14 CZECH DEBUTSin 50th KVIFF Programme

ONDŘEJ HUDEČEKin Future Frames

PITCH & FEEDBACKSeven Fresh Projects

Face Decision Makers

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Friday 3 JulyUS 2 12:30 Cinema BAferim! 17:00 Drahomira CinemaSunrise Supervising 18:30 Cinema B

Saturday 4 JulyNipomo 12:30 Cas Cinemawave vs. shore 13:00 Husovka TheatreThe Gospel According to Brabenec 13:30 RichmondPlaces 16:30 RichmondThree Brothers 16:30 Lazne IIIUS 2 17:00 Drahomira CinemaJourney to Rome 18:30 Karlovy Vary TheatreKoza 18:30 Cinema BDaniel’s World 19:00 Husovka TheatrePhotographer 19:30 Lazne III

Sunday 5 JulyAlways Together 11:30 Drahomira CinemaShop on the High Street 12:00 Karlovy Vary TheatreoV 13:00 Husovka TheatreAmerika 15:30 Cas CinemaThe Gospel According to Brabenec 16:00 Husovka TheatreLittle from the Fish Shop 16:00 Narodni dumLost Case 19:00 Husovka TheatreSchmitke 19:00 Congress HallJourney to Rome 19:30 Lazne IIIHome Care 20:00 Grand Hallwave vs. shore 20:00 Drahomira CinemaLong Live Hunting! 21:30 Cinema BThe Greedy Tiffany 23:59 Cas Cinema

Monday 6 JulyLong Live Hunting! 11:30 Drahomira CinemaKoza 11:30 Grand HallFilm Spa 13:00 Narodni dumMay Fairy Tale 13:00 Karlovy Vary TheatrePeacock 15:30 Small HallResort 15:30 Cas CinemaHome Care 16:00 PuppSunrise Supervising 16:00 Narodni dumAmerika 17:00 Drahomira CinemaMallory 18:30 Cas CinemaThe Red Spider 20:00 Grand Hall

Tuesday 7 JulyAlways Together 10:00 Husovka TheatreThe Red Spider 13:00 PuppMallory 14:00 Drahomira CinemaoV 15:30 Cinema BLittle from the Fish Shop 16:00 Husovka TheatreThree Brothers 16:30 RichmondResort 17:00 Drahomira CinemaThe Snake Brothers 17:00 Grand HallDavid 19:00 Congress HallPhotographer 19:00 Richmond

The Gospel According to Brabenec 19:00 Husovka TheatrePlaces 22:30 Lazne III

Wednesday 8 JulyThe Snake Brothers 10:00 PuppAferim! 11:30 Grand HallDavid 12:30 Cas CinemaAlways Together 13:30 RichmondLost Case 15:30 Cinema BSchmitke 16:00 Husovka TheatreThrough the Eyes of the Photographer 16:00 Congress HallZero 16:00 Karlovy Vary TheatreFilm Adventurer Karel Zeman 18:30 Cinema Bwave vs. shore 19:00 RichmondDaniel’s World 20:00 Drahomira Cinema

Thursday 9 JulyHome Care 9:00 Drahomira CinemaLittle from the Fish Shop 10:30 RichmondDaniel’s World 12:30 Cinema BShop on the High Street 12:30 Small HalloV 13:00 Husovka TheatreZero 13:30 Lazne IIICoach to Vienna 16:00 Karlovy Vary TheatreFilm Spa 18:30 Cinema BDust of the Ground 19:00 PuppAferim! 22:00 PuppHow About a Plateof Spinach? 23:00 Open Air CinemaThe Greedy Tiffany 23:59 Small Hall

Friday 10 JulyThe Red Spider 9:00 Drahomira CinemaThrough the Eyes of the Photographer 10:00 Husovka TheatreFilm Adventurer Karel Zeman 10:30 Congress HallThe Snake Brothers 11:30 Drahomira CinemaKoza 12:30 Small HallLong Live Hunting! 13:00 Husovka TheatreSunrise Supervising 13:30 RichmondNipomo 15:30 Cas CinemaFilm Spa 16:00 Husovka TheatreDust of the Ground 16:30 Lazne IIISchmitke 16:30 RichmondPeacock 19:30 Lazne IIIInvention for Destruction 20:00 Grand HallPlaces 22:00 Husovka TheatreUS 2 22:00 Richmond

Saturday 11 JulyThree Brothers 10:00 Cinema BLost Case 12:30 Cinema BPhotographer 18:30 Cinema B

ORESORT

Contents4-6

OFFICIALSELECTIONHome Care / Slávek Horák (interview)The Snake Brothers / Jan Prušinovský (interview)The Red Spider

D7-9DOCUMENTARYFILMS AmerikaResortMallory / Helena Třeštíková (interview)

F12-13FUTUREFRAMESPeacock / Ondřej Hudeček (interview)

E10-11EAST OF THE WESTJourney to Rome / Tomasz Mielnik (interview)Dust of the Ground / Vít Zapletal (interview)Zero

C16-17CZECH FILMS2014-2015

14 FORUM OFINDEPENDENTSDavid / Jan Těšitel(interview)

14 HORIZONSAferim!

15 IMAGINA

15 MIDNIGHTSCREENING

18-19 OUT OF THEPAST

24 WORKS INPROGRESS 25 DOCU TALENTS

FROM THEEAST

25 CREATIVEEUROPE -MEDIA

P20-23PITCH &FEEDBACKIl Boemo / Petr Václav (interview)Fish Blood / OndřejProvazník (interview)Snowing / KristinaNedvědová (interview)Zátopek / DavidOndříček (interview)

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Slávek Horák From Commercials to Home Care (interview with

Slávek Horák)graduated from Zlín FilmSchool and studied filmdirecting at FAMU inPrague. His rapid careergrowth as a director ofcommercials preventedhim from finishing hisstudies at FAMU, but alsoearned him several awardsat international advertisingfestivals. He shot twoshorts for the internationalproject Straight8 that werescreened at Cannes. Healso worked as an assistantdirector with Jan Svěrák onhis Academy-Award-winning film Kolya (1996).Horák’s feature debutHome Care, produced byhis own productioncompany Tvorba Films, isinspired by the stories toldby his mother, who worksas a home-care nurse.

You’ve always been very activeand successful in the field ofcommercials. Your debut isa very sensitive, human storythough. Could you comment onthis major genre shift?For any director feature film isthe ultimate challenge, sort ofa “holy grail”, so I waited tillI was ready and had maturedenough to make somethingprofound. And after 20 yearsI realized that with this kind ofapproach it’s never going tohappen. So I stopped waitingand started working.

Did everything live up to yourexpectations? Cast, locations,crew...It all turned out well; even thegrass in my parents’ home

garden started to grow again!We filmed a wedding scenethere. All of us – the actors,crew, my parents and the otherpeople living in the area – theywere all unbelievably helpful,and thanks to them I had idealworking conditions.

What were the easiest andhardest parts of the wholeproject?The easiest part was workingwith actors, which came asa shock to me. But they allunderstood their parts rightaway, and the fact that it wasmy first time working with REALACTORS never came up, sincein commercials I’ve mostly justworked with models andorange-juice packs.

The hardest part was gettingup every day by the alarmclock, often before lunch – butthat’s the hardest thing aboutlife in general, so my next filmis definitely going to take placeat sunset.

Who would you recommendsee the movie? Who did youmake it for?I would send everybody to seeit! It’s compulsory! Includingnewborns, infants andtoddlers, because they areoften overlooked as a targetaudience, but even they willsomeday be confronted withtheir own mortality, so they’dbetter be ready. Not to mentionthe older ones.

OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION

Home CareDomácí péče

Director: Slávek HorákCzech Republic, Slovakia | 2015 | 92 min | world premiere

Everyone knows about the finality of human existence, but the realization oflife’s actual limits comes to each of us individually and often unexpectedly.Dedicated home-care nurse Vlasta (Alena Mihulová) lives for her husbandLáďa (Bolek Polívka), her daughter, and her patients. But then one daythings change and Vlasta is forced to react. This mature debut portraysdeadly serious issues with a gentle humour.

