19 July 2020
Czech Film Fund announced support for twelve minority co-productions with the amount of CZK 20 million (EUR 740 741). Six fiction features, three feature documentaries and three shorts (animation and fiction) which succeeded in this call, are capable to build strong ties with partners from Slovakia, Romania, Poland or Iceland.
Fiction features
One of the projects with the biggest potential for international success, supported in this call, is new film by Radu Jude, Sleepwalkers. Romanian director (Aferim! – Silver Bear for directing at the Berlinale 2015, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians” – Crystal Globe at the KVIFF 2018) prepares as usual unconventional project, this time focused on crucial social theme – intolerance. The film, supported with CZK 2,5 million (EUR 92 593) is co-produced by Jiří Konečný (endorfilm) and made with contributions from several Czech artists.
The highest amount in this call, CZK 3,5 million (EUR 129 630) received dark comedy, Forever Hold Your Peace, taking place at the Balkan wedding. The second film of FAMU’s graduate Ivan Marinović is made in co-operation of Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and the Czech Republic (Analog Vision).
The second highest amount in this call, CZK 3 million (EUR 111 111), was granted to another project with big potential for international success – Gudmundur Gudmundsson’s Chicken Boy (co-produced by Negativ on the Czech side). Gudmundsson’s debut Heartstone won the European Film Award in 2016 and appeared at Venice days the same year. His new film tells a story about a teenage boy, raised by a mother who considers herself psychic, who takes a bullied kid into his group of violent misfits.
Strong and touching story from current Ukraine prepares as his debut Maksym Nakonechny. The heroine of Savior (Spas) is a young soldier Lilia who comes home from the captivity of separatist. The project, supported with CZK 2,7 million (EUR 100 000) is co-operation between Ukraine, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and it is co-produced by Masterfilm on the Czech side.
Israeli director Ofir Graizer (his debut The Cakemaker competed at KVIFF 2017) is working on a melodrama, a story of love, devotion and speculative relationships between grownup kids and their parents. America was granted CZK 2,5 million (EUR 92 593) and is co-produced by Mimesis Film on the Czech side.
After the 10 years gap, Bogdan Georg Apetri (Periferic – 4 prizes at Warsaw IFF) is shooting existencial drama about guilt and punishment, A Miracle. The film, supported with the amount of CZK 2 million (EUR 74 074) and co-produced by Cineart TV Prague on the Czech side, follows inspector Marius in his hunt for revenge.
Documentaries
A portrait of 80-years-old gay Lula, a living legend of the Polish LBTQ+ community, prepares Bogna Kowalczyk in Boylesque. Polish documentary co-produced by Bionaut on the Czech side was granted CZK 800 000 (EUR 29 630).
On an ethnographic documentary about a progressive muslim woman in post-soviet Kyrgyzstan is working Kyrgyz-Czech director Janyl Jusupjan. Atirkul and her Knights received the amount of CZK 850 000 (EUR 31 481) and on the Czech side is represented by Cinepoint.
Slovak director Zuzana Piussi (The State Capture, Common Sense) is focused on organized crime and its influence of Slovak justice. In the Mist was supported with CZK 300 000 (EUR 11 111) and it is co-produced by D1film on the Czech side.
Shorts
In Tourist, Lun Sevnik (Playing – KVIFF’s Future Frames, San Sebastian IFF 2019) focuses on a criticism of tourism, which is shown on a complicated relationship between father and his son. Slovenian author co-operates with Czech company Pink Productions and was granted by the Czech Film Fund CZK 500 000 (EUR 18 519).
Two animation shorts were also supported in this call. Czech prestigious company MAUR film (Daughter) works on Slovak-Czech Křížem Krážem and puppet animation Paolo’s Happiness by German director Thorsten Drössler.
13 December 2023
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