Extraordinary call for development of audiovisual works

To make work easier for producers, cinemas and distributors during the pandemic, the Czech Film Fund launched three extraordinary calls, a rescue package for Czech cinema in the total amount of EUR 1.9 million. The package also provided a total CZK 20 million (EUR 754 717) for the development of 30 audiovisual works, including TV series.

The support was granted to projects of experienced authors as well as emerging talents. Upcoming fiction film project by Olmo Omerzu (Winter Flies, Family Film) tells a story about a crime and a punishment in What's the Topic When I’m Not There (produced by Jiří Konečný / endorfilm). While project by a rising star of Czech cinema, Michal Hogenauer’s (A Certain Kind of Silence) coming of age drama Around the Fire, is set in a summer camp and produced by negativ, Adina Pintilie (The Golden Bear for Touch Me Not, 2018) explores intimacy in the film Death and a Girl. Romanian director prepares her new film in co-production with Czech company PINK.

When it comes to documentaries, promising filmmakers Klára Tasovská (Nothing Like Before) and Tomáš Bojar (Off Sides, Breaking News) both scored among the presented projects. While Tasovská will follow the life of Czechoslovak photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková in I’m Not Who I Want to Be, Bojar’s Competition follows three architect competing for the opportunity to design a new concert hall in Prague.

Last but not least, eleven TV projects were also supported in this call. The list includes new works from celebrated matadors Petr Zelenka (Droneman, Lost in Munich, The Karamazovs), who portraits environmental activists in Limits, Jan Hřebejk (The Teacher, Pupendo, Divided We Fall, Cosy Dens), who focus on paranormal activities in Czechoslovakia in That Will Be Explained, Comrades, or enfant terrible of Czech cinema Adam Sedlák (Domestique) whose topic, in the project called Banger, is a distribution of drugs.

Full list of supported projects HERE.

Czech films and talents abroad

In September, two Czech producers were selected to participate this year’s ACE PRODUCERS’ edition. Pavel Berčík of Evolution Films takes part ACE Series Special 2 with Astronomer, which he develops, and Radim Procházka of Kuli Film is among selected to 30th ACE Session with the film In a Storm and Winds, also in development stage.

Locarno's co-production platform Open Doors Hub, which took place online in August, introduced Myanmar-French-Czech fiction feature Fruit Gathering. The project in development is being directed by Aung Phoye, produced by Third Floor Production (MM), co-produced by Art-Production (FR), and by Vít Janeček from Prague based company D1film (CZ). A the programme, the film won the Development grant CNC – Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (EUR 8,000).

TV project Dinofables, written and directed by Klára Jůzová, produced by Martin Jůza of Krutart in co-production with Serbian and Romanian colleagues, will take part in the Junior Co-production Market (22-23 October 2020) held during the Cinekid Film Festival.

Back in July, Czech-Slovak-French Nightsiren directed by Tereza Nvotová (Filthy), produced by Miloš Lochman of moloko film, Peter Badač of BFILM as well as Slovak-Czech-German Victim, directed by Michal Blaško (Atlantis, 2003), produced by Jakub Viktorín from nutprodukcia (SK) and Pavla Janoušková Kubečková from nutprodukce (CZ), received the Eurimages support for co-productions. Nightsiren was granted EUR 260 000, Victim EUR 140 000.

Last but not least, two Czech projects in production participated at the Docu Talents from the East held during the Sarajevo Film Festival in August: The Man Behind the Muscle, directed by Martin Mareček (Over the Hills), produced by Vernes, and co-produced by HBO Europe, along with The Most Beautiful City in the World, directed by Matouš Bičák, Marie-Magdalena Kochová, produced by FAMU and Mikuláš Novotný of Background Films were selected for the programme by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.