SCREENING316 Sun 5 July 20:00 Grand Hall4P3 Mon 6 July 16:00 Pupp7K1 Thu 9 July 09:00 Drahomira Cinema

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The Hádek BrothersBoth brothers entered the world of acting as teenagers while studying atthe Prague Conservatory. Matěj, the older one, first attracted attention asearly as 1997 in Ivan Vojnár’s The Way Through the Bleak Woods, and healso starred in the films Non Plus Ultras and Storyteller. Kryštof alsostudied acting at the Academy of Music and Drama Art in London and gothis first big break in Jan Svěrák’s Dark Blue World (2001). In 2010, heearned the Czech Film and Television Academy award (Czech Lion) forBest Actor for his performance in 3 Seasons in Hell. He participated inEuropean Film Promotion’s programme Shooting Stars at Berlinale 2010.

OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION

The Snake Brothers Kobry a užovky

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Jan Prušinovský Jan Prušinovský graduatedin screenwriting fromPrague’s FAMU. Hisdirecting debut was theshort Bubble Bath is theBest (2005), which wasawarded several prizes atvarious internationalfestivals. Before hedirected his first feature,Frankie the Womanizer(2008), he wrote severalscreenplays for otherdirectors. He also workedon TV projects such asSunday League (2010) andFourth Star (2014). TheSnake Brothers is his thirdfeature film, based on ascript by young authorJaroslav Žváček.

Director: Jan PrušinovskýCzech Republic | 2015 | 111 min |

international premiere

This uncompromising drama tells thestory of two brothers who answer to thenicknames Viper and Cobra, each dealingin his own way with the bleakness, lack offunds, and alcohol-filled eveningsrepeated ad nauseam in their smallCentral Bohemian town. Brothers Matějand Kryštof Hádek excel in one of themust-see domestic films of the year.

Hádek Means“Snake” (interview with

Jan Prušinovský)

What is the film about?Simply put, it is about the elementarydesire to be happy, what thatmeans and what a person is willingto sacrifice for its sake.

What can you say about the film’s genre?The Snake Brothers is not acomedy; it is a drama. It was veryimportant to me for everything to beextremely authentic in this film. Idon’t like dramas that suffocate theviewer with doom and gloom. Even

in drama you can flirt with humour,usually a bit of black, absurd oreven inappropriate humour. It’s notbuffoonery, it is more aboutperspective.

Why did you cast the Hádekbrothers in the main roles?I consider the casting of Matěj andKryštof Hádek to have been a majoropportunity, as only real biologicalbrothers could render certainnuances of the main characters’relationship.

SCREENING514 Tue 7 July 17:00 Grand Hall6P1 Wed 8 July 10:00 Pupp8K2 Fri 10 July 11:30 Drahomira Cinema

OOFFICIAL SELECTION – OUT OF COMPETITION

Koza

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OOFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION

The Red Spider Czerwony Pająk

Director: Marcin KoszałkaPoland, Czech Republic, Slovakia | 2015 |

95 min | world premiere

This feature debut by a leading Polish documentaristand cinematographer was inspired by actual massmurders committed in the 1960s. A preciselyconstructed psychological thriller, the film delves intoan intricate story of the fascination with evil that hidesin places we would never expect.

Director: Ivan OstrochovskýSlovakia, Czech Republic | 2015 | 75 min

A para-documentary road movie by Ivan Ostrochovskýabout a former boxer who puts on the gloves one finaltime to earn the money for his girlfriend’s abortion.

SCREENING254 Sat 4 July 18:30 Cinema B412 Mon 6 July 11:30 Grand Hall822 Fri 10 July 12:30 Small Hall

SCREENING416 Mon 6 July 20:00 Grand Hall5P2 Tue 7 July 13:00 Pupp8K1 Fri 10 July 09:00 Drahomira Cinema

The Grand JuryThe Grand Jury consists of five internationally recognized filmprofessionals who represent different spheres of the industry.Tim League, American cinema owner and distributor, amongother things established the distribution company DrafthouseFilms, concentrating on releasing European art-housecinema. Director, screenwriter and producer AngelinaNikonova is already well known to Karlovy Vary’s audiences,as her second feature Welkome Home competed at last year’sfestival. Actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson has the experience ofworking with both Icelandic and American filmmakers, and heis well known for his parts in Balthasar Kormákur’s The Deepand Cary Fukunaga’s TV series True Detective. Producer andsales agent Hengameh Panahi, founder of the companyCelluloid Dreams, has cooperated with award-winningdirectors such as Jafar Panahi, Jaques Audiard and ToddHaynes, and finally, the Czech member of the Grand Jury,Ondřej Zach, is Senior Vice President for programming atHBO Europe. He has extensive experience in festival and TVprogramming, having worked for various Czech and Slovak TVstations as well as the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

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DDOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION

Documentaries in this section are divided into two categories: films up to30 minutes in length and films over 60 minutes in length.

Trampingis a typically Czech and Slovak 20th-century folk movementinspired by woodcraft, Scouting and the American Wild West.The name of this social phenomenon originally comes fromEnglish word “tramp”, and it developed among teenagerstypically coming from working-class circumstances inCzechoslovak towns and cities after 1918. Tramping allowedthem to realize their romantic dreams of adventure,relationships based on friendship and a simple way of livingin harmony with nature.

Amerika Director: Jan FoukalCzech Republic | 2015 | 67 min | world premiere

A non-traditional documentary road movie or a stagedmeditation? However we perceive this story of a couplewandering through the Czech countryside, we can bestexperience it by yielding to the calm tempo of their journeythrough the shady woods. Amerika isn’t a portrait of specificindividuals but rather an exploration of the Czech phenomenonof “tramping”.

Resort Director: Martin HrubýCzech Republic | 2014 | 25 min

In the 1960s an architecturally unique resort built on the banksof the Orlík Reservoir became the secret getaway of thecommunist establishment, then later passed into the hands ofnotorious businessmen during the early days of unrestrainedcapitalism. Suffused with an air of mystery, this portrait capturesthe genius loci and turbulent history of a hidden summerparadise that was left off every map.

is a young production company focused on the production offeature films and documentaries with the highest artisticambition and co-production potential. The company consistsof three producers – Mikuláš Novotný, Klára Žaloudková andRadim Procházka. Besides Journey to Rome, they alsoproduced the short documentary Resort and were involvedin the production of Schmitke.

SCREENING3C3 Sun 5 July 15:30 Cas Cinema4K4 Mon 6 July 17:00 Drahomira Cinema

SCREENING4C3 Mon 6 July 15:30 Cas Cinema5K4 Tue 7 July 17:00 Drahomira Cinema

Background Films

Mallory

HelenaTřeštíkováis one of the world’s pioneers oftime-lapse documentaries. She hasdirected more than 40 documentariesshown at several international filmfestivals, many of which she hasalso produced. In 2007, she wasawarded a prize for the BestEuropean Documentary at theSeville European Film Festival forMarcela, and one year later she wonthe European Film Award GrandPrix for her documentary René.Helena Třeštíková’s films treatvarious social phenomena of ourtime, issues of human rights and thestories of great Czech individuals.

Director: Helena TřeštíkováCzech Republic | 2015 | 97 min | world premiere

Life hasn’t been easy on Mallory but after the birth of her son shetries desperately to kick her drug habit and stop living on the street.She wants to turn her back on her dark past and help those she knowsbest – people on the fringes of society. In her latest time-lapsedocumentary, Helena Třeštíková demonstrates that even seeminglyhopeless lives needn’t be cut short halfway.

Mallory Brings Hope (interview with

Helena Treštíková)

Your films have been featured at Karlovy Vary many timesbefore. Do you remember when the first time was?The first time was in 1998 with The Sweet Century, then in2003 it was Marcela, in 2008 René, Katka in 2010,Private Universe in 2012 and the Life with Jester in 2013.Having my films screened at Karlovy Vary IFF has greatlyhelped them to go further in the world.

How did you find Mallory, the protagonist of your new film?I met her for the first time in 2002, in a group home. I wasshooting an episode for a TV series dealing with drugs. Mysubject was women and drugs, and the producer wanted tohave a woman in the film who had stopped taking drugsafter the birth of a child – and that was Mallory. From thefirst time I met her, I knew she was a very interestingwoman.

How do you decide when to finish a time-lapsedocumentary?The end of a time-lapse documentary is given byproducer’s agreements, in the financing contracts. Theystate when the project should be finished. My task is touse time given to me purposefully and deliver a story in theform of film.

