PRAGUE: Czech writer/director Alice Nellis started shooting her ninth feature film Buko in Central Bohemia on 19 August 2021. The director calls the film "a spiritual road movie" as it is inspired by her experience with horse-breeding.

PRAGUE: Five domestic films were in Czech Republic's top ten in the week 9-15 August 2021, of which three topped the chart. An unusual film jam awaited the reopened cinemas, with many postponed titles finally getting in front of the audience.

PRAGUE: The Czech Film Fund has distributed approximately 780,000 EUR as production grants for minority co-productions in 2021.

PRAGUE: The last part of the international coproduction Maria-Theresa, covering the last 20 years in the life of the empress, is currently in postproduction. The fifth feature long part was shot between 10 April and 3 June 2021, and it is set to premiere at the beginning of 2022.

PRAGUE: Director Tomáš Vorel is ready to conclude his trilogy that started more than 20 years ago with Out of the City / Cesta z města (2000, Vorelfilm). The Way Home / Cesta domů is in final postproduction with the premiere set for 18 August 2021, and a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help the film to be finished.

PRAGUE: The revered Czech film and television actress Libuše Šafránková died at 68 after a long battle with an illness. Her career includes Oscar winning Kolya (1996) by Jan Svěrák and two other Oscar nominated films, Elementary School (1991) by Jan Svěrák and My Sweet Little Village (1985) by Jiří Menzel.

PRAGUE: Multiplex cinemas are getting ready for reopening in the Czech Republic on 10 June 2021, starting with Cinema City. Smaller cinema theatres are already open since 24 May 2021, but multiplex chains did not use the green light because of the continuing ban on selling food and drinks indoors.

PRAGUE: Czech cinemas with the capacity of under 500 seats are finally getting ready to reopen on 24 May 2021, after a prolonged lockdown since 12 October 2020. However, only one screen cinemas are expected to open, as selling beverages and refreshments in malls is still prohibited.

PRAGUE: The Czech Film Fund has distributed approximately 1.7 m EUR as development and production grants for animated films, as well as debut feature production grants and short films production grants.