Development of fiction features

The Council of the Czech Film Fund supported 11 out of 35 projects which applied in this call and distributed among them the full amount of EUR 346 000 (9 million CZK). The highest support EUR 43 462 was granted to Beautiful Sadness (Krasosmutnění). An adaptation of the eponymous novel by Bohumil Hrabal is a sequel to the popular story Cutting it Short (filmed by Jiří Menzel in 1982). Beautiful Sadness will be directed by Ivan Zachariáš (Wasteland, The Sleepers) and produced by established producer Jiří Konečný of endorfilm.

Celebrated director Ivan Ostrochovský (Servants, Koza) prepares a social drama A Disruption (Zlom) focused on the expanding trend of using surrogate parenting for commercial use. Producer Marek Leščák of Školfilm received EUR 31 000 for development of the film. Another established and celebrated director Robert Sedláček (Jan Palach) received support of EUR 34 000 for development of a psychological drama Monika and Safa. A love triangle of an Afghan man, his Czech wife and his Afghan wife is produced by m3 Films.

Two introspective dramas also received a support in this call. Directorial debut of scriptwriter Lucia Kajánková, Porcelina, is produced by Veronika Kührová and Michal Kráčmer of Analog Vision. Road movie about love, anxiety and the end of the world was supported by the Czech Film Fund with EUR 32 500. Furthermore, Roman Vojkůvka will develop City of Fathers (Město otců), which seems to be a search for identity with an industrial city on the background, and it will be produced by Alice Tabery of Cinepoint (EUR 34 500).

Producer and director Ondřej Trojan (Toman, Zelary) and scriptwriter Petr Jarchovský joined forces to make a film about a clash of culture and the communist regime in Czechoslovakia of the 1970s – their Vagrants (Vagabundi) received the amount of EUR 31 000. Another face of Czechoslovakia in 1970s and 1980s will capture Jan Wolf in Metropolitan (EUR 28 500). In production of Veronika Kührová and Michal Kráčmer (Analog Vision), young filmmaker focuses on arms trade which Czechoslovakian government conducted with the Lybian dictator Gaddafi. In addition, director Jaroslav Brabec and scriptwriter Pavel Gotthard will bring back the socialist Czechoslovakia in a different way – by filming a biopic about the iconic theater and film actress Vlasta Chramostová. Producer of Vlasta, Viktor Schwarcz of Cineart TV Prague, received EUR 34 500 for development of the film.

The Czech Film Fund also supported classic genre films in this call. Director Peter Bebjak (The Auschwitz Report) and producer Rastislav Šesták (DNA Production) develop a fictional crime story with a political subtext, The Best World Possible (Nejlepší z možných světů), with support of EUR 31 000. Scriptwriter, director and producer in one person, Jan Prušinovský (The Snake Brothers), converts a theatrical comedy The Funeral Is Only Tomorrow (Pohřeb až zítra) for silver screen with support of EUR 23 000. And talented filmmaker Benjamin Tuček prepares a fairy-tale The Lost King (Ztracený král) in production of Barletta. The company received EUR 23 000.

Development of documentary films

From altogether 30 projects that applied in this development call, the Czech Film Fund supported 13 documentaries with total amount of EUR 173 000 (CZK 4,5 million). The highest support was granted to project Karabach, directed by Tomáš Bojar and Jana Andert. Documentary focused on Azerbaijan-Armenian war, which is produced by Jan Macola’s Mimesis Film, received EUR 23 000.

Two FAMU students Valerio Mendoza and Jorge Calderón follow Venezuelan migrants with Czech roots who have settled in the Czech Republic. Their Volver and Volver is produced by established Czech production company Negativ and it received EUR 17 000. Successful young director Martin Páv (Wolves at the Borders) joined forces with Frame Films again to work on a project Snow White Complex (EUR 19 000) which is focused on global cultural phenomenon of whitening the skin of non-white ethnic groups.

Another project produced by Frame Films, The Sense of Nature (Vědomí krajiny), was granted the amount of EUR 17 000. In this documentary, Tomáš Elšík observes the consequences of forests devastation and he also looks at man’s co-existence with nature. Another ecologically oriented film supported in this call is George’s Vision (Jiříkovo vidění). In this film, director Marta Kovářová follows her father who wants to enforce uniform carbon tax, reduce global warming by doing so, and save the world. GNOMON Production was granted 19 000 for its development.

The Czech Film Fund also supported two films which deal with drug addiction and the fight against it. While in The Four of Us (My čtyři) project (production company Claw AW was granted EUR 14 500), debut director Josefina Lubojacki observes her relatives’ struggle to survive as they are homeless and drug addicted, Jiří Zikmund shows the demanding work of therapists in a sheltered workshop for drug addicts. The project Angels with One Wing (Andělé s jedním křídlem) is produced by Jiří Konečný of endorfilm with CFF support of EUR 15 000.

While in Grandpa the Spy (Děda špión), supported with EUR 12 000, producer Matěj Paclík of Breathless Films and director Lumír Košař follow the life of a man who was an agent of communist state security, a Czechoslovak spy and also arms dealer in the Middle East, within Corridor of Lost (Koridor ztracených), Paclík co-works with Širín Nafariehová and Michael Jiřinec who follow Czech couple of political prisoners of the Turkish regime – their documentary received EUR 11 000. In addition, project The Mirror of the Sea (Zrcadlo moře), focused on Russian war correspondence, prepares Anna Kryvenko (My Unknown Soldier) in production of Veronika Kührová & Michal Kráčmer of Analog Vision (EUR 6 500).

Last but not least, Theodora Remundová and producer Alice Tabery of Cinepoint received EUR 17 000 for development of documentary Happy Days (Šťastné dny) in which director depicts a relationship with her mother, popular and celebrated Czech actress Iva Janžurová.

Two Czech projects were granted the Eurimages support

In March, the Board of the Management of the Eurimages Fund decided to support 24 co-productions, and two Czech films appeared among the selected projects. Ordinary Failures, a psychological drama directed by Cristina Grosan and produced by Marek Novák of Xova Film in co-operation with Hungarian and Italian colleagues, received EUR 250 000. Forever Hold Your Peace, which is a Montenegrin-Czech-Serbian-Croatian-North Macedonian project co-produced by Analog Vision on the Czech side, was supported with EUR 139 000.