I. A Calendar»
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1. 12.
MEDIA Desk Czech Republic organized a presentation of the Audiovisual Fund of the Slovak Republic at which the operation of the fund, rules for allotting support and coproduction possibilities were presented to Czech professionals working in audiovisual areas. Guests included Professor Patrik Pašš, chairman of the Council of the Audiovisual Fund, Dr. Martin Šmatlák, director of the Audiovisual Fund and PhDr. Nataša Slavíková, general director of the Slovak Ministry of Culture’s division of media, audiovisual works and copyrights and member of the Council of the Audiovisual Fund.
1., 9., 21., 23. and 30. 12.
The National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt in Prague hosted a screening of select films in which Otomar Krejča (23. 11. 1921 – 6. 11. 2009), a Czech film and theatre actor and theatre director, played. The films included Raptors (Dravci, dir. Jiří Weiss, 1948), The Flood (Povodeň, dir. Martin Frič, 1958), August Sunday (Srpnová neděle, dir. Otakar Vávra, 1960), The Man from the First Century (Muž z prvního století, dir. Oldřich Lipský, 1961) and Between You and Me Who Are Thieves (Mezi námi zloději, dir. Vladimír Čech, 1963). The screening was called Otomar Krejča – The Barrandov years.
1. - 31. 12.
The Czech Centre in Moscow and Moscow’s Cinema Museum (Russia) organized a Festival of the Films of Czech director Karel Zeman (3. 11. 1910 – 5. 4. 1989). The programme featured the films The Treasure of Bird Island (Poklad ptačího ostrova, 1952), A Journey into the Primeval Times (Cesta do pravěku, 1955), An Invention for Destruction (Vynález zkázy, 1958), Baron Munchhausen (Baron Prášil, 1961), A Jester’s Tale (Bláznova kronika, 1964), The Stolen Airship (Ukradená vzducholoď, 1966), On the Comet (Na kometě, 1970), Krabat (Čarodějův učeň, 1977), The Tale of John and Mary (Pohádka o Honzíkovi a Mařence, 1980) and Karel Zeman to Children (Karel Zeman dětem, dir. Karel Zeman, 1980).
2. 12.
Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic along with the Information Office of the European Parliament launched a series of film screenings for the public free of charge. The screening was held every Wednesday evening at the European House in Prague. The first screening featured the German film Das Leben der Anderen (dir. Florian Hanckel von Donnersmarck, 2006), which was named the best European film for 2006. Other significant European films from the past years were screened including Le Silence de Lorna (dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, 2008, Belgium – France – Italy – Germany), nominated in 2008 for a Golden Palm at Cannes and awarded for best screenplay. Also screened was the film Gegen die Wand (2004, Germany) – a project by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, which won at the Berlin festival in 2004.
2. 12.
Prague’s Světozor cinema screened the premiere of the Czech feature film Protector (Protektor, dir. Marek Najbrt, 2009) in the highest possible quality, the digital version. This was made possible by the equipment that the cinema bought for its Large Screening Hall.
2., 4., 7. and 15. 12.
Fritz Lang – in the Sign of M was the name of a festival of films of the German film classic that was held in the National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt in Prague. The following German films were screened: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922), Metropolis (1926), Frau im Mond (1929) with live accompanying music by Georgi Bagdasarov and M (1931).
3. 12.
One hundred years have passed since, in the first permanent cinema in the current Czech Republic – Prague’s Lucerna cinema – there was held the first film presentation. Lucerna cinema was created as part of the Lucerna Palace constructed in 1907 – 1920 by a builder Vácslav Havel, the grandfather of Václav and Ivan Havel. This hall was originally counted on to be one of the National Theatre’s venues. As part of its celebrations of the hundredth anniversary of the cinema there was prepared by Lucerna-Barrandov together with the National Film Archive in Prague and the companies BONTONFILM, BIOSCOP and Negativ a screening of films mapping the individual decades of the past century at Lucerna cinema. The celebrations also featured an exhibition of film posters and photographs from films installed at the Lucerna Cafe up to 2009.
3. 12.
Filip Renč’s Czech film Guard No. 47 (Hlídač č. 47, 2008) came out on DVD. The film features Czech subtitles for the hearing-impaired and English subtitles. The DVD’s bonuses included the “film about the film”, trailers, news footage and a look at the Czech Lions Award ceremony. Filmmakers and actors received three Czech Lions – Jan Mattlach for editing, and Karel Roden and Vladimír Dlouhý for acting.
3. - 6. 12.