Do you have a favourite among your time-lapsedocumentaries?My relationship to my films is comparable to the one youhave with your kids. So I don’t make distinctions betweenthem. I left a piece of my life in each of them.

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DDOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION

SCREENING4C4 Mon 6 July 18:30 Cas Cinema5K3 Tue 7 July 14:00 Drahomira Cinema

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Daniel’s World Danielův svět

Director: Veronika LiškováCzech Republic | 2014 | 74 min

Daniel is the sole member of the Czechpaedophile community to choose to comeout publicly. Screened in the Panoramasection at this year’s Berlinale.

DDOCUMENTARY FILMS – OUT OF COMPETITION

The Gospel Accordingto Brabenec Evangelium podle Brabence

Director: Miroslav JanekCzech Republic | 2014 | 90 min

Miroslav Janek draws on informalinterviews of Renata Kalenská with poet,gardener, and current leading figure of thelegendary rock band The Plastic People ofthe Universe, Vratislav Brabenec.

Long Live Hunting! Lovu zdar!

Director: Jaroslav KratochvílCzech Republic | 2014 | 66 min

The debuting director selects threeunconventional protagonists to assist himin capturing the contradictory nature ofthe hunting phenomenon, CentralEuropean style.

Always Together Stále spolu

Director: Eva TomanováCzech Republic | 2014 | 74 min

Director Eva Tomanová’s film faithfullycaptures the life of an 11-member familywho live in primitive conditions in theBohemian Forest, guided by their father’sextremely rigid view of paternal authority.Screened in competition at IDFA 2014.

wave vs. shore vlna vs. břeh

Director: Martin ŠtrbaCzech Republic, Slovakia | 2014 | 88 min

Director: Matej MináčCzech Republic, Slovakia | 2015 | 81 min

This likable and lively documentaryinvestigates a generation of photographersfor whom playfulness, freedom of gesture,and irony became essential elements ofartistic expression.

SCREENING2R2 Sat 4 July 13:30 Richmond3H3 Sun 5 July 16:00 Husovka Theatre5H4 Tue 7 July 19:00 Husovka Theatre

SCREENING2H4 Sat 4 July 19:00 Husovka Theatre6K5 Wed 8 July 20:00 Drahomira Cinema752 Thu 9 July 12:30 Cinema B

SCREENING3K2 Sun 5 July 11:30 Drahomira Cinema5H1 Tue 7 July 10:00 Husovka Theatre6R2 Wed 8 July 13:30 Richmond

SCREENING355 Sun 5 July 21:30 Cinema B4K2 Mon 6 July 11:30 Drahomira Cinema8H2 Fri 10 July 13:00 Husovka Theatre

SCREENING355 Wed 8 July 16:00 Congress Hall4K2 Fri 10 July 10:00 Husovka Theatre

SCREENING2H2 Sat 4 July 13:00 Husovka Theatre3K5 Sun 5 July 20:00 Drahomira Cinema6R4 Wed 8 July 19:00 Richmond

Through the Eyes ofthe Photographer Očima fotografky

A partly staged documentary aboutZuzana Mináčová, who has influenced theshape of Slovak and Czech photography.Her photos of film stars, immortalisedduring her many years working with theKarlovy Vary IFF, are simply legendary.

Journey to Rome Cesta do Říma

Tomasz Mielnikstudied art history atthe University ofWrocław and directingat FAMU in Prague.During his studies hemade several shorts(On Sunday,Remembering Mother,Anonymous). Hisbachelor film Girl 180(2010) was shown atvarious festivals aroundthe world, including theMolodist IFF in Kiev. In2013 Mielnik attended aworkshop organised bythe InternationalFilmmaking Academyheaded by BernardoBertolucci, Gian VittorioBaldi and AbbasKiarostami.

Director: Tomasz MielnikCzech Republic, Poland | 2015 | 100 min | world premiere

There are as many stories in the world as there are people, and Vašek,a timid guard at a gallery who becomes a reluctant painting thief,hears plenty of them on his train trip to Rome. This multilevel comedyroad movie (on a train) and quest for the meaning of life is directorTomasz Mielnik’s feature debut.

On Fate and Art (interview with Tomasz Mielnik)

You deal with very serious topics in your film. Whichis the most important to you?I am very interested in the theme of fate. Could thefact that my nose looks like a potato and I walk likeChaplin combined with Isaac de Bankolé have a badinfluence on my life? Or whether I was born undera lucky or bad star? And what does it actually meanto be born under a lucky star? Miloš Forman wassurely born under one, because at my age he alreadyhad 10 Oscars... But under what star were Nietzsche,Jesus Christ or the Dalai Lama born? And what doesit really mean to live a happy life? I must admit I amtroubled by this question at times, and I hope this isevident in my film.

Why did you opt for such a strongly stylized visual form?The stylized form of my film was inspired by art,namely the period of transition between Gothic andthe Renaissance, with its characteristic flatness andcentred composition. The unrealistic nature of such stylization enables you tomore easily mingle reality and fantasy, which you canuse to comic effect. Art references deepen the meaningof the film. Or at least they give that impression.

How long did you prepare the film, and what was themost complicated part of the development process?Waiting for funds for the film was very difficult forme. I spent endless hours in pubs, hospital and onthe roofs of high buildings with beautiful views. I gotthe feeling I missed the boat and should havestopped making films and left for a faraway Greekisland to paint live models. And writing the script wasalso very difficult. If it is at all interesting, then it isthanks to the ideas of my friends, Martin Jelínek, VítZapletal and Vít Poláček.

What are your future plans?I always wanted to be a rock star, but I must admitI can’t sing. I’m a grown-up now, so I have to thinkrationally. I graduated in art history. Now I finishedthe directing programme at FAMU. At the moment I’mconsidering studying something new, this timea more serious subject. Heart surgery, for instance,law or conducting. Doctors, lawyers and conductorsseem so classy. They must have a lot of money andgirlfriends. I’m not sure what would make mehappier. I’ll admit I’m still looking for something.

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E EAST OF THE WESTSCREENING

2D6 Sat 4 July 18:30 Karlovy Vary Theatre3L5 Sun 5 July 19:30 Lazne III

Dust of the Ground Prach

Two brothers, the elder married, the younger with alover and a young child, meet at their parents’ countryhome after their father has a stroke. A subtle familydrama from debut director Vít Zapletal thatdistinguishes itself from the usual Czech productionthrough its unaffected accent on the Christian faith.

Zero

Director: Vít ZapletalCzech Republic | 2014 | 95 min | world premiere

Director: Gyula NemesHungary, Czech Republic, Germany | 2015 | 83 min | world premiere

E EAST OF THE WEST

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What is the Meaning of Pain? (interview with

Vít Zapletal)

What is the main subject of your film?In the beginning I had just a formal subject.I was interested in the “Er-form”, how to use itand how to work with the film rhythm, whichaffects the viewer regardless of the film’s plot.I wanted to make a pleasant, quiet film. Onlythen did I start to look for – to exaggerate a bit– any story, without a need for a clear subject.In the end, it’s probably a film about pain andwhat meaning pain has. But it’s neither definite,nor very important to me.

Your film often touches on the theme of religion.Do you think this is in any way important fora contemporary person?I touch on the theme of the Christian religion,

as I don’t feel competent to comment on otherreligions. And Christianity is in my eyes equallyimportant for people today as it was in the pastand will be in the future.

Are you preparing another film at the moment?At the moment I am working with Radim Valakon a script from the early 1970s about a youngman whose girlfriend emigrates to the Westwithout warning him beforehand. The compulsorytwo-year military service is pending and hedecides to hide in the loony bin, where he finallystays longer than planned. Again, I want it to bea quiet, meditative film, this time with a clearsubject, which is the way to elude bitternessand hopelessness.

Vít Zapletalstudied directing at FAMU inthe class of the well-knowndirector Jan Němec. Beforemaking his thesis film Dustof the Ground, he directedseveral shorts which weresuccessfully screened atvarious international filmfestivals. His first studentfilm Room was awarded theSilver Dinosaur at theKrakow Film Festival, whilethe experimental Life Aheadof Me was screened in theOfficial Competition atFresh Film Fest. Zapletalalso participated in theproduction of OlmoOmerzu’s A Night TooYoung, which was premieredat the Berlinale.

