The country’s film industry demonstrated considerable adaptability in 2023, with 47 features produced amidst a backdrop of economic and geopolitical challenges

We Have Never Been Modern by Matěj Chlupáček, the most expensive national project of 2023, which boasted a budget of €3.6 million and was made as a Czech-Slovak co-production

Slovak cinema continues to flourish, with 2023 marking another fruitful year for the industry. Following a record-breaking production level of 50 features in 2022 (see the news), 2023 saw the creation of 47 feature films, a robust output that remains double the average from 2010-2017. Out of the 47 features produced in 2023, there were 31 fiction films, 14 documentaries and two animated flicks. Notably, 24 of these movies were directed by debut filmmakers, representing 51.06% of the total output. Female directors helmed 12 films, with one title co-directed by a man and a woman, reflecting the increasing involvement of women in the Slovak film industry. Additionally, women were involved in the production of 24 films, further emphasising their growing presence in the sector. The most expensive project of the year was the period crime-drama We Have Never Been Modern [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matěj Chlupáček and Miro Ši…
film profile] by Matěj Chlupáček, with a budget of €3.6 million, which was made as a Czech-Slovak co-production.

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Slovak cinema was characterised by a blend of majority and minority co-productions. Of the 31 fiction films, 14 were either 100% Slovak or majority Slovak co-productions, including the highest-grossing domestic film of 2023 (see the news), the dark comedy Invalid by Jonáš Karásek, as well as the Venice-premiered Photophobia [+see also:
film review
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interview: Ivan Ostrochovský, Pavol Pe…
film profile] by Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík. In addition, 17 fiction films were produced as minority co-productions, such as the webseries #annaismissing [+see also:
series review
series profile] by Pavel Soukup, which was recut into a feature-length format; a drama inspired by true events surrounding a professional swimmer becoming a professional actress in adult entertainment, Her Body [+see also:
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interview: Natálie Císařovská
film profile] by Natálie Císařovská; and the ambitious sci-fi flick Restore Point [+see also:
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interview: Robert Hloz
film profile] by Robert Hloz, exploring the impact of technological advancements on society. The documentary sector also saw significant activity, with 14 feature-length docs produced. Noteworthy titles include the experimental documentary essay Notes on Eremocene [+see also:
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interview: Viera Čákanyová
film profile] by Viera Čákanyová, Robert Kirchhoff’s exploration of Alexander Dubček’s legacy All Men Will Become Brothers [+see also:
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film profile] and Jaro Vojtek’s The Third End of the Stick. The animation sector, while smaller, contributed two notable minority co-productions: Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light [+see also:
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film profile] by Filip Posivac, a puppet film awarded at Annecy; and the post-apocalyptic sci-fi title White Plastic Sky [+see also:
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interview: Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
film profile] by Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó. Public broadcaster Radio and Television Slovakia remains a major partner, co-producing 38.3% of feature-length productions for the big screen.

The activities of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund were significantly impacted by rising costs across all sectors, attributed to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic measures by the EU, including Slovakia. To alleviate these pressures, the Slovak Ministry of Culture provided an extraordinary grant in September 2023. The independent film sector faced increased production costs, delays and postponed releases, leading to a rise in the 2023 premieres of Slovak films made in (or before) 2022. Minority co-productions increased, highlighting Slovakia's openness to, and reliance on, international collaboration amid rising post-COVID production costs. To support distribution operations amid slow audience returns, the fund allocated €823,650 to 80 distribution requests, including €295,455 in extraordinary support. Additionally, the audiovisual industry received a record €12,570,281 in support for 68 projects. Legislative changes since 2020, raising the cash rebate from 20% to 33% of eligible expenses, spurred a surge in registered projects, with 100 new projects in 2023 set for completion by 2026.

During the year in question, 14 Slovak projects applied for support from Eurimages, with five receiving funding. The Slovak minority documentary-fiction project Wishing on a Star [+see also:
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interview: Peter Kerekes
film profile] by Peter Kerekes, co-produced with Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Croatia, secured €75,000 of its total budget of €805,211. Ondřej Provazník's Czech-Slovak co-production It Would Be My Dream (see the news), with a Slovak minority stake, received €235,000 out of its €1,974,397 budget. Ondřej Hudeček's Little Thief (see the news), another Czech-Slovak co-production, was granted €134,000 of its €1,405,256 budget. Veronika Lišková’s Year of the Widow (see the news), a three-way co-production with a Slovak minority contribution, obtained €240,000 of its €1,038,000 budget. Lastly, the documentary Love Exposed by Filip Remunda, a Czech-Slovak co-production, was awarded €75,000 of its €1,038,000 budget.