I. A Calendar»
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1. - 4. 9.
The House of Culture in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) held the 2nd Festival of Non-Traditional Films (2. přehlídka netradičního filmu). The programme consisted of controversial themes such as nudity, eroticism and sexuality in media and art that the festival tried to include in a broader cultural-sociological context. The festival’s special guest was Czech writer Vladimír Páral, who took part in discussions and lectures, and a retrospective of films based on his literary works was screened as part of the programme. The programme also featured a panel discussion on the theme of On the Role of Pornography in Contemporary Society. The festival’s organizer was the civic association named Non-Traditional.
2. 9.
Actress Iva Janžurová and former president of the Czech Republic and playwright and film director Václav Havel (5. 10. 1936 – 18. 12. 2011) became honourable citizens of Prague 6. The award was presented by mayor Marie Kousalíková in the Terezian hall of the Břevnov monastery.
4. 9.
The world premiere of the Czech co-production animated film by Alois Nebel (dir. Tomáš Luňák, 2011, CR – Germany – SR) was held at the Venice International Film Festival (31. 8. – 10. 9.).
5. 9. - 1. 10.
An exhibition of film, theatre and television director Igor Chmela was opened in the Na zábradlí Theatre in Prague. The exhibition of his photographs from Prague entitled Whose City Is It? kicked off a cycle of photography exhibitions for the entire theatre season 2011/12.
6. 9.
The major Prague architect and builder Vácslav Havel (23. 3. 1861 – 6. 9. 1921), grandfather of former Czech president Václav Havel, was born one hundred and fifty years ago. Vácslav Havel’s fame is attached to the building of the Lucerna Palace in Prague (1907 – 1919), which is the location of the eponymous cinema. This was one of the first non-industrial reinforced concrete constructions in Europe and he built it in collaboration with the architect Stanislav Bechyně. Vácslav Havel also built blocks of flats inspired by the work of French architect August Perret. September marked the 90th anniversary of his death.
8. - 11. 9.
The 2nd Festival of Dance Films (2. festival tanečních filmů) was held in the Atlas and Světozor cinemas in Prague. The festival presented screenings of famous world choreographers such as Pina Bausch (27. 7. 1940 – 30. 6. 2009), Sasha Waltz, Lloyd Newson and Alain Platel. Feature-length films were complemented by blocks of short films. These included the 3D film Pina (dir. Wim Wenders, 2011, Germany – France – Great Britain) on the late German choreographer that opened the festival.
8. - 18. 9.
The International Film Festival was held in Toronto (Canada). The official programme included two Czech films – Tomáš Luňák’s Alois Nebel (2011, CR – Germany – SR) and Gypsy (Cigán, 2011, SR – CR) by director Martin Šulík, who took part in the festival with producer Rudolf Biermann. Czech producers had for the second year the chance to take part in the Producers Lab (7. – 10. 9.), organized by the European Film Production in collaboration with the Ontario Media Development Corporation and Toronto International Film Festival. The aim is to bring together producers from Europe and Canada looking for partners for their projects. Of Czech AXMAN PRODUCTION, spol. s r. o. Company representative Karla Stojáková took part in this event.
10. 9.
A visitors day was held at the Barrandov film studios on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its existence on 23. 11. This event also included the chance to visit the warehouse of furniture, props and costumes. This warehouse is also the largest rental enterprises of costumes and props in Central Europe. The warehouse (Barrandov Studio a. s. - Fundus) consists of 250,000 costumes and accessories, 20,000 pairs of shoes and 10,000 pieces of furniture and pictures. The warehouse received most of its items in the 1950s when historical films were the rage. Since the CR’s entry to the EU, the Barrandov warehouse has been part of the information system used by foreign filmmakers as well.
10. 9.
Director Alexandr Sokurov’s film Faust (2011, Russia) received a Golden Lion, the grand prix of the 68th Venice Film Festival (31. 8. – 10. 9.). Most of the film was shot in the Czech Republic, e.g. in Kutná Hora, Ledeč or Točník, with studio scenes being created in Barrandov Studio a. s. Included in the non-competition programme of the Venice Film Festival was the co-production Czech-German-Slovak film Alois Nebel (2011), an adaptation of the comics by Jaroslav Rudiš and Jaromír 99, shot by debuting director Tomáš Luňák.
