Czech films and co-productions beyond borders of the Czech Republic: What successes did Czech films achieve during the autumn so far? In the near future, what premieres await us at film festivals? Here is the summary of what is important to know.
Czech films at festivals
The hottest news involving the Czech film came from Tallinn. Czech-Slovak Cook F**K Kill, directed by Mira Fornay (also a producer of the film along with Viktor Schwarcz from Cineart TV Prague), will premiere in Rebel with a Cause section at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
This autumn is very busy for The Painted Bird by Václav Marhoul, as the film has already been selected for more than 20 festivals. In Chicago, Vladimír Smutný, the DOP of the film, was honored with Best Cinematography Award. Documentary Forman vs. Forman, directed by Helena Třeštíková and Jakub Hejna, attends 10 festivals these months, and in Frankfurt, it reached the award for best directing. Slovak-Czech Let There Be Light won the main prize at Almaty Film Festival, and A Certain Kind of Silence by first time director Michal Hogenauer won the Audience Award in Milano, while Solo by Artemio Benki won Golden Leaf for Best World Documentary Film at Duhok IFF.
Oscars
In early autumn, Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA) selected The Painted Bird as this year's Czech Oscar candidate. Czech-Ukrainian-Slovak drama written, directed and produced by Václav Marhoul, represents the Czech Republic as the official submission for the 92nd Academy Awards in the category Best International Feature Film.
The film premiered in Venice earlier this fall, and was acquired the U.S. rights by IFC Films. Lisa Schwartz, co-president of the distributor, said: “IFC is committed to providing thought-provoking and challenging films, and this is a prime example of maintaining this core mission and continuing our legacy for nearly 20 years now.”
On October 17, Daria Kashcheeva was honored with the student Oscar, and became the third ever Czech author who achieved the prize. With her film Daughter, Kashcheeva dominated Annecy IAFF in early summer, winning two major awards, and also shined at Toronto IFF along with The Painted Bird. Since then, Daughter attended or was confirmed as a part of more than 30 festivals all over the world, including Denver IFF or Helsinki IFF.
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CZECH FEATURE FILMS AND CO-PRODUCTIONS IN AUTUMN:
A Certain Kind of Silence
directed by: Michal Hogenauer
produced by: Negativ
Czech Republic, Netherlands, Latvia 2019 / 96 min
Fiction
Raindance IFF (Great Britain) | Absurdities
CinEast (Luxembourg) | Cinéscope
Busan IFF (South Korea) | World Cinema
Pingyao IFF (China) | Competition
Milano Film Festival (Italy) | Competition (Audience Award)
Haifa IFF (Israel) | Golden Anchor – Competition for Debuts
Nuovo Cinema Europa (Italy)
FIFIB Bordeaux (France) | Competition
Seminci – Valladolid International Film Festival (Spain) | Meeting Point
Scanorama FF (Latvia)
By a Sharp Knife
directed by: Teodor Kuhn
produced by: Nutprodukcia
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic 2019 / 89 min
Fiction
Cinematik Piešťany (Slovakia) | In the House
Tirana IFF (Albania) | Competition
CinEast (Luxembourg) | Cinéscope
Cottbus Film Festival (Germany) | Competition
Forman vs. Forman
directed by: Helena Třeštíková, Jakub Hejna
produced by: Negativ
Czech Republic, France 2019 / 77 min
Documentary
Haifa International Film Festival (Israel)
Golden Tree IDFF Frankfurt (Germany) | Competition (award for best directing)
DocLisboa (Portugal) | Heart Beat
Chicago International Film Festival (USA) | Documentary Films Competition
Denver International Film Festival (USA) | Film Studies
Minsk IFF Listapad (Belarus) | Films about the Cinema
Leeds International Film Festival (Great Britain)
Havana Film Festival (Cuba)
The Classics Colombia (Colombia)
UK Jewish Film Festival (Great Britain)
Let There Be Light
directed by: Marko Škop
produced by: Artileria, Negativ
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic 2019 / 93 min
Fiction
Almaty Film Festival (Kazakhstan) | Competition (The Grand Prix)
Batumi International Art Film Festival (Georgia) | International Competition
Busan International Film Festival (South Korea) | World Cinema
Haifa International Film Festival (Israel)
Seminci – Valladolid International Film Festival (Spain) | Meeting Point
Cork Film Festival (Ireland) | International Competition
Cottbus Film Festival (Germany) | U 18 Competition
East by Southeast (Netherlands)
Over the Hills
directed by: Martin Mareček
produced by: Negativ
CZ 2019 / 78 min
Documentary
Jeden Svet SK (Slovakia) | Competition
Minsk IFF Listapad (Belarus)| Documentary Films Competition
Solo
directed by: Artemio Benki
produced by: Artcam Films
Czech Republic, France, Argentina, Austria 2019 / 84 min
Documentary
Duhok IFF (Iraq) | World Documentaries (Golden Leaf for Best World Documentary Film)
MFDF Ji.hlava (Czech Republic) | Czech Joy (Best Czech Documentary)
Bergamo Film Meeting (Italy) | Close up
The Painted Bird
directed by: Václav Marhoul
produced by: Silver Screen
Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovak Republic 2019 / 169 min
Fiction
Message to Man IFF (Russia)
Vancouver IFF (Canada)
BFI London IFF (Great Britain) | Love
CinEast (Luxembourg) | Cinéscope
Istanbul Filmekimi (Turkey)
Film Festival Cologne (Germany) | Look
Warsaw IFF (Poland) | Special Mention
Chicago IFF (USA) | International Competition (Best Cinematography Award)
Toti Fest (Mexico)
Tokyo IFF (Japan) | World Focus
Denver IFF (USA) | Special Mention
Thessaloniki IFF (Greece) | Main programme
Minsk IFF Listapad (Belarus) | Competition
Visegrad Cinema Days Kyiv (Ukraine)
Kolkata IFF (India)
Cork Film Festival (Ireland)
Camerimage (Poland)
Cairo IFF (Egypt)
