Czech viewers preferred more domestic movies last year, with about one-third of the audience attracted by homegrown films. The most popular movie was Empties by director Jan Svěrák, which attracted more than 1.2 million people and earned 124 million crowns (€4.8 million).

The second most popular movie in Czech cinemas in 2007 was a domestic title, I Served the King of England by director Jiří Menzel. The film adaptation of the famous novel by Bohumil Hrabal, which was submitted for an Oscar but failed to be nominated, attracted about 857,000, according to the information posted Tuesday on the distributors‘ association. It earned 81.7 million crowns.

Czech distributors expressed satisfaction with the results.

"In all Europe, only Czech and French film fans support their domestic cinematography this way," said Jan Bradáč, director of the Czech distribution company Falcon (www.falcon.cz), according to the news agency ČTK. Last year, Falcon distributed Empties and also Teddy Bear by director Jan Hřebejk.