13. 9. - 6. 10.
The National Gallery at the Old Town Hall in Prague organized an exhibition of oil paintings by Czech cinematographer Jaromír Šofr, who has worked on films such as Jiří Menzel’s Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky, 1966), awarded with an Oscar in 1966, Capricious Summer (Rozmarné léto, 1967), Skylarks on the String (Skřivánci na niti, 1969), My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková, 1985) and I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále, 2006, CR – SR).
14. 9.
Two Czech feature films were included in the 24th European Film Awards: Lidice (2011, CR – SR) by director Petr Nikolaev and Surviving Life (Přežít svůj život, dir. Jan Švankmajer, 2010, CR – SR). A total of forty-five films from 32 countries were selected by the European Film Academy Board for the competition whose ceremonial finale took place on 3. 12. in Berlin. The 2,500 members of the European Film Academy then nominated films for the individual categories and the results of these nominations were announced on 5. 11. at the European Film Festival in Seville (Spain).
14. 9.
The CineStar – Anděl multiplex cinema in Prague held the ceremonial premier of the Czech feature film Saxana (Saxána a Lexikon kouzel, dir. Václav Vorlíček, 2011), a loose continuation of his successful film The Girl on the Broom (Dívka na koštěti) from 1971.
14. - 16. 9.
The 13th International Television and Radio Festival of Gastronomy – The Znojmo Grapes (13. mezinárodní televizní a rozhlasový festival o gastronomii – Znojemský hrozen) was held. Competing at the festival were 155 television programmes, 61 radio programmes and 105 advertising spots from 18 countries around the world. The programme featured the popular National Days, in which different countries presented their culinary and cultural traditions. This time the participants were offered a glimpse of the Netherlands and Croatia. The National Days took place with the ambassadors of both countries in attendance. The festival featured the Grand Prix Sommelier Junior 2011 competition – a presentation of regional foods and the Gastronomy and Marketing workshop. For awarded films see 13. mezinárodní televizní a rozhlasový festival o gastronomii – Znojemský hrozen.
15. 9.
The first presentation was held in the new theatre of Boleslav Polívka’s new theatre. Boleslav Polívka is a famous Czech film and theatre actor and is also a mime. Boleslav Polívka’s U22 theatre in Prague-Uhříněves hosts works by Boleslav Polívka as well as other Czech, Moravian and Slovak works. The repertoire is not limited to theatre performances: concerts are also offered. The first performance of the seasons was a staging of Minus Two, which was created in co-production with Studio L+S in Bratislava.
15. 9.
The Modřanský cinema in conjunction with the Prague 12 town hall began the entertainment programme Twelve Questions for a Czech Celebrity, which supplemented the regular afternoon film screening for seniors. Singer and actress Zora Jandová appeared first on the hour-long show with a celebrity.
16. 9.
The Bio Oko cinema in Prague hosted another series of iShorts Evenings. Films screened included student works from the Miroslav Ondříček Film Academy in Písek (Filmová akademie Miroslava Ondříčka v Písku, o. p. s.) such as From Saturday to Sunday (Ze soboty na neděli, dir. Josef Heřmánek, 2011), Bones Collector (Sběratel kostí, dir. Marek Ciccotti, 2011) and Mr. Late (Pan Pozdě, dir. Jiří Sádek, 2011). Mr. Late (Pan Pozdě) won the iShorts Kodak Young Cinematographer Award that went to Antoan Pepelanov. Ceremonial premieres of the films were attended by Czech actors such as Simona Stašová, Jiřina Bohdalová and Karel Heřmánek.
16. 9.
The new distribution company EEAP Film Distribution CZ-SK s.r.o. was created in the Czech Republic as another subsidiary of the German company East European Acquisitions Pool. EEAP has established itself on the market as an international distribution company geared toward quality feature films of American and European production. Thanks to its other subsidiaries, Budapest Film (Hungary) and Gala Media (Russia), and its broad network of partners, EEAP distributes all rights, including cinema, video, television and VOD (Video on demand). The Czech company launched its activities with the film Dream House (dir. Jim Sheridan, 2011, USA).
16. - 18. 9.