It’s 2017. Bees are dying out and, in the words of Albert Einstein, humanityhas only four more years left. Young radical ecologists set out to wagea ruthless battle for their survival. A formally inventive and thoroughlynonconformist vision of the fight against globalization.

SCREENING7P4 Thu 9 July 19:00 Pupp8L4 Fri 10 July 16:30 Lazne III

SCREENING6D5 Wed 8 July 16:00 Karlovy Vary Theatre7L3 Thu 9 July 13:30 Lazne III

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FFUTURE FRAMES

Director: Ondřej HudečekCzech Republic | 2015 | 26 min | world premiere

Bohemia, 19th century. Ladislav, the mischievous son of a landlord,terrorizes the village with cruel jokes. War breaks out and Ladislavis forced to hide in a monastery, where he unexpectedly discovers hishidden desires. He returns home and befriends Jan, a sensitiveyoung poet. Together they experience moments of undilutedhappiness. However, passionate Ladislav soon becomes jealous, andhis endeavour to dominate Jan triggers a series of grievous events...A dramatic story of the rise of one of the most influential Czechwriters, paved with flesh, bones and blood. A black comedy based ona true story, a queer literary encyclopedia, and a historical picturebook in one.

They are at the very beginning of their careers, highly creative, and are coming from film schools throughoutEurope where they have just completed their first films. Ten film students and graduates have been chosen to takepart in European Film Promotion’s (EFP) new programme Future Frames: Ten new filmmakers to follow at the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.Working in close cooperation with the festival, EFP will introduce the young directors and their films – all Czechpremieres – to the public, film industry and press during the two-day event running 5 and 6 July.The participants were nominated by the EFP member organisations, with respect to the artistic quality, content andinternational appeal of their work, with the final selection being made by KVIFF.Czech Film Center, the member of EFP representing the Czech Republic, proudly introduces Ondřej Hudeček, a promising film director from FAMU.

Peacock Furiant

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Stories Keep Repeating (interview with

Ondřej Hudeček)

Peacock is inspired by the life ofCzech dramatist LadislavStroupežnický. How did you learnabout his story? And what attractedyou most about it? In 2012 I had to present an idea formy bachelor’s thesis film at FAMU.I knew I wanted to make a periodpiece, set in 19th-century Bohemia.So I talked about it with myproduction manager, KamilaDohnalová, and she told me thisincredible story, and I just fell in lovewith it. A character that is pushed tohis limits, makes a wrong decision,reaches the bottom of his existence,but ultimately survives – I think sucha character knows more about whatit means to be a human being thanmost of us.

Form plays an important role in yourfilm. How did you decide to tell thestory in this particular way?I would say that for me the form ismore important than the story itself.Stories keep repeating; it’s form thatis constantly evolving. So I focusa lot on how I tell the story and why.With Peacock, the idea was basicallyto place the audience in an artgallery, give them headphones, pushthem in the direction of theexhibition, let them look at thepaintings, read the notes, listen tothe voice of the guide, and put thestory together step by step.

You’ve made a great many shortfilms. Is it your favourite genre? I enjoy making short films becausethey provide so much space to playaround. If you want to make a shortfilm today, you can just go and do it.There is no excuse not to anymore.Obviously, feature films are moreexpensive than shorts, so there isa tendency to play it safe. In a shortfilm you can do whatever you want.I’m sure there is a whole new filmlanguage out there and I’ll bet it’ll bediscovered through short films.

What do you plan to do next?My goal now is to expand Peacockinto a feature-length film. The shortwill function as an introduction to thefeature. The main part of the film willtake place 20 years later, whenLadislav is already a well-knowndramatist, facing the ghosts of hispast that threaten him with losingeverything he’s worked so hard togain. Apart from that I’m working ona couple of other feature-film scriptsand TV shows. And I’d love to directa stage play again, so I’m toying withtoying with that idea, too.

SCREENING423 Mon 6 July 15:30 Small Hall8L5 Fri 10 July 19:30 Lazne III

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David

A black-and-white “Eastern” exploringRomania’s collective memory. New Wave directorRadu Jude’s third motion picture took the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale.

A Search for Limits (interview with

Jan Těšitel)

What is your film about?The film is the story of David, a mentallydisabled young man who lives in the safetyof his family. The problem is that he isaware of his handicap. He becomes a kindof existential character who decides toleave the security of his family and embarkon a journey to search for the limits of hisown existence.

How did you find the lead actor?I had a clear image of how David shouldlook. Years ago I saw Anton Corbijn’s filmControl, with Sam Riley in the lead role. Heis a British actor with expressive eyes and aclear-cut face. I started to look for a similarface with similar energy. When I met PatrikHolubář, an actor from DAMU, he was evenmore interesting than his British “prototype”,and the energy of his personality even morefitting. His diction, his posture, his gait, hiseyes.

What are your plans with the film?I don’t have any illusions that David willattract many people to the cinema. It is afilm which tries to go deeper, and in manyaspects it is radical. But a film needs itsviewers, needs feedback. That’s why it’simportant to me to show it at film festivalsand find its viewers there. In this senseKarlovy Vary is a great beginning.

Director: Jan TěšitelCzech Republic | 2015 | 78 min | world premiere

Director: Radu JudeRomania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic |

2015 | 108 min

FFORUM OF INDEPENDENTS

Aferim!

H HORIZONS

At age 20, David is increasingly aware of how hismental illness influences his parents’ behaviour.So one evening he decides to run away to Praguewhere, alone, he has to face numerous trickysituations – as well as his own thoughts. Thiscourageous and moody debut is crowned with afine lead performance from Patrik Holubář.

Jan Těšitelis a prominent figure of theyoungest generation of directorsand a FAMU graduate. Besideshis student shorts, he has alsodirected several commercials,and his western episode TheMagnificent One (a part of theseries Samosebou.cz for theclient EKO-KOM) was shortlistedfor the 2012 Louskáček Prize.He was nominated for theMagnesia Prize for his short filmPeople Involved and wasawarded the Prize for the BestShort Film Project fromMidpoint Script Center for David,from which he then developedhis feature debut.

SCREENING535 Tue 7 July 19:00 Congress Hall6C2 Wed 8 July 12:30 Cas Cinema

SCREENING1K4 Fri 3 July 17:00 Drahomira Cinema612 Wed 8 July 11:30 Grand Hall7P5 Thu 9 July 22:00 Pupp

15

I IMAGINA

M

SCREENING1K4 Fri 3 July 17:00 Drahomira Cinema612 Wed 8 July 11:30 Grand Hall7P5 Thu 9 July 22:00 Pupp

Lost Case Ztracený případ

Director: Roman ŠtětinaCzech Republic | 2014 | 58 min

This compilation film by JindřichChalupecký Award winner Roman Štětinaemploys scenes from the cult seriesColumbo to create an entirely new storythat highlights moments we would nothave expected from the original.

No Boundaries! (interview with programmer Viktor Palák)

What is the audience reaction to Imagina?It would be hypocritical to pretend thatImagina is for everyone. At the same timeit is its relative extremity that makes it abit easier to stand out and find its spot onthe map, which I am confident enough tosay it already has.

What are the trends in experimentalfilmmaking?

Experimental cinema is a field of trulyboundless imagination, trends do not tendto find a fertile soil in its realm. But it istrue that new technologies frequentlymodify what happens and thus we see arising number of experimental artistsworking in 3D. Ken Jacobs, Johann Lurfand Virgil Widrich could serve asexamples. The recent works of the lattertwo will be presented in Karlovy Vary, too.

Director: Marek PartyšCzech Republic | 2015 | 5 min

Dva is an unrelentingly imaginative Czech band. Nipomo is the name of theirsuccessful album and also of the inspiredand playful song chosen by Marek Partyšfor his first music video, which won BestLoFi at the Berlin Music Video Awards.

Director: Martin BlažíčekCzech Republic, Hungary | 2014 | 6 min

Foggy memories of a French nightclub fromthe mid-20th century; glitchy stutteringelectronic music by Lanuk, 2014. A videoedited in real time by a leading Czechexperimenter which revitalizes thevoyeuristic nature of the film image.

