ANIMATION PRODUCTION: Czechs Comics Classics Quarterfoil in Production

19-06-2012

ANIMATION PRODUCTION: Czechs Comics Classics Quarterfoil in Production

By Michal Prochazka

{mosimage}PRAGUE: Czech filmmaker Michal Žabka is shooting his animation feature debut, Quarterfoil, based on a popular Czech comic book series that dates back to the 1970's.

Quarterfoil (Čtyřlístek), with a 1 million euro budget, is produced by Miloslav Šmídmajer´s Bio Illusion (www.bioillusion.cz).

"There were actually many filmmakers and producers who tried to get the rights for Quarterfoil. But it was our company that the distribution company Cinemart (www.cinemart.cz) -- which had the rights -- proposed at the end. From the beginning I knew that I did not want to do a TV serie but a real animation feature," Šmídmajer said.

The producer also developed the critically praised animation feature film In the Attic by Jiří Barta three years ago.

Quartefoil tells the story of four comic anthropomorphic animal characters who travelback in time to the 17th century to save King Rudolph II. The Czech Studio Alkay (www.alkay.cz) has develop a 3D animation stylization of characters to look more like 2D cartoon figures. The film part of a new Czech interest in domestic animation feature films. Three animated feature films premiered in 2011. This year, in addition to Quarterfoil, the animated film The Goat Story with Cheese (www.aaa-studio.cz) is also in production. Czech animated features have also done well internationally. Fimfarum Third Time Lucky attracted 50,000 viewers in France in 3 months.

Quarterfoil was supported by the Czech Film fund (7 million CZK / 270,000), but developed without the local TV involvement. The Czech premiere of the film is scheduled to the end of January 2013.

Production Information:

Producer: Miloslav Šmídmajer

Bio Illusion

www.bioillusion.cz

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Aleš Tříska

CinemArt

www.cinemart.cz

Petr Horák

Alkay Animation Prague

www.alkay.cz

Director: Michal Žabka