Major international productions have been bypassing the Czech Republic for the past year — but local producers and lawmakers have a plan to win such players back, they announced at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival this week.
The Czech incentives system essentially shut down in 2022 after major productions used up the $62.7 million annual cash-back rebate funds available — or so said the officials overseeing the program.
The Czech Republic has offered competitive 20% rebates — with a $6.8 million cap per project — as incentives for major productions for a decade now. The system has been heralded as the key to staying competitive in a part of Europe that’s highly in demand for big-budget shoots by the likes of Amazon, Netflix and the Hollywood majors.
But last year’s crisis need not happen in the future, says Vratislav Slajer, chairman of the Czech Audiovisual Producers Association (APA). Up to now, he points out, some productions...
The Czech incentives system essentially shut down in 2022 after major productions used up the $62.7 million annual cash-back rebate funds available — or so said the officials overseeing the program.
The Czech Republic has offered competitive 20% rebates — with a $6.8 million cap per project — as incentives for major productions for a decade now. The system has been heralded as the key to staying competitive in a part of Europe that’s highly in demand for big-budget shoots by the likes of Amazon, Netflix and the Hollywood majors.
But last year’s crisis need not happen in the future, says Vratislav Slajer, chairman of the Czech Audiovisual Producers Association (APA). Up to now, he points out, some productions...
- 7/5/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
When it comes to feature film output in Central and Eastern Europe, it’s all about marshaling indie forces and breaking out of familiar tropes this year, say producers and filmmakers.
It’s also about relationships in the increasingly interconnected region, as Katarina Tomkova, one of the Slovak producers for “Servants,” says of the
communist-era drama focused on priests facing pressure to spy for the state. The fact-based idea — a Slovak, Czech, Romanian and Irish co-production that premieres in Berlinale’s Encounters section — grew out of a deal structure created “very organically, and was based on personal relationships and friendships,” says Tomkova of Slovakia’s Punkchart.
“Servants” star Vlad Ivanov was a juror at the Vilnius fest, which awarded Ivan Ostrochovsky’s previous film, “Koza,” which led to Romanian producers Oana Bujgoi Giurgiu and Tudor Giurgiu — and later composer Cristi Lolea — joining the project.
Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ...
It’s also about relationships in the increasingly interconnected region, as Katarina Tomkova, one of the Slovak producers for “Servants,” says of the
communist-era drama focused on priests facing pressure to spy for the state. The fact-based idea — a Slovak, Czech, Romanian and Irish co-production that premieres in Berlinale’s Encounters section — grew out of a deal structure created “very organically, and was based on personal relationships and friendships,” says Tomkova of Slovakia’s Punkchart.
“Servants” star Vlad Ivanov was a juror at the Vilnius fest, which awarded Ivan Ostrochovsky’s previous film, “Koza,” which led to Romanian producers Oana Bujgoi Giurgiu and Tudor Giurgiu — and later composer Cristi Lolea — joining the project.
Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ...
- 2/23/2020
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Marko Škop‘s sophomore fiction feature “Let There Be Light” has been selected as Slovakia’s candidate for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award in the best international feature film category.
The Slovak/Czech co-production had its world premiere in the main competition section at Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, where it won the best actor award for Milan Ondrík.
The film centers on 40-year-old Milan, who has a wife and three children living in Slovakia, while he lives in Germany working in the construction industry in order to provide for his family. While he is home over Christmas he discovers that his eldest son Adam is a member of a para-military youth group, and is involved in the death of a class-mate. The father has to decide what to do. In the process, along with his wife, he comes to discover the real truth about their son,...
The Slovak/Czech co-production had its world premiere in the main competition section at Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, where it won the best actor award for Milan Ondrík.
The film centers on 40-year-old Milan, who has a wife and three children living in Slovakia, while he lives in Germany working in the construction industry in order to provide for his family. While he is home over Christmas he discovers that his eldest son Adam is a member of a para-military youth group, and is involved in the death of a class-mate. The father has to decide what to do. In the process, along with his wife, he comes to discover the real truth about their son,...
- 9/12/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
In other Cottbus news, F&Me boards The Disciple and Macedonia backs Sugar Kid.
Projects from Ukraine and Georgia were the award-winners at this year’s edition of the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (November 5-6).
Ukrainian filmmaker Max Ksjonda’s feature debut Tank received the CoCo Best Pitch Award sponsored by Eurotape Medien Service to the tune of €1,500 plus a free accreditation to the Producers Network at next year’s Cannes Film Festival, while a jury of Film Repubic’s Xavier-Henry Rashid, Sarajevo Film Festival’s Elma Tataragic and The Post Republic’s Jan-Philip Lange chose Rusudan Chkonia’s [pictured] black comedy Venice for the CoCo Post Pitch Award offering a colour correction and Dcp worth €25,000.