Director: Andy FehuCzech Republic | 2015 | 75 min

A rube named Pepa robs cottages for cashand spends his free time swilling rum atfourth-rate establishments. The discoveryof a strange video recording points him toa place where he’ll find a treasure ofimmense value. The mysterious place innorthern Bohemia, however, awakensavarice far and wide, and it's apparentlygot a plan for all those who turn up…

SCREENING3H2 Sun 5 July 13:00 Husovka Theatre553 Tue 7 July 15:30 Cinema B7H2 Thu 9 July 13:00 usovka Theatre

SCREENING2C2 Sat 4 July 12:30 Cas Cinema8C3 Fri 10 July 15:30 Cas Cinema

SCREENING3C6 Sun 5 July 23:59 Cas Cinema726 Thu 9 July 23:59 Small Hall

SCREENING3H4 Sun 5 July 19:00 Husovka Theatre653 Wed 8 July 15:30 Cinema B952 Sat 11 July 12:30 Cinema B

Nipomo oV

MIDNIGHT SCREENING

The Greedy Tiffany Nenasytná Tiffany

1616

Photographer Fotograf

Director: Irena PavláskováCzech Republic | 2015 | 133 min

Scenes from the unruly life of a popular artist-turned-celebrity,based on the fortunes of photographer Jan Saudek (b. 1935), whowas also involved in creating the screenplay. This acerbic comedyfocuses on the maestro’s relationships with women, particularlythe initially submissive Líba (in real life his former partner Sára).

CCZECH FILMS 2014 – 2015

Places Místa

Director: Radim ŠpačekCzech Republic, Slovakia | 2014 | 108 min

After his triumph with the Normalisation-era drama Walking TooFast, director Radim Špaček turns his attention to the 1990s.Casting fresh young actors in an industrial setting in NorthBohemia, he shot a film about two boys whose hometown isbeginning to make them feel claustrophobic.

Little from the Fish Shop Malá z rybárny

Director: Jan BalejCzech Republic, Slovakia, France | 2015 | 72 min

Everyone’s familiar with Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”, thestory of a love capable of forgiving even the greatest betrayal. InBalej’s film – a work filled with wonderful animation, expressivepuppet designs and an imaginative, shifting score from Frenchcomposer Chapelier Fou – the fairy-tale romance is replacedwith a bleak portrayal of life in a city harbour, yet its enduringmessage remains. One of the first Czech feature-length puppetfilms to use both stop motion and CGI.

US 2 MY 2

Director: Slobodanka RadunCzech Republic | 2014 | 99 min

A love story about a surprise romance between a deceived wifeand her gay hairstylist. The debut by Slobodanka Radun unfoldsin contemporary Prague which, thanks to the film’s clear artisticvision, makes the impression of a modern and volatile metropolis.

SCREENING2L5 Sat 4 July 19:30 Lazne III5R4 Tue 7 July 19:00 Richmond954 Sat 11 July 18:30 Cinema B

SCREENING2R3 Sat 4 July 16:30 Richmond5L6 Tue 7 July 22:30 Lazne III8H5 Fri 10 July 22:00 Husovka Theatre

SCREENING3N3 Sun 5 July 16:00 Narodni dum5H3 Tue 7 July 16:00 Husovka Theatre7R1 Thu 9 July 10:30 Richmond

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17

Director: Pavel GöblCzech Republic | 2014 | 72 min

A black-and-white flick set in North Bohemia where three ex-prisoners are determined to get even with a local pub owner whowrecked their lives some years back. This Eastern comedy bydirector Pavel Göbl brings Vratislav Brabenec to the big screen,saxophonist of the rock band The Plastic People of the Universe,supported by Jiří Lábus in the role of the former secret police agent.

CCZECH FILMS 2014 – 2015

Three Brothers Tři bratři

Director: Jan SvěrákCzech Republic, Denmark | 2014 | 90 min

Three brothers set out into the wide world to gather experience,and along the way, they get caught up in the familiar settings ofcelebrated fairy tales, where they have to deal with variouspitfalls and unexpected situations, but they might also find love...A major part in this epic film fairy tale is played by the catchysongs created by popular duo Zdeněk Svěrák and Jaroslav Uhlíř.

Schmitke Director: Štěpán AltrichterCzech Republic, Germany | 2014 | 94 min

This graduate film by Štěpán Altrichter is a visually enchantingcomedy mystery set in the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory), which forma natural border between Germany and the Czech Republic. A level-headed engineer played by familiar German actor Peter Kurtharrives to repair a creaking old wind turbine. Out there in the mistywoods he also goes in search of something else deep inside him.

SCREENING154 Fri 3 July 18:30 Cinema B4N3 Mon 6 July 16:00 Narodni dum8R2 Fri 10 July 13:30 Richmond

SCREENING2L4 Sat 4 July 16:30 Lazne III5R3 Tue 7 July 16:30 Richmond951 Sat 11 July 10:00 Cinema B

SCREENING335 Sun 5 July 19:00 Congress Hall6H3 Wed 8 July 16:00 Husovka Theatre8R3 Fri 10 July 16:30 Richmond

Awards• 10 nominations and three Czech Film and Television

Academy Awards (Czech Lions) for Best Costume Design,Best Makeup and Best Stage Design

• Audience Award at Finále Plzeň 2015• Top cinema attendance in 2014 – 661 378 admissions

Sunrise Supervising Odborný dohled nad východem Slunce

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May Fairy Tale Pohádka máje

Director: Karel AntonCzechoslovakia | 1926 | 115 min

A lyrical tale of the pure, vernal romance between a diffident,somewhat naïve girl from a rural backwater and a fairlydissolute, but kind-hearted law student from Prague.

SCREENING4D3 Mon 6 July 13:00 Karlovy Vary Theatre

18

OOUT OF THE PAST

Film Spa Filmová lázeň

Director: Miroslav JanekCzech Republic | 2015 | 79 min

The history of the Karlovy Vary IFF, from its founding in 1946 andthe first non-competitive years to its 50th edition. In addition toample archive materials, director Miroslav Janek makes use ofinterviews with those who attended (through good times and bad)the largest film event in Eastern Europe.

SCREENING4N2 Mon 6 July 13:00 Narodni dum754 Thu 9 July 18:30 Cinema B8H3 Fri 10 July 16:00 Husovka Theatre

Shop on the High Street Obchod na korze

Director: Ján Kadár, Elmar KlosCzechoslovakia | 1965 | 125 min

This intimate Oscar-winning drama, shot 50 years ago, is set duringWWII when Jews were persecuted by the Slovak state. Through themain character, the film gains the currency of a timeless statementon the tragic consequences of moral compromise.

SCREENING3D2 Sun 5 July 12:00 Karlovy Vary Theatre722 Thu 9 July 12:30 Small Hall

The History of the KVIFF in 70 Minutes

(interview withMiroslav Janek)

How did you tackle such a long history? Did you concentrate onsome periods more than others? Based on my own curiosity, I worked on the assumption thata viewer is more interested in things they don’t know. Historyalways seems to be more fascinating than the present. Perhapsthe present will be fascinating in the future. We are also talkingabout a 70-year history, and our film is 70 minutes long, so eachperiod appears in it relatively briefly, and just its most characteristicfeatures, not in depth.

Did anything you found out during your research surprise you?Not many things surprised me, as I suspected or knew a lot already.But still, for example, the fact that the films of the CzechoslovakNew Wave have practically never been shown at KVIFF. Or thatthanks to A. M. Brousil, many films from Latin America, Asia andthe Indian subcontinent have been shown at the festival. Only muchlater did this become standard at all major international film festivals.

In making Film Spa you cooperated a lot with Eva Zaoralová, who was the programme director of the festival for many years. Howdid it go?Luckily, Eva had the task of writing a book with more or less thesame subject as our film. That’s why we joined forces anddecided to be a kind of resource for each other. Together wepicked which people from the past, film theorists and historianswe wanted to address. Eva then interviewed them and I assistedwith my camera, gaining the material for the film. In return, weprovided Eva with the transcripts of all the interviews for her book.

19

O

Invention for Destruction Vynález zkázy

Director: Karel ZemanCzechoslovakia | 1958 | 84 min

Poetic adaptation of Verne’s novel Facing the Flag, masterpieceof Czech cinema and winner of prestigious international awards,selected for the digital restoration programme.

