Prague, February 3, 2012 - Czech cinematography will be represented in several areas at this year’s International Film Festival in Berlin (9 – 19 February 2012). The Czech Film Center will be representing Czech cinematography for the tenth time at the European Film Market. Under the umbrella Central European Cinema the CFC will be representing national cinematography together with the Slovenian Film Center and the Slovak Film Institute. The stand will offer Czech representatives of the film industry, i.e. distributors, producers, festival representatives, etc., facilities for business meetings and negotiations. The stand’s partners this year are the Karlovy Vary IFF and Barrandov Studios.
Altogether eight Czech films or co-productions will appear in this official programme of this year's Berlinale and the European Film Market.
The film A Royal Affair (En kongelig affære/Královská záležitost), selected for this year's international competition, was produced by Zentropa in co-production with, among others, the Czech production company Sirena Film. The filming took place mostly at Czech locations. Around 39% of the total budget was spent in the Czech Republic. This epic period film starring Mads Mikkelsen was made in the Czech Republic from March to May 2011. Zentropa is the renowned company most often connected with its founder, the world-famous director Lars von Trier and the Dogma 95 film movement.
The film A Night Too Young is among the 38 films presented in the Forum programme. It is the graduate work of Slovenian director Olmo Omerzu, who lives in Prague, for the FAMU film school.
Jiří Konečný, the film's producer, thinks highly of the invitation to the distinguished Berlin section. "I am very glad that a graduate film by a starting director was selected for the prestigious festival in Berlin. And I am grateful for the support that the Czech Film Center, who we have been cooperating with since the beginning of its existence, provided to us for the festival. It would definitely be more difficult for Czech films to get into foreign festivals without such an organisation,” stated Jiří Konečný from Endorfilm, which produced the film. Czech Television, Studio FAMU and the Slovenian company Arsmedia are co-producers.
A Night Too Young will have its world premiere in Berlin on 13 February 2012 at 10 p.m. It should be released to Czech distribution on 22 March 2012
“Czech films are already a traditional part of the Forum programme. They have the courage to tell sensitive stories and, as this case has shown, they touch on the essential ethical themes of our time. We want to provide room for such films in the Forum programme and thus to offer the director and producer of A Night Too Young the public space they deserve at Berlinale,” remarked Christoph Terhechte, the Director of the FORUM section at Berlinale.
Screenings of Czech films will also be taking place at the European Film Market. This year 6 titles are heading to Berlin – Gypsy by director Martin Šulík, Perfect Days by director Alice Nellis, Sláma’s Four Suns, Vorlíček’s fairy tale Saxana, Innocence by Jan Hřebejk and Tomáš Luňák’s Alois Nebel.
“Five of the six films being shown already have international sales, which goes to show that foreign sales companies see commercial potential for Czech films. Plus most of the films shown at the film market originated in international co-production and that also indicates a path that leads to the international market,” stated Jana Černík from the Czech Film Center.
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Lenka Sindelarova
Czech Film Center - Film Promotion