The 5th Festival of Asian Films – Filmasia 2009, which this time focussed on Japanese film, was held in Prague. Films of various genres were screened at the Prague cinemas Světozor and Aero. The selection of films also gave space to not only renowned names of Japanese film, such as Takashi Miike and Ryuichi Hiroki, but also presented filmmakers whose films offer Czech viewers a unique viewing or have not been shown before in the Czech Republic. The thematic backbone of festival was represented by a block of films that commemorated Japanese film at the turn of the millennium when it enjoyed the interest of international film festivals and distributors. The section of novelties featured two films from the Republic of Korea and even included the traditional horror night that this time consisted of two films – Thirst (Bakjwi/Thirst, dir. Chan-wook Park, 2009, Great Britain – USA) and Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (Kyúketsu Shódió tai Shódio Furanken, dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu, 2009, Japan).
3. - 6. 12.
The 14th Seminar of British Film 2009, organized by the Association of Czech Film Clubs, was held in Uherské Hradiště (Czech Republic). This year’s festival was devoted to films of the 1970s, emergences of punk and of the underground culture. The programme was divided into several parts: Film and punk of the 1970s, Profiles: Don Letts, Joe Strummer, Sex pistols – John Lydon and a Screening of British Films. Other programmes included The Czech Trace dedicated to Czechoslovak RAF aviators in England and the Wild Card focussing on the heritage of architect Jan Kaplický and his activities (not only) on the British islands. The seminar was attended by Czech director Olga Špátová who presented a clip from the prepared documentary film An Eye over Prague (Oko nad Prahou) on the architect Kaplický and his design of the building for the Czech Republic’s National Library. Along with producer Richard Němec she also spoke about the project Restored Films of Jan Špáta (2009). The seminar had several sidebars: exhibitions, concerts, a meeting of contemporaries, discussions with historians and film researchers.
4. 12.
The Liechtenstein Palace in Prague (Czech Republic) hosted a ceremony at which for the sixteenth time, the Government Board for People with Disabilities (VVZPO) awarded its prizes for journalism focusing on health disabilities, in the category of television, radio, print media and Internet. For several years now this tradition has been expanded to include awards for entrepreneurial activities benefiting people with health disabilities. In the category of television work first prize went to Silvie Kleková from CZECH TELEVISION – Ostrava studio for the documentary Lost in Themselves (Ztraceni v sobě, 2009) from the television series Our Czech Nature (Ta naše povaha česká). In the category of radio programmes first place went to Dagmar Misařová and Hana Kovalová for Swan Dream of the Soul (Labutí sen o duši), a Czech Radio – Ostrava programme. In the category of works published on the Internet the award went to the article Family from Benátky: Life with an Autistic Person Is Not a Bed of Roses (Rodina z Benátek: Život s autistou není peříčko) written by Jiří Macek and published at www.boleslavský.deník.cz. First prize in the category of written work published publicly went to Jana Makovcová for her book Mummy, Don’t Sing (Maminko, nezpívej). First place for companies that received award for business activities of entities employing individuals with health disabilities went to Finesko.
4., 7., 9., 14. and 16. 12.
Ponrepo, the screening hall of the National Film Archive at Bio Konvikt in Prague, hosted a screening of the films of French director Robert Bresson (25. 9. 1901 – 18. 12. 1999) entitled Bresson – Dreamless Nights. The following films were screened: L’Argent (1983, France), Un condamné à mort s’est échappé (1956, France), Mouchette (1966, France), Au hasard Balthazar (1966, France – Sweden) and Quatre nuits d’un rêveur (1971, France).
4. - 31. 12.
The Municipal House in Prague hosted the exhibition How Fairytales Dress II that was a continuation of the successful exhibition from 2008. The exhibition featured 200 costumes – original costumes of kings, princesses and princes and cottagers from the Barrandov studio fundus. The accompany programme also featured workshops in which children could create tailor-made costumes from paper, have their pictures taken before a stylised backdrop or dress in some of the prepared clothes. The exhibition was held under the auspice of the Czech First Lady Livie Klausová just as it was in 2008, and honoured guests included actress Alena Vránová and director Václav Vorlíček.
6. 12.
The Czechoslovak-German fairytale Three Nuts for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku/Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel, 1973) by Czech director Václav Vorlíček was screened in Berlin. A renewed premiere, complete with accompanying programme, was held at the Babylon cinema where the film had its premiere in the then East Germany 35 years ago. “Probably the most beautiful fairytale film of all time” the posters for the renewed premiere claimed. The film is regularly broadcast on TV in the Czech Republic and in Germany on Christmas Day or on St. Nicholas Day. After the Berlin screening the film was shown in other German towns as well.
