Prague, 3 May 2016 – For the first time in years Czech films are visibly represented in this year’s official programme and other important sections of the Cannes Film Festival (11 – 22 May 2016). Czech films and minority co-productions are part of the most important sections. Four Czech films will also be screened at the Marché du Film (Film Market) and Czech cinematography will once again be represented in the Czech-Slovak pavilion, which the Czech Film Center is sharing with the Slovak Film Institute.
The participation of Jan Saska’s short animated film Happy End in the official La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section, which has existed since 1969 and presents feature-length and short films and documentaries, is a huge success for Czech film. The producer of the selected film is the FAMU film school. Jan Saska’s professor, Michaela Pavlátová, also had a film in the same section in 2012. It was her short animated film Tram.
This year the Czech producer of French origin, Artemio Benki from Sirena Film, can boast of two minority co-productions with France that will be part of the most important sections of the official programme: Personal Shopper and La danceuse.
Olivier Assayas’ film Personal Shopper, a ghost story from modern-day Paris’ world of fashion with Kristen Steward in the starring role, is in the main competition of the Cannes IFF. When asked how Sirena Film came to be a part of this co-production, Artemio Benki stated: “We were a good co-producer of the film Marguerite, whose French producer also earlier produced two of Olivier Assayas’ films. So it is about a good reputation and also about contacts… In addition to excellent locations, the incentives and support for minority co-productions from the State Cinematography Fund also helped,” added Artemio Benki.
The film La danceuse (The Dancer) will be presented in the Un Certain Regard section, which presents stylishly interesting and original films in parallel with the main competition. Director Stephanie Di Giusto’s debut film is a return to Paris at the turn of the 20th century, when the dancer Loïe Fuller was a star in the Folies Bergère cabaret. Both films were partially shot in Prague, which represented Paris and London.
In a special section dedicated to gems of international cinematography, Cannes Classics, the classic Czech sci-fi film from the year 1963, Ikarie XB 1from director Jindřich Polák, will be shown. This year the film was digitally restored by the National Film Archive. Czech director Miloš Forman’s filmValmont was selected for the same section, though representing France, of course.
Semain de la critique, or the week of film critics, selected the short animated film Superbia (by director Luca Tóth) for its programme. Maur Film is the Czech minority co-producer of the film, which is a Hungarian/Czech/Slovak co-production.
Apart from the festival programme, Czech films will also be screened in Cannes at the film market, Marché du film: Petr Václav’s We Are Not Alone, Jakub Šmíd’s Laputa, the animated feature film Pat & Mat from Marek Beneš, Steve Liechtag’s Aldabra and the Czech minority co-productionSatisfaction 1720 (directed by Henrik Ruben Genz).
At Marché du Film Czech cinematography will once again be represented in the Czech/Slovak pavilion, which the Czech Film Center shares with the Slovak Film Institute. The pavilion is located in a prestigious part of the market, Village International, under number 133 and it is used as a space for the presentation of Czech films, film news, co-production opportunities with Czech producers and services provided to foreign crews as well as facilities for Czech producers who are meeting with foreign professionals in its spaces. The pavilion’s partners are Barrandov Studio and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Contact:
Denisa Štrbová, Czech Film Center, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.filmcenter.cz