Tank, which will be produced by Max Serdiuk’s Kiev-based production outfit Noosphere Films, already has in-kind investment of equipment by Ukraine’s TechnoRent and private equity investment from Cyprus-based Pride Capital.
The project was previously pitched at the Odessa Film Festival...
Projects from Ukraine and Georgia were the award-winners at this year’s edition of the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (November 5-6).
Ukrainian filmmaker Max Ksjonda’s feature debut Tank received the CoCo Best Pitch Award sponsored by Eurotape Medien Service to the tune of €1,500 plus a free accreditation to the Producers Network at next year’s Cannes Film Festival, while a jury of Film Repubic’s Xavier-Henry Rashid, Sarajevo Film Festival’s Elma Tataragic and The Post Republic’s Jan-Philip Lange chose Rusudan Chkonia’s [pictured] black comedy Venice for the CoCo Post Pitch Award offering a colour correction and Dcp worth €25,000.
Tank, which will be produced by Max Serdiuk’s Kiev-based production outfit Noosphere Films, already has in-kind investment of equipment by Ukraine’s TechnoRent and private equity investment from Cyprus-based Pride Capital.
The project was previously pitched at the Odessa Film Festival...
- 11/6/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
In other Cottbus news, F&Me boards The Disciple and Macedonia backs Sugar Kid.
Projects from Ukraine and Georgia were the award-winners at this year’s edition of the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (November 5-6).
Ukrainian filmmaker Max Ksjonda’s feature debut Tank received the CoCo Best Pitch Award sponsored by Eurotape Medien Service to the tune of €1,500 plus a free accreditation to the Producers Network at next year’s Cannes Film Festival, while a jury of Film Repubic’s Xavier-Henry Rashid, Sarajevo Film Festival’s Elma Tataragic and The Post Republic’s Jan-Philip Lange chose Rusudan Chkonia’s [pictured] black comedy Venice for the CoCo Post Pitch Award offering a colour correction and Dcp worth €25,000.
Tank, which will be produced by Max Serdiuk’s Kiev-based production outfit Noosphere Films, already has in-kind investment of equipment by Ukraine’s TechnoRent and private equity investment from Cyprus-based Pride Capital.
The project was previously pitched at the Odessa Film Festival...
Projects from Ukraine and Georgia were the award-winners at this year’s edition of the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (November 5-6).
Ukrainian filmmaker Max Ksjonda’s feature debut Tank received the CoCo Best Pitch Award sponsored by Eurotape Medien Service to the tune of €1,500 plus a free accreditation to the Producers Network at next year’s Cannes Film Festival, while a jury of Film Repubic’s Xavier-Henry Rashid, Sarajevo Film Festival’s Elma Tataragic and The Post Republic’s Jan-Philip Lange chose Rusudan Chkonia’s [pictured] black comedy Venice for the CoCo Post Pitch Award offering a colour correction and Dcp worth €25,000.
Tank, which will be produced by Max Serdiuk’s Kiev-based production outfit Noosphere Films, already has in-kind investment of equipment by Ukraine’s TechnoRent and private equity investment from Cyprus-based Pride Capital.
The project was previously pitched at the Odessa Film Festival...
- 11/6/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Serbian director Vuk Rsumovic’s No One’s Child and Slovak filmmaker Ivan Ostrochovský fiction debut Koza were the big winners at the 15th edition of the goEast Festival of Central and East European Film (April 22-28) in Wiesbaden.
The international jury headed by Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ Film and including Filmfestival Cottbus’ artistic director Bernd Buder and Bosnian writer-director Ines Tanovic awarded the Grand Prix to Rsumovic’s feature debut which is being handled internationally by Belgrade-based Soul Food Distribution.
In addition, Achim Forst of broadcaster 3sat announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening that hise channel has interest in acquiring the broadcast rights to the film.
Last year, 3sat picked up the 2014 Grand Prix winner Blind Dates and broadcast the film on the eve of this year’s goEast.
Ostrochovský’s road movie about an ex-boxer known as ¨The Goat¨ (Koza) received the City of Wiesbaden’s Prize for Best Director and the...
The international jury headed by Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ Film and including Filmfestival Cottbus’ artistic director Bernd Buder and Bosnian writer-director Ines Tanovic awarded the Grand Prix to Rsumovic’s feature debut which is being handled internationally by Belgrade-based Soul Food Distribution.
