on DVD. Maxipes Fík, the main mascot of the Benzina’s new sales promo campaign, will present the main motto of the partnership between Benzina and the International Film Festival as a “Fík’s Film Festival.”