SCREENING816 Fri 10 July 20:00 Grand Hall

OUT OF THE PAST SSPECIAL EVENTS

Coach to Vienna Kočár do Vídně

Director: Karel KachyňaCzechoslovakia | 1966 | 76 min

In its day, this drama of revenge sought by a countrywomanagainst two soldiers of the Wehrmacht was a radical negation ofhow the war had usually been viewed.

SCREENING7D5 Thu 9 July 16:00 Karlovy Vary Theatre

How About a Plate of Spinach? Což takhle dát si špenát

Director: Václav VorlíčekCzechoslovakia | 1977 | 86 min

A cult Czech sci-fi comedy about two former thieves who help anassistant professor at a research institute copy a sensationalinvention – a regeneration apparatus.

Famous Czech actress Iva Janžurová to receive the Karlovy Vary IFF President’s Award.

Iva Janžurová has been always considered a great comic actressabove all, but the wide range of her talent is also evident in herseveral dramatic roles. The festival will show both faces of theactress: the serious one in Coach to Vienna and the comic one inHow About a Plate of Spinach?

Film Adventurer Karel Zeman Filmový dobrodruh Karel Zeman

Director: Tomáš HodanCzech Republic, Canada | 2015 | 101 min

A delightful documentary on the life and work of an exceptionalfilmmaker that regales us with interesting facts and skilfullyconveys Zeman’s passion for the world of special effects andanimation. This resourceful film shows us how his enchantingideas came to life, and how imagination thrives in conjunctionwith tireless application.

SCREENING654 Wed 8 July 18:30 Cinema B832 Fri 10 July 10:30 Congress Hall

Karel Zemanis one of the few Czech directors to be universally recognizedin the world of cinema. Zeman, sometimes called a truesuccessor to Georges Méliès and a wizard of the big screen,created, in the poorly equipped film studios in Zlín, theworld-famous films Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955)and The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1959). He thencontinued to develop his highly successful use of specialeffects in The Fabulous Baron Munchausen and the two JulesVerne adaptations that followed.

SCREENINGThu 9 July 23:00 Open Air Cinema

2020

PPITCH & FEEDBACK

Tuesday, 7 July 2015, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Barrandov Studios VillaThe aim of Pitch & Feedback since itsfirst edition in 2012 has been toestablish an effective platform forselected Czech and Slovak filmprojects with a potential forinternational co-production. These seven projects, selected each year bythe Czech Film Center and Slovak FilmInstitute in co-operation with MidpointScript Center, are given an extraordinaryopportunity of assessment frommultiple film-industry angles. During the presentation event, theproducers, directors and scriptwriters,

in a seven-minute pitch, introduce theirprojects to five importantrepresentatives and decision makersfrom various areas of the internationalfilm industry and directly receive theirvaluable feedback and advice. After the public part, the feedbackcontinues in the afternoon behindclosed doors. The presentingfilmmakers get a chance to go deeperinto the comments of the experts anddiscuss the strong and weak points oftheir projects in a more informalatmosphere.

Pitch & Feedback expertsBesides Kristina Trapp, currently the CEO of EAVE, who has workedin the film industry in Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourgsince 1999, the Big Five of this year’s experts will consist of KatrielSchory, the Director of the Israel Film Fund, facilitating theproduction of Israeli feature films and supporting their marketingand distribution; Christoph Thoke, a very active producer andfounder of Mogador Film; Tassilo Hallbauer, sales executive at BETACinema; and Angeliki Vergou, the Coordinator of Crossroads Co-production Forum and Agora Works in Progress.

“Pitch & Feedback is a greatplatform that works in twoways. It allows the selectedprojects to get professionalfeedback from internationalindustry representatives andto do intense networking. At the same time, the expertsfrom markets, sales, trainingand financing can getacquainted with up-and-coming producers and freshprojects from the CzechRepublic and Slovakia,” says

Kristina Trapp from EAVE, one of the

experts for 2015.

21

PPITCH & FEEDBACK

IL BOEMO Czech RepublicDirector: Petr VáclavScriptwriter: Petr VáclavProducer: Jan Macola – Mimesis Film

Il Boemo is the story of Josef Mysliveček, who rejected his comfortable bourgeois destiny as theeldest son of a Prague master miller to pursue his dream of becoming a composer in Italy. It is a taleof ambition, identity and love. While Josef has no qualms about exploiting the passions his musicarouses in women to advance his career, he finds the one woman he truly loves is beyond his grasp. In the late 18th century, Il Boemo, as he came to be known, was one of the most popular and prolificcomposers of Italian opera seria. He was also the friend and mentor of young Mozart.

A Composer witha Greater Chanceof Failure thanSuccess

(interview with Petr Václav and Jan Macola)

What does this project mean for you as a producer?Jan Macola: The project Il Boemo played a crucial role in mydecision to become a producer. When I read the story of the filmfor the first time, I was still working at Barrandov Studios. Thetext absolutely fascinated me. It was so exceptional both in itssubject and the quality of its treatment that I immediatelyarranged to produce the film.

What was so special for you about the project? What is its main subject?Jan Macola: Mysliveček’s life speaks to us because it is thestory of an immigrant who leaves his obscure provincialbirthplace to seek his fortune in what at the time was the mostfashionable country in his field. If the change of climate is highlystimulating, the immigrant’s survival is by no means assured.The land in which he arrives with neither friends nor protectorsis already bursting with talented rivals and controlled by peoplein established positions. Our protagonist has a greater chanceof failure than success. Mysliveček’s fate tells how a career canbe made. And how, like love, it can just as easily be lost… ”

What did you base your vision of Mysliveček on, when so little isknown about him?Petr Václav: My vision of Mysliveček is drawn from the threeworks about him that have been published in the last 30 years,as well as from interviews with two of the authors. If he is famedin the Czech Republic for having “conquered Italy” and being“the friend of Mozart”, the name of Josef Mysliveček is familiarin Italy and the opera world to only a few specialists and hardlyknown at all anywhere else. He would probably have been forgottenentirely if he was not mentioned with admiration by Mozart in his

letters. It is in this correspondence that the only physicaldescription of him may be found. Otherwise, all that remains ofMysliveček are a few of his letters, some legal documents,critics’ notices and public announcements. And his music.

How extensive was the research required to reconstructMysliveček’s life?Petr Václav: The grey areas of Mysliveček’s life are moreextensive than what we know. To be able to imagine the world ofideas and mores that surrounded my character, to grasp hislifestyle, his work, his professional relations, his way of dealingwith impresarios and people likely to commission works fromhim, I had to study the life of Mozart, of Salieri, and of theItalian composers of the time. I also had the great pleasure ofplunging into Casanova’s The Story of My Life, a precioussource of information about the libertine spirit of the time.

What inspired you most during your research?Petr Václav: Texts describing the ascension of young men ofmodest origins, as well as accounts of the Grand Tour (de Sade,Brosses, Barthélémy etc.). To go behind the curtains of theopera world in Naples of the period, I studied the essentialManaging Opera and interviewed its author, Melanie Traversier.To better comprehend their atmospheres, colours, and climates, I visited the cities where Mysliveček lived and worked, and I tookthe same roads as the composer as he journeyed through theItalian landscape.While I have been faithful to biographical facts and to the spiritof the 18th century, the story that follows nevertheless remains –and could never be other than – a freely interpreted portrait of ahistorical figure who has since become fictional.

2222

PPITCH & FEEDBACK

SNOWING! Sněží!Czech RepublicDirector: Kristina NedvědováScriptwriter: Kristina NedvědováProducer: Jitka Kotrlová – Frame Films

Tereza is coming back home for her father’s birthday party,where he announces his plans to marry for the second time.After the divorce with Tereza’s father, her mother decided totake care of Tereza’s old and deranged grandmother. Tereza istroubled by the whole situation and decides to stay, hoping thather presence will give the family a new sense of order andmotivate her relatives to rebuild the broken family bonds.

Searchingfor roots

(interview with Kristina Nedvědová)

What is the main theme of Snowing!?The main idea of the story is a family as a very specific systemwith a specific order. The most important element is to showthat death is also present among our loved ones, and it’s nouse fighting it. Through the character of the grandma, we wantto demonstrate our respect towards all the grandmothers andgrandfathers around us, even if they are already heading to theother side. It is a film about dreaming, about nature and ourbelonging to it.