7. - 10. 12.
Prague’s Atlas cinema held a screening commemorating the work of Alfred Hitchcock (13. 8. 1899 – 29. 4. 1980). The screening included famous films such as Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) and lesser known works such as Stage Fright (1950) with Marlene Dietrich in the leading role. The festival was held as a sidebar to the screening of the new Czech horror film by Miloš J. Kohout, Eye in the Wall (Oko ve zdi, 2009, CR – SR). Universal Pictures actually bought for Alfred Hitchcock the right to this story based on the story by Czech writer Iva Hercíková (2. 11. 1935 – 27. 1. 2007) many years ago, but the director passed away before he had a chance to shoot the film. Professional seminars where held during the festival.
8. 12.
The National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt in Prague presented American classics of the avant-garde years 1958 – 1971. Screened films included Robert Breer’s Eyewash (1959), George Landow’s Fleming Faloon (1963), Paul Sharits’ S: Tream: S: S: Ection: S: Ection: S: S: Sectioned (1971) and Henry Hills’ North Beach (1979).
8. 12. 2009 - 20. 2. 2010
A representative exhibition of the works of Czech artist, director and writer Jiří Trnka (24. 2. 1912 – 30. 12. 1969) was opened at the Galerie Smečky in Prague. The exhibition was name after his book The Garden (Zahrada). It contained over a hundred works and puppets borrowed from the gallery and from inheritors. Jiří Trnka was known for his book illustrations – he illustrated some sixty of them – and for his film work. He received over a hundred awards for his films at Czech and foreign festivals.
9. 12.
The Czech-German Fund of the Future financially supported, in addition to another 92 cultural projects, also the documentary project by Czech director Tomáš Kudrna with the working title Reconciliation Time, based on the testimonies of people from the Czech Republic, Poland and the Ukraine who were forcefully brought into Nazi Germany during World War II.
9. 12.
The ceremonial premiere of the Czech feature film Two Some (Dvojka, dir. Jaroslav Fuit, 2009) was held at Lucerna cinema in Prague.
9. 12.
Four student films were screened from two Czech film schools – FAMU (the Film and Television Academy of the Academy of Performance Arts) in Prague and FAMO (the Miroslav Ondříček Film Academy in Písek) as part of the iShorts Evening. The screening was held at the Prague’s Bio OKO cinema, where the two FAMU films Saharan Sands (Saharské písky, dir. Josef Tuka, 2009) and Expensive Father (Drahý otec, dir. Jan Těšitel, 2009) and two films from FAMO The Little Prague Mermaid (Malá pražská víla, r. Jan Chramosta, 2009) and CTRL EMOTION (r. Vojtěch Kotek, 2009) were shown. A discussion with the directors followed.
10. 12.
Prague’s Lucerna cinema hosted the ceremonial premiere of the Czech feature film You Can Not Escape Your Shadows (Stínu neutečeš, dir. Lenka Kny, 2009).
10. 12.
The company Sazka announced that in 2010 it would not financially support prizes awarded in the area of film (for best screenplay), theatre (for best creative work) and dance (for a break-through in dance).
10. - 13. 12.
The 8th Screening of Animated Films – PAF Olomouc 2009 was held. The screening focussed on new animation methods, installations, video art, etc. Projects were divided into many sections of which only one – Different Visions – was a competition section. The jury, consisting of Croatian Ivan Ladislav Galeta, Finn Mia Makela aku Solu and Austrian Martin Arnold, selected their favourites from the ten audio visual works that could be viewed during the festival in the attic gallery of UC UP Olomouc. Ivan Ladislav Galeta awarded Barbora Švarcová’s film Psycho-Analysis (Psycho-analýza, 2009), Mia Makela aku Solu presented the award to Jan Pfeiffer, director of Assumption (Předpoklad, 2009) and Martin Arnold chose Tomáš Svoboda’s Fly (2009). The winner of the Different Visions section was Daniel Pitín and his film The Lost Architect (Ztracený architekt, 2008) and the viewers’ choice award went to Matěj Smetana for his film Instructions 2: Trilobit (Návod 2: Trilobit, 2009).
10. - 16. 12.
The fourth FILMANIA was held in all Palace Cinemas multiplexes in Prague and in Brno (Czech Republic). One special-offer ticket of CZK 50 was good for all screened films that week. The normal programme was shown including all current premiere films.
11. 12.
