next Country Focus: Czech Republic by Cineuropa 02/07/2010Articles, interviews, news, analysis on the Czech audiovisual sector. (The article continues below - Commercial information) Country profile: Czech Republic27 December 2020MIDPOINT 2021MIDPOINT TV Launch is ready to welcome its new creative teamsThe deadline for applications for the successful "idea to market" series project development programme is 31 January 18 January 2021MIDPOINT 2021MIDPOINT announces its selection for Feature Launch 2021Nine projects by first- or second-time directors from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe will be part of the new programme alongside three script-consultant trainees 12 January 2021East Doc Platform 2021East Doc Platform 2021 embraces “the new normal” and announces selected projectsThe 10th edition of the East Doc Platform, organised by the Institute of Documentary Film (IDF), will take place online from 6-17 March 2021 18 December 2020Industry / Market - Czech RepublicThe Czech Film Fund prepares for shifts in the audiovisual industryBesides supporting and preserving the domestic film infrastructure, the CFF has begun preparing to transform into an audiovisual fund in order to respond to changes in the industry worldwide 09 December 2020MIDPOINT 2020Afterparty wins the MIDPOINT HBO Europe Award at Tallinn Black NightsThe last stop of the six-month training course was rounded off by the Season Finale pitching presentation of the nine participating projects 27 November 2020MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT showcases its nine TV Launch projects at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic EventThe TV projects will end their six-month cycle of training and development with the Season Finale, a tailor-made online pitching session 18 November 2020Jihlava 2020REPORT: Czech Joy in the Spotlight@Ji.hlava 2020The industry panel showcased recent domestic documentary works that were premiered during this year's Ji.hlava IDFF 05 November 2020Jihlava 2020REPORT: DOC.STREAM@Ji.hlava 2020Czech and Norwegian filmmakers presented their upcoming documentary projects during a new panel at the 24th edition of Ji.hlava IDFF 05 November 2020Finále Plzeň 2020 - Czech Film SpringboardREPORT: Czech Film Springboard @ Finále Plzeň 2020The fifth edition of the Czech Film Springboard introduced upcoming projects by rising talents from the youngest generation of domestic filmmakers 14 October 2020MIDPOINT 2020The digital MIDPOINT Writers’ Room announces its selectionFor its second edition, the TV writing-focused programme that simulates the experience of an actual writers’ room is set to welcome six participants 09 October 2020CEE Animation Forum 2020 - AwardsThe CEE Animation Forum reveals its award winnersThe Georgian project Igi has won in the feature-film category; other victors hail from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Estonia and Portugal 09 October 2020CEE Animation Forum 202028 projects to participate in the online CEE Animation ForumThe eighth edition of Central and Eastern Europe's leading animation industry event is introducing a new XR section and will take place from 6-8 October 06 October 2020MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT Writers’ Room goes digitalThe programme’s submission deadline has been extended until Monday 14 September, while MIDPOINT Feature Launch has extended its application period until Wednesday 16 September 11 September 2020MIDPOINT 2021MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2021 supports European filmmakersThe programme is ready to welcome creative teams that are developing their first or second feature-film projects, with a deadline set for 9 September 28 August 2020Box Office - Czech RepublicCzech box office down by 55%Local cinemas have yet to bounce back following the disruption caused by COVID-19 14 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 - KVIFF Eastern Promises/AwardsFirst Cut+ hands out its awardsThe second edition of the new programme has awarded the upcoming film projects by Ferit Karahan and Hajni Kis 10 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern Promises/AwardsProjects from Hungary and Jordan awarded at Karlovy Vary’s Works in ProgressHajni Kis's Wild Roots has received the TRT Award, while Bassel Ghandour's The Alleys picked up the Post-production Development Award 10 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern Promises/AwardsSlovak project The Lines wins the Karlovy Vary Docs in Progress AwardBarbora Sliepková's first feature-length documentary, a black-and-white essay on Bratislava-inspired city symphonies, received the €5,000 prize 10 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern Promises/AwardsUsud wins the MIDPOINT Feature Launch AwardVacuum and Sara's Bungalow also received prizes as this year’s edition of the training and networking platform wrapped during KVIFF Eastern Promises 10 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern Promises/AwardsKVIFF’s Eastern Promises Industry Days hands out its awardsWild Roots has received the Works in Progress TRT Award, while creative documentary Atlantide snagged the Eurimages Lab Project Award 10 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern PromisesMIDPOINT to showcase its nine Feature Launch projects at Karlovy VaryThe projects, which are being joined by three script-consultant trainees, will be presented at Eastern Promises Industry Days, and the best will win the KVIFF & MIDPOINT Development Award 03 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern PromisesFirst Cut+ announces a new award and shares experts’ feedbackJust before the second session at KVIFF’s Eastern Promises Industry Days, the programme’s experts share their tips and advice, while the First Cut+ Award has been announced 01 July 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern PromisesKVIFF Eastern Promises Industry Days goes online and announces its selectionWith a total of 41 projects participating in its various sections, the leading industry event is welcoming film professionals via its digital platform 18 June 2020Karlovy Vary 2020 – KVIFF Eastern PromisesFirst Cut+ announces its Karlovy Vary participantsEight films will take part in the