In addition, Achim Forst of broadcaster 3sat announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening that hise channel has interest in acquiring the broadcast rights to the film.
Last year, 3sat picked up the 2014 Grand Prix winner Blind Dates and broadcast the film on the eve of this year’s goEast.
Ostrochovský’s road movie about an ex-boxer known as ¨The Goat¨ (Koza) received the City of Wiesbaden’s Prize for Best Director and the...
- 4/29/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Serbian director Vuk Rsumovic’s No One’s Child and Slovak filmmaker Ivan Ostrochovský fiction debut Goat (Koza) were the big winners at the 15th edition of the goEast Festival of Central and East European Film (April 22-28) in Wiesbaden.
The international jury headed by Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ Film and including Filmfestival Cottbus’ artistic director Bernd Buder and Bosnian writer-director Ines Tanovic awarded the Grand Prix to Rsumovic’s feature debut which is being handled internationally by Belgrade-based Soul Food Distribution.
In addition, Achim Forst of broadcaster 3sat announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening that hise channel has interest in acquiring the broadcast rights to the film.
Last year, 3sat picked up the 2014 Grand Prix winner Blind Dates and broadcast the film on the eve of this year’s goEast.
Ostrochovský’s road movie about an ex-boxer known as ¨The Goat¨ (Koza) received the City of Wiesbaden’s Prize for Best Director...
The international jury headed by Czech producer Pavel Strnad of Negativ Film and including Filmfestival Cottbus’ artistic director Bernd Buder and Bosnian writer-director Ines Tanovic awarded the Grand Prix to Rsumovic’s feature debut which is being handled internationally by Belgrade-based Soul Food Distribution.
In addition, Achim Forst of broadcaster 3sat announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening that hise channel has interest in acquiring the broadcast rights to the film.
Last year, 3sat picked up the 2014 Grand Prix winner Blind Dates and broadcast the film on the eve of this year’s goEast.
Ostrochovský’s road movie about an ex-boxer known as ¨The Goat¨ (Koza) received the City of Wiesbaden’s Prize for Best Director...
- 4/29/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
This year’s European Film Awards are officially out of the gates with a not so lean 50 film submissions to select from. The 27th edition collects titles that date back to last year’s Venice and Toronto Int. Film Festivals moving into Sundance-Rotterdam-Berlin and finally Cannes of ’14. Among the 31 European countries represented, we’ve got likes of the Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan leading the huge pack of contenders including Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin and Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida. Here’s the complete list of 50!:
Alienation
ОТЧУЖДЕНИЕ (Otchujdenie)
Bulgaria
Directed By: Milko Lazarov
Written By: Milko Lazarov, Kitodar Todorov & Georgi Tenev
Produced By: Veselka Kiryakova
Amour Fou
Austria/Luxembourg/Germany
Written & Directed By: Jessica Hausner
Produced By: Martin Gschlacht, Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu & Philippe Bober
Beautiful Youth
Hermosa Juventud
Spain/France
Directed By: Jaime Rosales
Written By: Jaime Rosales & Enric Rufas
Produced By: Jaime Rosales,...
Alienation
ОТЧУЖДЕНИЕ (Otchujdenie)
Bulgaria
Directed By: Milko Lazarov
Written By: Milko Lazarov, Kitodar Todorov & Georgi Tenev
Produced By: Veselka Kiryakova
Amour Fou
Austria/Luxembourg/Germany
Written & Directed By: Jessica Hausner
Produced By: Martin Gschlacht, Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu & Philippe Bober
Beautiful Youth
Hermosa Juventud
Spain/France
Directed By: Jaime Rosales
Written By: Jaime Rosales & Enric Rufas
Produced By: Jaime Rosales,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Central and Eastern European filmmakers presented 19 projects at various stages of production at Karlovy Vary’s annual Works in Progress initiative.
The popular industry programme at Kviff is in its ninth year, and past films shown as Works In Progress include I Am, Lunacy, Katyn, Tricks, Alois Nebel and My Dog Killer, among many others.
This year’s selection included a standout pitch for The Disobedient [pictured], a Serbian coming-of-age road movie about two 24-year-olds from Tilva Ros producers Mina Djukic (who will direct) and Nikola Lezaic.The film is now in post for autumn delivery after wrapping its shoot in September 2012.
