The Bata Region

Film Knot Zlín

High above the city of Zlín, a distinctive complex of buildings overlooks the city. In the middle of green forests, there are red brick houses of various shapes with narrow streets between them, and a few people occasionally passing through. When you enter the compound, you can feel the Californian atmosphere. You sense the hustle and bustle of hard work behind the red brick walls, but it's a quiet afternoon out here. 

You stand in the middle of the famous film studios that Jan Antonín Bat'a founded here in 1936 as a small studio for the needs of the advertising department. However, cooperation with important authors, excellent facilities and relative creative freedom contributed to the studios' growth and many unique personalities created their films here. Among them were Karel Zeman, Hermína Týrlová and the Oscar-winning Elmar Klos and Alexander Hackenschmied. The cultural and educational centre Film Knot displays the history and the present of this place.

The Film Knot building is exceptional in its unique blend of work space with play space, exhibitions, history and everyday life. While upstairs you'll find quiet offices with spectacular views, just a floor below professional animators are preparing a new series of animated stories.

For children there is the Lojzík's playroom, where you can experience banana rain, a balloon flight or a ride on the little pig Lojzík. There are regular guided tours of the multimedia exhibition presenting the colourful history of the film studios.

The Film Knot building is one of the oldest in the entire complex of studios. In 1936, Jan Antonin Bata had it built for the needs of the company's advertising department. The sophisticated system of Bata's management extends even this high above the city. Thanks to the technical equipment, the exceptional location and the freedom that the studios provided, exceptional personalities worked here, such as Hermína Týrlová, Karel Zeman, Elmar Klos, Jaroslav Novotný, Zdeněk Liška, Josef Pinkava or Radim Cvrček. The exhibition floor called the Floor of Legends provides information about them, their work and life in Zlín, about the techniques they used, but also about the history of the famous complex and about the many hundreds of employees who have worked here during its existence.

The panels that wrap around the room in vivid curves are not elliptical for no reason. When you come here, look at them carefully. They are shaped like an old film reel. 

What will entertain both children and adults are animation workshops. Children from schools and kindergartens, adults and seniors create stories full of imagination. Anyone can do it under the guidance of experienced animators. The workshops are open to the public on weekends. Maybe you will create a new Journey to the Beginning of Time, Invention for Destruction, Ferda the Ant or The Fabulous Baron Munchausen. These famous stories were created right here – in the Zlín Film studios.

The Film Knot is a place that is slowly building its position on the map of Zlín attractions. Thanks to this place, you will better understand the character of the city, which is creative, lively and eternally young.