Upon the occasion of the Major Czech Olympians exhibition held at the National Museum (3. 12. 2009 – 4. 4. 2010) in Prague and dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the Czech Olympics Committee, the National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt in Prague presented a unique collection of the oldest preserved documentary films in the Czech Republic on the early modern-era of the Olympic games: the French The 1908 Olympic Games in London (Pathé production, 1908), Olympiska spelen in Stockholm 1912 (dir. Gardar Sahlberg, 1962, Sweden) – the sound for this film was redone and reworked in 1962, The 1924 Olympic Games in Paris (Jacques-Robert production, 1924, France), Olympien Spiele zu Amsterdam 1928 (dir. Wilhelm Prager, 1928, Germany) and Olympiade in the USA (1932, USA). Also screened were the films 13 jours en France (dir. Claude Lelouche, François Reichenbach, 1968, France) and Vision of Eight (dir. Miloš Forman, Kon Ichikawa, Claude Lelouche, Jurii Ozerov, Arthur Penn, Michael Pfleghar, John Schlessinger, Mai Zetterling, 1973, USA), a film from the 20th Olympic Games in Munich, shot from the view of eight directors.
12. 12.
The Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA) awarded The 6th Competition of Television Programmes ELSA. Awarded in the category of current events and discussion programme was the programme In the Swimming Pool (Na plovárně, dir. Jan Hojtaš) broadcast by Czech Television 2 (ČT 2) since 1998. Victorious in the Magazine category was the programme Retro (a team headed by Michal Petrov), broadcast by ČT 1 and ČT 24 since 2008. Awarded by the ČFTA for foreign programmes in the category of foreign television dramatic (feature) programme were six films by renowned French director François Truffaut broadcast on ČT 2. In the category of foreign television programme (non-feature) the winner was the three-part German documentary series Communism: The History of an Illusion (dir. Christian Weisenborn, 2006), broadcast by ČT 2. The ČFTA award for original Czech work went in the category of entertainment programme to Everything Party (Všechnopárty, dir. Viktor Polesný), broadcast by ČT 1 since 2005. The programme The Golden Sixties (Zlatá šedesátá, dir. Martin Šulík, 2009) broadcast on ČT 2 won in the category of documentaries. In the category of animated programmes the winner was Europan Pexeso (Evropské pexeso, dir. Maria Procházková, 2008) broadcast by ČT 1. In the category of moderator, the highest award went to moderator Václav Moravec for Questions of Václav Moravec (Otázky Václava Moravce, dir. Marek Straka), broadcast by ČT 1 and ČT 24. In the category of original TV drama – programme the series Private Traps (Soukromé pasti, dir. Milan Cieslar, Dan Wlodarczyk, Lenka Wimmerová, Petr Slavík, Petr Zahrádka, Tereza Kopáčová, Martin Dolenský, 2008) broadcast by TV NOVA was awarded: in the category of original TV drama – director Peter Slavík for the film Daddy’s Girl (Tatínkova holčička, 2008) from the series Private Traps (Soukromé pasti). In the category of original TV drama – screenplay the Elsa award went to Josef Klíma for his screenplay for the programme The Conscience of Denisa Klánová (Svědomí Denisy Klánové, dir. Miloš Zábranský, 2009), broadcast by ČT 1. In the category of original TV drama – actress Eliška Balzerová was awarded for her role as Marcela in the film Risky Interview (Riskantní interview, dir. Dan Wlodarczyk, 2008) from the series Private Traps (Soukromé pasti). In the category of original TV drama – actor the Elsa went to Viktor Preiss for his role as the father in the programme Canadian Night (Kanadská noc, dir. Zdeněk Zelenka, 2008) broadcast on ČT 1.
15., 17. and 22. 12.
As part of the festival Hungarian Modernism 1963 – 1975 II held at the National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt in Prague the following Hungarian films were screened: Feldobott kö (dir. Sándor Sára, 1969), Sziget a szárazföldön (dir. Judit Elek, 1969) and Szerelem (dir. Károly Makk, 1970).
16. - 18. 12.
Students of the Eliška Krásnohorská secondary school in Prague organized for the sixth year the Student Film Festival entitled One World in Ohradní. The three-day festival commemorated twenty years since November 1989. Students amassed over 100 documentary films with human rights and environmental themes, though the programme also offered some commercial films. The festival’s sidebars included discussions with experts.
17. - 27. 12.