second session of the programme at the Eastern Promises Industry Days; a batch of mentors has been confirmed and two online WIP sessions are being organised 17 June 2020MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT announces TV Launch 2020 selectionNine TV series projects from Central and Eastern Europe will participate in the "idea to market" project development workshop 03 June 2020Industry / Market - Czech RepublicEx Oriente Film workshop announces its selectionTwelve creative documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe will participate in the training programme this year 02 June 2020Box Office - Czech RepublicCaught in the Net bounces back to the number-one spot at the Czech box officeThe documentary about online predators has helped the Czech box office to reawaken after local cinemas started reopening with restrictions in place 20 May 2020Industry / Market - Czech RepublicMore millions pumped into the Czech film industryThe Czech Film Fund is setting aside almost 100 million Czech crowns to accelerate the revival of the domestic film sector 15 May 2020Industry / Market - Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic allows film productions to restartThe government has relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions, allowing previously halted domestic and international productions to continue 12 May 2020Industry / Market - Czech RepublicFilm production could decline by 75% in the Czech Republic due to coronavirus restrictionsThe preventive measures put in place have been disrupting projects by the biggest spenders in the Czech Republic, such as Netflix and Amazon 08 May 2020Distribution / Releases / Exhibitors - Slovakia/Czech RepublicFilm Europe launches new VoD service and will merge two channels to create Film Europe+The Be2Can and Ceskoslovensko channels will fuse and become one single brand as the company rolls out Edisonline 30 April 2020Distribution / Releases / Exhibitors - Czech Republic/USAPetr Jákl releases Todd Robinson's US war drama The Last Full Measure online in the Czech RepublicThe Czech producer and director is working on other US projects while also finishing the most expensive Czech movie to date 23 April 2020Industry / Market - Ukraine/Czech RepublicOdesa meets Karlovy Vary in the first part of the new Instagram Live seriesThe Odesa International Film Festival has launched an Instagram Live series set to feature relaxed talks with some of the industry’s heavyweights 08 April 2020Febiofest Prague 2020 - Febiofest Industry DaysREPORT: Czech Works in Progress @ Febiofest Prague 2020Upcoming films from emerging and established Czech directors have been presented as part of the digital Czech Works in Progress initiative at Febiofest Prague 31 March 2020First Cut Lab 2020EXCLUSIVE: First Cut Lab announces its summer workshopsFour workshops with a regional and national focus are slated to be hosted over the coming months at Karlovy Vary and New Horizons, and in Pristina and Serbia 30 March 2020Febiofest Prague 2020 - Febiofest Industry DaysREPORT: Girls in Film Works in Progress @ Febiofest Prague 2020We give an overview of the works in progress presented thanks to an online initiative orchestrated by the 27th Prague International Film Festival – Febiofest and the Girls in Film platform 26 March 2020East Doc Platform 2020 – AwardsRoma sweeps the East Doc Platform awardsDirected by Olga Zhurba, the project won the East Doc Platform Award, along with the Sunny Side of the Doc, DocsBarcelona and Ex Oriente Fine Cut Awards 16 March 2020Industry / Market - Czech Republic/USAAmazon and Netflix among the biggest spenders in the Czech RepublicInternational productions spent a total of €363 million in the country in 2019 19 February 2020MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT TV Launch 2020 looking for its new development executivesThe Development Executives programme is awaiting the next generation of broadcasting executives and commissioning editors, with the deadline set for 31 January 28 January 2020Box Office - Czech RepublicDomestic feature Women on the Run crushes US imports at the Czech box office2019 was another record-breaking year for Czech movie theatres, and the charts were topped by a home-grown rom-com 23 January 2020MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2020 fires the starting pistolThe first workshop of this year’s edition kicks off next week in Trieste 10 January 2020Industry / Market - Czech Republic/ItalyEXCLUSIVE: First Cut+ announces its first participantsEight films will form part of the first session of the programme in Trieste, set to be attended by acclaimed professionals, while a special WIP session and awards have also been announced 11 December 2019Institutions / Legislation - Czech RepublicFAMU to get its first-ever female deanDocumentarian, film theoretician and curator Andrea Slováková has been voted to lead FAMU 09 December 2019MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT selects nine projects for Feature Launch 2020First or second film projects by directors from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe will take part in Feature Launch next year, along with three script-consultant trainees 06 December 2019CEE Animation Forum 2020CEE Animation Forum opens call for animated projects and launches new VR categoryFor its 2020 edition (5–8 May, Liberec, Czech Republic), the event's organisers have expanded the number of categories, with a submission deadline set for 10 January 27 November 2019MIDPOINT 2020MIDPOINT TV Launch 2020 awaits its next projectsThe programme is open to creative teams developing their upcoming long- or short-form TV series, with the deadline set for 31 January 2020 21 November 2019Jihlava 2019The East West Index survey points out the underrepresentation of Eastern European films at festivalsBringing together festival programmers from both parts of Europe, the 23rd Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival aimed to open minds to bring different cinemas together again 29 October 2019MIDPOINT 2019MIDPOINT Writers’ Room announces its selectionThe new TV writing-focused programme that simulates the experience of an actual writers’ room is set to welcome ten participants 17 October 2019 next