You’ve already participated in the Midpoint workshop with thisproject. What is the benefit of the events like that, includingPitch & Feedback?First of all, you hear everything you don’t want to hear. Forexample that the story doesn’t work, that you aren’t preciseenough. But at the same time you come to understand that thestory is universal (thanks to the international instructors) andyou can work on it. For us it’s also very important that we grewcloser as a team. The producer started to understand the griefof the scriptwriter, and I got to appreciate the persistence of theproducer. We met many new friends whose support motivatedus in our further work.

How far along are you with the project? We have dedicated more than two years to our protagonists.Now we are trying to get the financing ready and prepare for theproduction. We already have a film crew, we get a lot of supportfrom them, and that is important. The changes in the script willdepend on the production circumstances.

Czech RepublicDirector: Ondřej ProvazníkScriptwriter: Ondřej ProvazníkProducer: Jakub Mahler, Tomáš Michálek –MasterFilm

After 20 years abroad, Hana returns to a half-flooded village insouthern Bohemia where she grew up. Years ago, when thegovernment revealed its plans to build a power station here,she fought for the survival of the village community. She lostthe battle, and betrayed by all, she left for abroad. Now, shehas to decide again whether to forgive what remains of herfamily and friends and stay – or whether to leave for good.

Stay andfight, orleave? (interview with

Ondřej Provazník)

What attracted you most about the Jiří Hájíček book thescript is based on?The main character of Hájíček’s novel, Hana Tomášková,seems to me to be an embodiment of an old Czech dilemma:stay and fight all the bad circumstances and catastrophes –or leave the country? At the end of the 80s Hana is a strong,stubborn young girl who decides to fight the construction of anuclear power station that would destroy her home village.And then she’s a self-confident woman in her 40s strugglingwith a mid-life crisis while returning to the country shedecided to leave long ago. Now, she has to reconsider if thatdecision was right. The two timelines – the present and theend of the 80s – collide in a remarkable way. Her patriotismand subsequent contempt – sentiment and love for hercountry turns into a disgust for its character and situation,while the effor t to become a useful member of its society isreplaced by a resignation, a desperate need to escape,emigrate. And all this is illustrated through very specific,believable situations, which the young girl – later a maturehomecoming woman – gets herself into.

How far along are you with the project?The project is in its early stages; now we are mostly workingon script development. We’ve been seeking out shootinglocations as well as a narrative style. We have star ted talkswith potential co-producers and will star t casting the mainroles soon.

FISH BLOOD Rybí krev

23

PPITCH & FEEDBACK

How are the projects from the previous editionsof Pitch & Feedback faring?Family Film directed by Olmo Omerzu, will be released laterin 2015. After its pitch at Karlovy Vary 2012, the projectparticipated in Torino Film Lab and ended up as a large co-production between the Czech Republic, France, Slovenia,Slovakia and Germany. The shooting took place last autumnin Thailand. Slovak-Czech co-production Wilson City, directedby Tomáš Mašín, was premiered at this year’s Marché dufilm at Cannes and will reach Czech cinemas in October.Little Crusader – a Czech-Slovak project by director Václav

Kadrnka – won the Eurimages Award at the New CinemaNetwork co-production forum in Rome in 2013. Recently, theproject has received substantial support from the CzechRepublic State Cinematography Fund. The co-productionproject Out, directed by György Kristóf, was selected for the2015 Cinéfondation L’Atelier at Cannes. Cook, F**k, Kill,another Slovak-Czech project, written and directed by MiraFornay, has a new co-producer – French company SlotMachine.

ZÁTOPEKCzech Republic, FinlandDirector: David OndříčekScriptwriter: David Ondříček, Jan P. MuchowProducer: David Ondříček, Kryštof Mucha –Lucky Man Films

The story of an exceptional athlete, and his journey fromordinary child to great triumph and worldwide fame. It is astory that is at once thrilling and easy to understand, both forviewers who are very familiar with Zátopek and those who havenever heard of him. Even today, Emil Zátopek remains a cultfigure for athletes around the world.

Zátopek: An athlete who became a legend (interview

with DavidOndříček)

Why did you decide to make a film about Emil Zátopek?The life story of Emil Zátopek is an enormous challenge for me.Zátopek is the story of an outsider, a kid with a squeaky voice,often mistaken for a girl, described by his own mother as aweakling, and essentially lacking in athletic talent. At the sametime, it’s the story of a man with an enormous will and yearningto win, a dogged and indomitable athlete who became a legend.For me, Zátopek is an immensely interesting and colourfulcharacter. A loner, a contemplative runner who overcomesunbelievable distances every day, and at the same time a happychatterbox who longs for admiration. An athlete with a greatdesire to defeat his rivals and then affectionately present themwith his own gold medal.

How far along are you with the project?Over the last year we went from the storyline, to an extendedoutline story, to the first version of the screenplay. The script

editor’s comments made for a better structure of the story as awhole, and the version we have at present is the third. At themoment we’re looking for suitable locations. With that firstround of “reconnaissance surveys” behind us, we’re planning todo more extensive location scouting this summer in Finland. Weplan to begin shooting at the start of 2016.

Do you already know who will play the lead role?For the lead role I have chosen one of the most talented Czechactors, Václav Neužil. I have been following him for longer thanthe idea of the Zátopek film has been around, and I’ve had theopportunity to work with him both onstage and onscreen. Václavand Zátopek share a similar character. He has tremendouswillpower as well as a sense of humour and an ease about him.He sees the role of a lifetime in Zátopek, and I, on the otherhand, feel that the requirements of the role won’t be ahindrance for him. Václav has been training weekly since lastyear under the supervision of a professional athletic trainerrecommended by the Czech Olympic Committee. So we’re ableto constantly monitor the changes to his physique and theimprovements, not only to his running style, which is a must forthe character’s authenticity, but also in terms of stamina andthe overall physical condition he is going to need for the shoot.

Actress Martha Issová, who has been cast in the role of Emil’swife, Dana, has also started training with the javelin, and is doing so with the same coach who previously trained Olympicchampion Barbora Špotáková.

Three Slovak projects will also be presented:

The DiscipleDir. Ivan OstrochovskýPunkchart films

By a Sharp KnifeDir. Theodor KuhnMadness Productions

SchengenstoryDir. Peter BebjakWandal Production

2424

WWORKS IN PROGRESS

CZECH PROJECTS

Every year, producers and filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey and the countriesof the former Soviet Union present their latest feature productions at KVIFF’s Works in Progress. This one-daypresentation, intended for international sales agents, distributors, co-producers, and festival programmers,offers a selection of 15 quality feature films whose premieres are expected after July 2015. The films arerecently completed or in postproduction, and lack an international sales agent.

Monday 6 July, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m., Congress Hall, Hotel Thermal

Wolf of Royal Vineyard Street Vlk z Královských Vinohrad

Czech Republic, France, SlovakiaDirector: Jan NěmecRelease date: May 2016

The story of J.J., a filmmaker alwaysgoing beyond the bounds of goodbehaviour. In the fateful year of 1968, theCzechs had three films in Cannes’s maincompetition, and one of them was aboutto seize the Palme d’Or. But a would-berevolution of the French filmmakersruined the Czech party, ending that year’sfestival. That meant going back home, justin time for J.J. to see his homelandinvaded by the Soviet armies. Forcedexile, having lost both his success andfame, waiting for his return to both homeand film. Instead of Champs Elysées, hewalks the avenues of Vinohrady, leavesthe city limits and marches all the way toabsolute freedom.

Mars

Czech RepublicDirector: Benjamin TučekRelease date: Summer 2016

The space programme is out of moneyand the Great Martian Dust Storm iscoming. To save the first and only Martianbase, the commander accepts an offer bya rich man who would like to pay for themission in exchange for being the firstspace tourist on Mars. Because thecommander doesn’t find crew support forhis risky plan at NASA, he calls hiscolleague from the ESA, whorecommends astronauts from EastEuropean countries. For various reasons,hiring astronauts from these regions ismost cost-effective. Trained as astronautsbut having never flown on a spacemission, this is the opportunity they havealways dreamed of.