Another promising Serbian title, of a very different flavour, was the crowdpleasing dark comedy Monument to Michael Jackson (working title). The film will be ready to launch this autumn and the footage shown got the day’s only laughs out of the industry-heavy crowd. The film is a co-production with Macedonia and Germany.
Among the Czech...
The popular industry programme at Kviff is in its ninth year, and past films shown as Works In Progress include I Am, Lunacy, Katyn, Tricks, Alois Nebel and My Dog Killer, among many others.
This year’s selection included a standout pitch for The Disobedient [pictured], a Serbian coming-of-age road movie about two 24-year-olds from Tilva Ros producers Mina Djukic (who will direct) and Nikola Lezaic.The film is now in post for autumn delivery after wrapping its shoot in September 2012.
Another promising Serbian title, of a very different flavour, was the crowdpleasing dark comedy Monument to Michael Jackson (working title). The film will be ready to launch this autumn and the footage shown got the day’s only laughs out of the industry-heavy crowd. The film is a co-production with Macedonia and Germany.
Among the Czech...
- 7/1/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Crossing Europe Film Festival, Linz, Austria.
LINZ, Austria -- An absorbing fly-on-the-wall record of an unusual head of state, "Citizen Havel" ("Obcˇan Havel") works as a heartfelt, affectionate tribute that also allows us to see the flaws and foibles of Vaclav Havel. A cinch for festival exposure, this crowd-pleasing film appeals as a likely candidate for arthouse distribution -- not least because of the array of famous faces on view, including Bill Clinton, The Rolling Stones and both Presidents Bush.
Director Pavel Koutecky´ clearly enjoyed remarkable access to Havel throughout his two terms as the Czech Republic's President (1993-2001). Following Koutecky´'s accidental death in 2006, the film was completed by his collaborator Miroslav Janek. The camera is present before, during and after numerous events of state, observing Havel as he frets over matters major and triflingly minor. On this evidence, there's precious little difference between Havel the public figure and Havel the private individual: Genially down-to-earth, he makes good company over a two-hour running-time which, partly thanks to Tonicˇka Jankova's editing, flies breezily by.
There is one particularly jarring cut: As we're giggling at the Stones' antics as they're shown round the presidential quarters, we're confronted with the sudden death of Havel's beloved spouse, Olga. This is one of few misjudgments in a movie which otherwise proceeds smoothly along its straight chronological path as interpolated TV-news bulletins provide handy regular datelines.
Viewers glean details of Havel's past -- one of Czechoslovakia's leading playwrights, this vocal critic of the country's pro-Soviet regime spent five years in prison -- without need for narration or expository titles. On the basis of this enjoyable, engaging, often very funny documentary, citizens of other nations, regardless of their political stripe, may reckon the Czechs were lucky to have had Citizen Havel in charge at such a pivotal period in their stormy history.
Production company: AFIS - Association of Film & Sociology.
Directors: Pavel Koutecky´, Miroslav Janek.
Producer: Jarmila Polakova.
Executive Producer: Jan Krasa.
Co-producers: David Dusˇek, Pavel Strnad, Michael Wolkowitz.
Director of photography: Stano Slusˇny´.
Editor: Tonicˇka Jankova.
Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH, Leipzig.
No rating, 120 minutes.
LINZ, Austria -- An absorbing fly-on-the-wall record of an unusual head of state, "Citizen Havel" ("Obcˇan Havel") works as a heartfelt, affectionate tribute that also allows us to see the flaws and foibles of Vaclav Havel. A cinch for festival exposure, this crowd-pleasing film appeals as a likely candidate for arthouse distribution -- not least because of the array of famous faces on view, including Bill Clinton, The Rolling Stones and both Presidents Bush.
Director Pavel Koutecky´ clearly enjoyed remarkable access to Havel throughout his two terms as the Czech Republic's President (1993-2001). Following Koutecky´'s accidental death in 2006, the film was completed by his collaborator Miroslav Janek. The camera is present before, during and after numerous events of state, observing Havel as he frets over matters major and triflingly minor. On this evidence, there's precious little difference between Havel the public figure and Havel the private individual: Genially down-to-earth, he makes good company over a two-hour running-time which, partly thanks to Tonicˇka Jankova's editing, flies breezily by.
There is one particularly jarring cut: As we're giggling at the Stones' antics as they're shown round the presidential quarters, we're confronted with the sudden death of Havel's beloved spouse, Olga. This is one of few misjudgments in a movie which otherwise proceeds smoothly along its straight chronological path as interpolated TV-news bulletins provide handy regular datelines.
