16/01/2012

While box-office numbers give producer Radim Prochazka and writer–director Robert Sedlacek (pictured) nothing to cheer about, they left the second Czech Film Critics' Awards victorious. Their road-movie about a possibly corrupted manager on the run with his family, Rodina je zaklad statu, won in the Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay categories, with Simona Babcakova adding a fourth nod as Best Supporting Actress.

Debutant Zdenek Jirasky's dark drama Poupata [+see also:
film review
film profile] has entered the evening with an equal eight nominations and left with two awards for Best Actor (Vladimir Javorsky) and Best Cinematography (Vladimir Smutny). So did Innocence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan Hrebejk
film profile] by Academy Award nominee Jan Hrebejk. While theatre actor Hynek Cermak (Best Supporting Actor) was a revelation to cinemagoers, 2004's Shooting Star Anna Geislerova (Best Actress) belongs to the most popular on-screen faces. She is currently about to promote Bohdan Slama's new film Four Suns at Sundance.

Vaclav Kadrnka, whose Eighty Letters premiered at the Berlinale last February, was named Newcomer of the Year. A decision of the Czech Fund for Cinematography not to support his exceptional film previously stirred a decent amount of attention.

Rotoscope-animated film Alois nebel [+see also:
trailer
film profile], delegated as a Czech contender for the upcoming Oscars, left the evening with an award forBest Music. Martin Marecek's Pod sluncem tma was named Best Documentary.

Rodina je zaklad statu, attendance at which stopped at the low mark of approximately 16,000 cinemagoers last fall, is now re-entering Czech cinemas and time will tell whether the awards have the potential to boost box office success.

The awards were founded last year to be a possible counterpoint to the stagnating Czech Lions. A highlight of the traditionally conceived ceremony was an appearance of veteran director Ladislav Helge,whose career was put on hold by the communist regime in 1968.