Eva Nová

Slovakia, Czech RepublicDirector: Marko ŠkopRelease date: November 2015

Eva would do anything to regain the loveof the one she hurt the most, her son.Now she is a recovered alcoholic, butdecades ago she was a famous actress.

25

DDOCU TALENTS FROM THE EAST

KVIFF TALKS: BECOME A VACHKOPHILE!�

Docu Talents from the East 2015, organized by the Jihlava IDFF in cooperation with the Karlovy Vary IFF,present the most remarkable creative documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe in theproduction or post-production stage. Directors and producers of 12 selected feature-length documentarieswill introduce their projects planned for theatrical distribution from August 2015 to July 2016 in eight-minutepresentations.

Tuesday, 7 July 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Barrandov Studios Villa

The Dangerous World of Rajko DolečekNebezpečný svět Rajka DolečkaCzech Republic

Director: Kristýna BartošováProducer: Kristýna Hněvsová, DagmarSedláčková – MasterFilmRelease date: October 2015

A young director sets out to visit an oldprofessor and asks him for recipes for thebody and the soul. What advice can a girlwith a family in Bosnia receive from aSerbian nationalist and a close friend ofRatko Mladič? A dialogue aboutovercoming one’s own prejudices andideologies that seek reconciliation.

Rino Czech Republic

Director: Jakub WagnerProducer: Richard Malatinský – ScreenfabricRelease date: January 2016

The documentary Rino aims to provide adetailed look inside the mind and life of KarelKöcher, the most successful Czechoslovakspy of the Cold War, who infiltrated theCIA in the 1970s, passing classifiedinformation on to his own country’s secretservices and the KGB. Karel, now 80,speaks about his actions, motivations, andlooks back on his life in general.

FC Roma TJ RomaCzech Republic

Directors: Tomáš Bojar, Rozálie KohoutováProducer: Pavla Janoušková Kubečková –nutprodukceRelease date: October 2015

Football is one of the most popular sportsin the world. Every football fan surelyknows about the UEFA campaign Say Noto Racism. However, not everywhere inthe world are players considered equal onthe football field. Take the of FC Roma inNorth Bohemia, a team composed mainlyof Romani players from the district.

8 July 2015, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Hotel Thermal, Cinema CSpeakers: Radim Procházka, Mikuláš Novotný, Karel Vachek

An hour-long presentation introducing Karel Vachek and his work using excerpts (withcommentaries) from his seven film novels ranging from the 1960s to this day. Especiallyfor those who do not know Mr Vachek, or are somewhat afraid of him, the presentationwill be accompanied by the simple language of Vachek’s producers. Have you heard some “myths about Vachek” and don’t have the time to retrospectivelyview all his long films? Do you fancy doing so quickly, succinctly and buoyed up by wine?This presentation is just the thing for you. And, yes, Mr Vachek will be present, too.Visitors will also be shown short excerpts of Vachek’s recently discovered footagedepicting the occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. These shocking clipswere thought to have been lost for fifty years and will be presented to the public for thevery first time.

Some adore his films, others curse them. Therest know all too little about them other than thatthey are controversial and long. Vachek is theCzech Godard. But “Socialism” isn’t enough forhim; his new film will be titled “Communism”.The most influential contemporary is one the lastof the remaining creative Mohicans of theCzechoslovak New Wave.

Karel Vachek

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CCREATIVE EUROPE

Even Mice Belong in HeavenA film about two mortal enemies – a littlemouse and a fox, who after an unfortunateaccident meet in animal heaven. They losetheir natural instincts and become bestfriends.Their wish to stay together after theyreturn to earth comes true, but they arereborn into opposite roles. Thanks to thepower of friendship they can evenovercome what seems to be impossible.

Arnie and His BuddiesArnie and His Buddies is an animated filmbased on the characters and illustrationsfrom the book How to Build a Car. Thisengaging adventure tells the story of howArnie the Rat and his animal friends, Billthe Sparrow and Mr Grouch, aka Christianthe Frog, build themselves a car and clashin a fierce battle with the mob of a harbourcity called Rat York.

Lída Baarová – Doomed BeautyHelena Třeštíková presents the story ofLída Baarová, one of the mostcontroversial women of the film industry.Her dramatic fate was significantly shapedby the fact that she lived in Europe in the20th century.

The Black Light TheatreThe Black Light Theatre of Jiří Srnec wasfounded in the late 50s. Now Mr Srnec ispreparing his new production Parabolas,inspired by aphorisms of Franz Kafka. Thefilm aims to present a concept thatentered into the history of theatre morethan 50 years ago and continues tofascinate.

Radio 1The first private radio station in formerCzechoslovakia, Radio 1, used to bridgethe gap between communism anddemocracy in the early 90s for thegeneration of today’s 40-somethings. Radio1 sensitized their ears to new musicaltrends from around the world and created aplatform for emerging domestic bands.

ConfidentialConfidential is a story of those for whomthe Cold War never ended, a story aboutthe life after life of former double agentFrantišek V. He was among theCzechoslovak military intelligence agentstrained in Moscow. The fate of this spy,however, would reverse in August ’68,when Warsaw Pact troops invadedCzechoslovakia.

The Garden StoreThe Garden Store is an autobiographicalfamily saga. On the backdrop of significanthistorical events of the 20th century, aprivate history of several strong male andfemale characters takes place.

Wait in SilenceWait in Silence is a film about Eva Olmerová,believed by many critics to be one of themost talented Eastern European jazz singersof all time. Like the music she sang, full ofdissonances and abrupt changes of rhythmand melody, her life was a constant flux ofemotions, events, unresolved desires andpersonal tragedies.

Old TimersAfter 40 years in exile, a formerCzechoslovak war hero and politicalprisoner returns to the country of his birth.It gradually becomes apparent that thedisabled 80-year-old has come back withone aim in mind: to shoot dead a prominentcommunist state prosecutor whose crimesduring the 1950s have gone unpunished.The film is inspired by a true story.

King of Sumava This animated documentary, adapted from abest-selling book, tells the remarkable storyof Josef Hasil, an ordinary man who becamea legend. This is a never-before-told tale ofadventure and espionage, of heroism andmoral choices, that explores the struggle ofone man against an authoritarian regime andthe sacrifices he had to make.

The Goddess An ambitious event TV miniseries in thestyle of the Millenium trilogy that examinesthe dark secrets of the past from WWII tothe 1990s in an epic story of magic,revenge and the enduring female spirit.This is an adaptation of the best-sellingCzech novel Žítkovské bohyně (Goddessesof Žítková) by Kateřina Tučková, which isnow being translated and published inGermany, Poland and across Europe.

The Great Adventures of Rosa and DoraSeven-year-old twins Rosa and Dora, withthe help of their amazing Grandma, haveto repeatedly save the world from theexploits of their troublemaking dog Laiko.During the course of their adventures, theytravel around the world and discover allkinds of interesting things.

The European Union programme for the support of cinema and the cultureand creative sectors for the 2014–2020 period. The programme consists oftwo sub-programmes – MEDIA and Culture.

DEVELOPMENT scheme under the MEDIA sub-programme Call Company Project Category EUR

EAC/S30/2013 FRESH FILMS Even Mice Belong in Heaven Animation 60 000

EAC/S30/2013 MIRACLE FILM Arnie and His Buddies Animation 60 000

EAC/S30/2013 PRODUKCE TRESTIKOVA Lída Baarová - Doomed Beauty Documentary 25 000

EAC/S30/2013 DURACFILM The Black Light Theatre Documentary 25 000

EAC/S30/2013 GOLDEN DAWN Radio 1 Documentary 25 000

EAC/S30/2013 SIRENA FILM Confidential Documentary 25 000

EAC/S30/2013 FOG ‘N’ DESIRE FILMS The Garden Store (orig. Family Friend) Fiction 50 000

EAC/S30/2013 NUTPRODUKCE Wait in Silence Fiction 50 000

EAC/S30/2013 ENDORFILM Old Timers Fiction 50 000

EAC/S30/2013 BIONAUT – Slate of projects King of Sumava, The Goddess, The Great Adventures of Rosa and Dora Fiction 115 203

Total 10 12 485 203

Never turntheCZECH

FILMCORNER

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CZECH FILM CENTERNárodní 28110 00 Praha 1info@filmcenter.czwww.filmcenter.cz