III. Grants» MEDIA»

The MEDIA programme is a European Union support programme. Its goal is to support the European audiovisual industry. In 2007 the MEDIA programme entered a new stage (for 2007 – 2013) entitled MEDIA 2007 with a budget of EUR 755 million. In 2008 a new support activity was created – the MEDIA International programme that supports cooperation of MEDIA member states with third countries. The MEDIA Mundus programme that is to take place in 2011 – 2013 will follow up this programme. In 2009 the European parliament approved a budget for MEDIA Mundus in the amount of EUR 15 million.

The Czech Republic joined the MEDIA programme in 2002. The programme’s national representation, the Czech Republic’s Media Desk office, was opened in 2003. The office is operated by the Czech Film Chamber (Česká filmová komora, o. p. s.) with financial support from the Czech Ministry of Culture and the European Commission. The MEDIA Desk’s purpose is to provide information on the MEDIA programme and consultation for applicants on support from its funds.

Most of the Czech projects such as festivals, distribution or educational projects are already supported by the MEDIA programme. Support is drawn proportionally to the possibilities of the Czech audiovisual market. The greatest successes of the MEDIA programme in the Czech Republic in 2009 include the fact that Helena Třeštíková's prepared film A Miracle after 20 Years (Zázrak po 20 letech) won at Cannes 2009 the MEDIA Talent Prize awarded each year to the best project requesting support in the MEDIA Development programme.

Czech projects submitted to the EU’s MEDIA programme in 2009 received EUR 1 245 234.

Support in the MEDIA Training programme increased 2.5 fold over the previous year. This is mainly due to the fact that two new activities were also supported – workshops in 3D animation ANOMALIA (47 344 EUR) organized by Bohemian Multimedia and the first Czech activity in the MEDIA Initial Training programme designed for schools, in which the MIDPOINT screenwriting programme organized by Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Slovak Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava received EUR 113 507. The Institute for Documentary Film again received support for the Ex Oriente Film project designed for documentary filmmakers from Central and Eastern European countries in the amount of EUR 101 873; while another traditional recipient of support is the TransISTor programme that received EUR 150 000.

Along with the financial support, another important facet of the MEDIA programme in the Czech Republic is the activities and initiatives that the programme supports – whether helping to provide better conditions for Czech professionals in participating on film markets, the possibility to take part in co-production projects or MEDIA Training programmes. All this facilitates the entrance of beginning professionals on the European market and their involvement in it.

Cinemas associated in the Europa Cinemas network, of which there are 22 in the Czech Republic, also benefit from support of the MEDIA programme.

1) MEDIA Development | (€)
Single Projects |
– Jana Ševčíková – Lean the Ladder on the Sky (Opři žebřík o nebe, documentary) | 24 236,–
2) MEDIA Distribution | (€)
Automatic Support |
– AEROFILMS s. r. o. – potential fund | 54 083,–
– Asociace českých filmových klubů – AČFK – potential fund | 7 171,–
– BONTONFILM a. s. – potential fund | 177 539,–
– FILM DISTRIBUTION ARTCAM, s. r. o. – potential fund | 42 615,–
– Magic Box, a. s. – potential fund | 38 549,–
– SPI International Czech republic s. r. o. – potential fund | 132 038,–
– 35 mm s. r. o. – potential fund | 60 715,–
Selective Support |
AEROFILMS s. r. o. |
– Nord (dir. Rune Denstad Langlo, 2008, Norway) | 8 000,–
– Un proph ète (dir. Jacques Audiard, 2009, France – Italy) | 10 000,–
ATLANTIS entertainment CZ, s.r.o. |
– Partir/Leaving, (dir. Catherine Corsini /ž/, 2009, France) | 15 000,–
– Vinyan (dir. Fabrice Du Welz, 2008, France – Belgium – Australia – Great Britain) | 10 000,–
– Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl (dir. Manoel de Oliveira, 2009, Portugal – France – Spain) | 8 000,–
Cinemart, a. s. |
– Lät den rätte komma in (dir. Tomas Alfredson, 2008, Sweden – Norway) | 3 600,–
FILM DISTRIBUTION ARTCAM, s. r. o. |
– Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (dir. Michael Haneke, 2009, Germany – Austria – France – Italy) | 9 000,–
35 mm s. r. o. |
– Le Concert (dir. Radu Mihăileanu, 2009, France – Italy – Romania – Belgium) | 4 000,–
– Ocean World 3D, (dir. Jean-Jacques Mantello, 2009, Great Britain) | 14 000,–
– Triage (dir. Denis Tanović, 2009, Ireland – Spain – Belgium – France) | 5 000,–
– Ricky (dir. François Ozon, 2009, France – Italy) | 4 500,–
3) MEDIA Festivals | (€)
Člověk v tísni, o. p. s. – One World 2010 – International Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rights | 45 014,–
4) MEDIA New Technologies, video-on-demand and digital cinema distribution | (€)
Doc-Air, o.s. – DocAlliance.com | 159 450,–
5) MEDIA Training | (€)
Initial Training |
– FAMU – MIDPOINT | 113 507,–
Continuous Training |
– Bohemian Multimedia – ANOMALIA | 47 344,–
– CIANT – TransISTor | 150 000,–
– Institut dokumentárního filmu – IDF – Ex Oriente Film | 101 873,–
Total EUR | 1 245 234,–