30-05-2010

Slovak film finds private support

By Jana Kadlecová
    Beginning July 1, 2010, Slovak Film and Television Academy (www.sfta.sk) will launch a partnership with private television JOJ (www.joj.sk) and Slovak beer producer Zlaty Bazant (www.heinekenslovensko.sk) to support distribution of Slovak films, under the title Partner of Slovak Film (Partner slovenskeho filmu).

    The project is designed to help Slovak films in the distribution phase, which has previously been neglected.

    "Slovak cinematography suffers from the fact that there is not enough financing during the last phase," says SFTA president Zuzana Mistrikova. SFTA is coordinating the project, which will provide 6,000 Euro for distribution costs, professional marketing and media support. The distribution project is aimed at producers of full-length film, and applications for the second half of 2010 must meet criteria that will be published at www.sfta.sk.

    Originally the project was planned with Markiza TV (www.markiza.sk) but when negotiation stalled between Markiza and SFTA, Joj TV stepped in. It will provide free spots on TV Joj for new Slovak films.

    TV Joj started playing a relevant role in the support of Slovak cinematography in recent years, producing successful Slovak television series and broadcasting the film awards ceremony Sun in Net in April 2010.

    Zlaty bazant, a Slovak beer produced by Heineken, has a year long strategy for support of cinema. It sponsors a cinema that travels around country and screens attractive, though not blockbuster films on public spaces without admission charge. Zlaty Bazant also funds film production and sponsors film festivals.