Off-Courts is a traditional showcase of short films from around the world. The festival has three competitive sections - France, Quebec and international. In addition to film screenings, the event offers a number of accompanying cultural events (concerts, exhibitions, seminars, workshops) and an ever growing film market.
The Czech Republic will be represented several times at Off-Courts: As part of the festival program, CFC will be presenting a collection of 6 films on Tuesday, September 7, at 5:00 pm and on Saturday, September 11, at 2:00 pm, with both screenings in the Casino de Trouville theatre. The screening of Czech films will be followed by short presentation and cocktail for accredited buyers of short films, film festival programmers and other industry professionals (Tuesday, September 7 from 7:00 pm).
The following films will be screened in the festival program:
Basic Language / Lukáš Glaser / CZ 2009 / experimental animation / 7´
Saharan Sands/ Josef Tuka / CZ 2009 / fiction / 19´
The Kingdom of Cutlery / Eva Skurská / CZ 2009 / animation / 6´
59/184/84 / Lukáš Kokeš / CZ 2009 / dokumentary / 24´
A Tear Is Needed / Kristina Dufková / CZ 2009 / animation / 19´
Anonym / Tomasz Mielnik / CZ 2009 / fiction / 25´
Czech short films will also be offered in the international film market, which is becoming more and more important every year. Last year, representatives of the following companies took part in it:
France 2, France 3, Canal+, Arte, TV5 Monde, Atom Films (USA), Movieola (Canada), Cine Cinema, Shorts TV, Art TV (Canada), Transmediaco (Switzerland), Premium Films, Gauguins (Japan), Mouviz , Orange Poland, Some like it short (Spain), Propeller TV (UK) Prends ça court (Canada), A-One Films (Russia), Canal+ Poland, Eurochannel (USA), NBC, Italia, RTP (Portugal), Zzizzl (UK).
Two FAMU students, cinematographer Jan Hubač and director/editor Štěpán Vodrážka, will represent the Czech Republic at KinoWorld, a workshop aimed at fostering a creative environment where participants then spontaneously make shorts. The workshop features young filmmakers from roughly 15 countries, who will form film crews on the spot and shoot short films in 48 hours. Those are then screened for audiences who offer immediate feedback to the filmmakers.
"We've been working with the festival and especially the workshop KinoWorld for three years now - in the past we've sent 1 student each year. In 2008 it was Olmo Omerzu, and last year Tomáš Pavlíček (both FAMU). With the expansion of our activities to include short films and the release of the DVD collection at the beginning of 2010, we were given an opportunity to present a block of Czech short films at the festival in Trouville and to promote our work at the film market," says M. Šantrochová of CFC.
The following films will be screened at the festival in Trouville:
Basic Language / Lukáš Glaser / CZ 2009 / experimental animation / 7´
An invitation to meditate on how the world is a never-ending number of realities, which differ in the ratio of surprise and banality that comprise them. Part one - the field
Saharan Sands / Josef Tuka / CZ 2009 / fiction / 19´
Having been married for 25 years, Václav and Anička decide to spend their anniversary in the place they first met.
The Kingdom of Cutlery / Eva Skurská / CZ 2009 / animation / 6´
The Kingdom of Cutlery is a table set for dinner. A fork, a knife and a spoon lived in perfect harmony here until the fork on the opposite side of the plate started to feel left out... The resulting petty conflict means that, instead of dinner, a self-destructive war begins.
59/184/84 / Lukáš Kokeš / CZ 2009 / dokumentary / 24´
The cinematic personal ad of a perpetually miserable man who, with a fixed idea that something has to happen, is still waiting for the moment his life starts, and who maintains his austere, lonely life with the faith that fate will finally fulfil his ideal vision of a woman, derived from a biological right to love.
A Tear Is Needed / Kristina Dufková / CZ 2009 / animation / 19´
Early one morning, a little girl named Miroslava accompanies her parents to her aunt's funeral. Having become separated from them, the sleepy little girl sits down and falls asleep on a grave. Upon awakening, she finds herself in the world of the dead. How will she get back to her parents and the world of the living? Although the film deals with a scary theme, it is a sweet story inspired by a Mexican legend and everything turns out fine in the end.
Anonym / Tomasz Mielnik / CZ 2009 / fiction / 25´
Loving somebody means trying to find unknown landscapes hidden inside them. That is why it is so easy to fall in love with a woman who is absolutely a wrong match for you.
All the selected movies were released on Czech Film Center's DVD titled Czech Short Films Vol. 1, which contains a total of 12 short films created by Czech film school students.
For more information, contact Markéta Šantrochová, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
mobile: +420 724 329 948.