Viewers glean details of Havel's past -- one of Czechoslovakia's leading playwrights, this vocal critic of the country's pro-Soviet regime spent five years in prison -- without need for narration or expository titles. On the basis of this enjoyable, engaging, often very funny documentary, citizens of other nations, regardless of their political stripe, may reckon the Czechs were lucky to have had Citizen Havel in charge at such a pivotal period in their stormy history.
Production company: AFIS - Association of Film & Sociology.
Directors: Pavel Koutecky´, Miroslav Janek.
Producer: Jarmila Polakova.
Executive Producer: Jan Krasa.
Co-producers: David Dusˇek, Pavel Strnad, Michael Wolkowitz.
Director of photography: Stano Slusˇny´.
Editor: Tonicˇka Jankova.
Sales: Deckert Distribution GmbH, Leipzig.
No rating, 120 minutes.
- 5/23/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Czech Audio Visual Producers Assn. president Pavel Strnad could barely contain his anger. Called away from the promotional booth his nation was sharing with its Slovak and Polish neighbors at last month's Festival de Cannes to answer a phone call, he received bad news: the Czech Parliament, during its final session in Prague before a general election, had failed to overturn a presidential veto killing a long-awaited new law that would have revolutionized state support and funding for local film productions. It was an unexpected blow to a Czech film industry struggling to stay afloat in a particularly competitive region, and Strnad was not about to let it happen without a fight. "Why should we spend money on promoting Czech film if our government says it is not interested?" he asked at the time. "The way the law was struck down was scandalous. Parliament met to vote on overruling the presidential veto on five bills; the first four were successful, but then a group of ruling-party deputies walked out, and the move to save the film bill failed by just three votes."...
- 6/27/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MOSCOW -- Czech director Bohdan Slama's poignant tale of love and friendship in a crumbling post-industrial town, Something Like Happiness, swept the board at the Czech Film and Television Academy awards held Saturday in Prague. The film -- called Stesti in Czech -- took seven of 13 Czech Lions, including best film for producer Pavel Strnad of Prague's Negativ Film, best director and screenplay for Slama and best cinematography for Divis Marek, the Czech Film Center said in a statement Monday. Three other awards went to the cast -- best actor for Pavel Liska, best actress for Tatiana Vilhelmova and best supporting actress for Ana Geislerova.
- 2/28/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic -- The head of the Czech producers association publicly labeled senior managers at the country's public broadcaster "bastards" Friday, just two days before crucial talks to resolve a 10-year deadlock over rights contracts were due to begin. Pavel Strnad's remarks at a news conference called by APA, the Czech association of audio-visual producers, during the Karlovy Vary international film festival, sparked a walk-out by members of Czech Television who were present and drew a sharp rebuke from leading Czech producer Ondrej Trojan, who said the use of words was "undiplomatic." Strnad, who has lead a long campaign to force Czech TV to revise what producers say are restrictive contracts drawn up in the 1990s that lock screening rights into decades-long deals, said he was fed up with prevarication by the pubcaster.
KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic -- Czech film producers are scheduled to meet the country's minister of finance today to lobby for changes in the way new European Union sales taxes are applied for foreign co-productions. Value added tax laws adopted by the Czech Republic -- one of the conditions required of countries entering the European Union on May 1 -- introduced an across-the-board rate of 19% on sales of virtually all goods and services, including film industry services. The newly established VAT rate, which replaced earlier variable rates of 5% and 22%, is being charged to all film industry clients regardless of whether they are EU member companies, said Pavel Strnad, president of the Czech Audio Visual Producers Assn. "Before we joined the EU, we worked under an arrangement where we did not charge foreign companies VAT, but since May we have been forced to charge the VAT and tell clients from non-European countries to reclaim it later," Strnad said.
MOSCOW -- Organizers of the 13th edition of the Cottbus Film Festival said Monday that this year's event would spotlight the economics of film and television production in Russia and Eastern Europe through a series of special events. The events at the connecting Cottbus market, which runs alongside the festival Nov. 4-8, will bring together film and television professionals from across the region. On Nov. 4, industry representatives from Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary will meet to discuss the economic structures and environment in their countries and the opportunities presented by EU membership. Speakers will include Tanjika Sajatovic, head of promotion and sales of the Slovenian Film Fund, and Pavel Strnad, head of the Czech Republic's Audiovisual Producers' Assn. On Nov. 5, the focus will shift to Russia's emerging television and film economy, with Maria Zvereva, vp at the Association of Russian Filmmakers' Unions, speaking about Russian filmmakers and their standing in Europe today.
- 10/6/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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