Istanbul (Turkey) hosted the Festival of Czechoslovak films of the 1960s and 1970s called Prague Spring. Films included That Cat... (Až přijde kocour, dir. Vojtěch Jasný, 1963), Lemonade Joe (Limonádový Joe aneb Koňská opera, dir. Oldřich Lipský, 1964), Loves of a Blonde (Lásky jedné plavovlásky, dir. Miloš Forman, 1965), Capricious Summer (Rozmarné léto (dir. Jiří Menzel, 1967), Firemen’s Ball (Hoří, má panenko/La Fiesta de bomberos, dir. Miloš Forman, 1967, Czechoslovakia – Italy), We Eat the Fruit of the Trees of Paradise (Ovoce stromů rajských jíme/Nous mangeons les fruits des arbres du paradis (dir. Věra Chytilová, 1969, Czechoslovakia – Belgium) and Morgiana (dir. Juraj Herz, 1972).
18. 12.
Props and costumes from the fundus of Barrandov Studio were transported to Turkey to the film project Signora Enrika. The action of the Turkish film that took place in the latter half of the 20th century in Italy required hundreds of pieces of furniture and costumes. Barrandov’s Fundus division was the only entity in Europe that could provide a sufficient selection of historically authentic furniture, rugs, pictures and other props to decorate interiors shot in Turkey.
18. 12.
Jiři Barta’s animated film In the Attic or Who Has a Birthday Today? (Na půdě aneb Kdo má dneska narozeniny?/Na povale alebo Kto má dneska narodeniny?, 2009, CR – SR – Japan) was presented in the cinemas of twenty-five French cities including Avignon, Bordeaux, Brest, Grenoble, Marseille, Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg. In Paris three cinemas also simultaneously screened it.
19. 12.
The Municipal theatre in Zlín (Czech Republic) held the premiere of the comedy The Boss of It All (Kdo je tady ředitel?). The play is the theatre adaptation of the film screenplay by Danish film director Lars von Trier. Von Trier shot the film Directøren for det hele (Denmark – Sweden – France – Italy – Iceland – Norway – Finland – Germany) in 2006.
21. 12.
Actor Kryštof Hádek became the Czech Shooting Star. European Film Production released a list of ten young European actors chosen as the Shooting Star 2010 and they were presented at the International Film Festival in Berlin on 13. – 15. 2. 2010. A Czech representative – Kryštof Hádek was once again among them after three years, whose latest film Three Seasons in Hell (3 sezóny v pekle, dir. Tomáš Mašín, 2009, CR – Germany – SR) in which he played the main role was presented to cinemas.
21. 12.
Prague’s Lucerna cinema hosted the ceremonial premiere of the Czech feature film Kawasaki’ Rose (Kawasakiho růže, 2009) by director Jan Hřebejk.
22. 12. 2009 - 7. 1. 2010
Circulos de Bellas Artes in Madrid (Spain) organized a Christmas cycle of films for children. The programme featured among others the Czech animated films A Woolly Tale (Vlněná pohádka, dir. Hermína Týrlová, 1964), Velvety (Sametka, dir. Zdeněk Miler, 1967), The Mole and the Bulldozer (Krtek a buldozer, dir. Zdeněk Miler, 1975), The Apple Maiden (Jabloňová panna, dir. Břetislav Pojar, 1973) and On a String (Na špagátě, dir. Jaroslav Zahradník, 1973).
27. 12. 2009 - 13. 1. 2010
Prague’s Světozor cinema screened American digitally restored films. Viewers had the chance to see the results of several years of work of American studies that digitalize in the highest resolution world classic films. Světozor screened the films It’s a Wonderful Life (dir. Frank Capra, 1946), Some Like It Hot (dir. Billy Wilder, 1959) and The Godfather (dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1972). The screening of digitalized films in this cinema was not possible without the DCI Sony CineAlta 4K SRX-R220 projector that was purchased in part thanks to the support of the State Fund of the Czech Republic for the Support and Development of Czech Film and of the Pro-DIGI civic association supporting digitization of the film industry in the Czech Republic.
29. 12.
CZECH TELEVISION broadcast the documentary Václav Havel, Prague – Castle (Václav Havel, Praha – Hrad, dir. Petr Jančárek, 2009). The film was created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first election of Václav Havel as president of the Czech Republic.
30. 12.
The staging of The Ear (Ucho) inspired by Karel Kachyňa’s eponymous film from the 1970s ended its run at Brno’s HaDivadlo theatre (Czech Republic). Film screenplay of Jan Procházka (4. 2. 1929 – 20. 2. 1971) was adapted for the stage by his daughter Lenka Procházková. The staging is part of the Transformations of the 20th Century series at HaDivadlo theatre.
31. 12. 2009 - 13. 1. 2010
Prague’s Lucerna cinema hosted an exhibition of film posters relating to films competing for this year’s Czech Lion awards. The plaque for best poster, awarded by the Czech Film and Television Academy, was also presented there. This took place during the nomination evening for the Czech Lion Awards on 6. 2. 2010.