14/01/2011

Walking Too Fast [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radim Spacek
film profile] was the big winner January 13 at the inaugural Czech Film Critics Awards, winning five out of 11 categories, including Best Film.

Director Radim Špaček was not on hand to receive his Best Director trophy or the other awards as he is currently traveling in India.

Former Czech President Václav Havel presented Walking Too Fast screenwriter Ondřej Štindl with the award for Best Screenplay for his dark thriller set in 1970s Czechoslovakia. “It feels great,” Štindl said the morning after the ceremony. “I can't say I'm completely surprised but I didn't think we'd have this much success.”

Ondřej Malý earned awards for Best Actor and Discovery of the Year for his role as a secret police officer obsessed with a suspect.

Producer Vratislav Šlajer received the awards as welcome validation: Walking Too Fast screened in competition at the Warsaw International Film Festival but has had only modest success at the Czech box office, drawing fewer than 100,000 admissions since its February release.

Best Actress went to Simona Babčáková for Největší z Čechů, while Karel Roden and Kristýna Liška Boková were recognized for their supporting roles in Habermann [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Občanský průkaz, respectively.

Helena Třeštíková's film Katka won the Best Documentary Award. Best Cinematography went to Vladimír Smutný and Marek Bliss for their work on Jan Svěrák's Kooky [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Recording artists Midi Lidi received the award for Best Original Score for documentary Czech Peace [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Twenty-two features and 13 documentaries released in 2010 were considered for nomination in 11 categories. Forty-six film journalists participated in the two-round selection process.