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AWARDS Czech Republic

The Karamazovs named Best Picture

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The Czech Film and Television Academy announced the winners of the 2008 Czech Lions at a gala ceremony March 7 at Prague's Lucerna Palace.

Petr Zelenka's The Karamazovs [+see also:
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was the big winner, taking home Best Film and Best Director, as well as being named Best Feature by Czech film critics.

The academy had submitted The Karamazovs as the Czech Republic's entry in the foreign-language Oscar race. The film received a Special Mention and the FIPRESCI award at Karlovy Kary, where it premiered.

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A co-production between Prvni Verejnopravni (Czech Republic) and Warsaw Pact Film Production (Poland), the film is supported by Eurimages, the Polish Film Institute and the State Fund for the Support and Development of Czech Cinematography. Cinepol International handles international sales.

Bohdan Slama received the award for Best Screenplay for his Venice title A Country Teacher [+see also:
film review
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interview: Bohdan Slama
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. Zuzana Bydzovská won Best Actress for her role in the same film.

Karel Roden was named Best Actor for his performance in Guard No. 47 [+see also:
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, a period drama from director Filip Renc which also received the Czech Lion for Best Editing.

Citizen Havel [+see also:
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won Best Documentary, both from the academy voters and from Czech film critics, beating out Helena Trestikova's EFA Grand Prix Arte-winning film René for the honours.

Richard Horowitz and Sussan Deyhim received an award for their score to Vaclav Marhoul's war drama Tobruk, which also won Best Sound.

Minister for Culture Vaclav Jehlicka presented veteran filmmaker Juraj Herz with a crystal statuette for his lifetime contribution to Czech film. The prize for biggest box office success went to Juraj Jakubisko's period drama Bathory [+see also:
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.

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