The 8th International Film Festival Water, Seas, Oceans (8. mezinárodní filmový festival Voda, moře, oceány 2011) was held in Hluboká nad Vltavou (Czech Republic) for the first time ever (it was previously held in the Czech town of Ústí nad Labem). Thirty films from 14 countries took part in the competition, of which 3 were from Czech filmmakers. The festival president was traveller, producer and director Steve Lichtag. The festival guests included diver, environmentalist and filmmaker Michael Rutzen from South Africa, who, along with co-author Steve Lichtag, ceremoniously opened another project in the history of underwater cinematography entitled The Great White Shark 3D whose objective is to enter the world of great white sharks. Another important guest was the Slovak traveller and filmmaker Pavol Barabáš. Czech films screened included The Plain (Planina, dir. Roman Grošek, 2009) and Secrets Concealed Under the Surface I and II (Tajemství ukrýtá pod hladinou I. a II., dir. Hugo Habrman, 2010). For awarded Czech films see 8. mezinárodní filmový festival Voda, moře, oceány 2011.
17. 9.
The 17th Awards of František Filipovský for Best Acting and Dubbing Performances of Audiovisual Works Přelouč 2011 /Czech Republic/ (17. ceny Františka Filipovského za nejlepší herecké a tvůrčí výkony v dabingu audiovizuálních děl Přelouč 2011) was held. For awarded films and individuals – see 17. ceny Františka Filipovského za nejlepší herecké a tvůrčí výkony v dabingu audiovizuálních děl Přelouč 2011.
19. 9.
A panel discussion on the cinematography law was held at the Film and Television Association (FITES – Český filmový a televizní svaz). Also present in addition to FITES members were the current Czech minister of culture Jiří Besser and Helena Fraňková, director of Czech Ministry of Culture (Ministerstvo kultury České republiky – Odbor médií a audiovize). The meeting was moderated by Ondřej Aust.
20. 9.
The Institute of Documentary Film (Institut dokumentárního filmu – IDF) and the Czech Film Center (České filmové centrum) prepared at Světozor cinema in Prague a panel with the presentation of new Czech documentary films. Upon this occasion the panel participants were acquainted with the new catalogue of Czech documentary films (Czech Dokumentary Films 2011 – 2012) published by the Czech Film Center (České filmové centrum). A selection of the 10 most interesting Czech documentary films that were to be made during 2012 was presented. Personally introducing their projects were, among others, Pavel Štingl, Peter Zach, Helena Třeštíková, Šimon Špidla and Viera Čákanyová.
20. - 22. 9.
Lípa cinema in Liberec (Czech Republic) hosted The 14th World Festival of Sport Films SPORTFILM Liberec 2011 – International FICTS FESTIVAL 2011 (14. mezinárodní festival sportovních filmů SPORTFILM Liberec 2011 – INTERNATIONAL FICTS FESTIVAL 2011). The festival is the oldest participant of the largest festival of films and documentary films with sports themes WORLD FICTS CHALLENGE 2011 organized by FICTS and held regularly at the end of October and the start of November in Milano, Italy. The main sponsor of this series is the Federation Internationale Cinema Televizion Sportifs, associating festivals and producers of films with sports theme in some 90 countries around the world under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. The Czech Television (ČESKÁ TELEVIZE) 4 sports channel opened in 2011 a screening of films entitled From the Film Festival Archive showing sports films that went through 13 editions of SPORTFILM Liberec festival. For awarded Czech films and individuals see 14. mezinárodní festival sportovních filmů SPORTFILM Liberec 2011 – INTERNATIONAL FICTS FESTIVAL 2011.
20. - 23. 9.
The 10th International Festival of Films about Nature and Animals – NaturVision took place in Vimperk (10. mezinárodní festival filmů o přírodě a zvířatech – Natur Vision). As in preceding years, a similar festival preceded it at Neuschönau in Bavaria (NaturVision Neuschönau 14. – 17. 7. 2011). One Czech film, Bats in the Dark (Netopýři ve tmě, dir. Jan Hošek, Marián Polák, 2010) was screened at the 10th annual festival.
21. 9.
The Czech Television Council (Rada České televize) elected a new general director of the CZECH TELEVISION (ČESKÁ TELEVIZE). Petr Dvořák who was the director of NOVA television (TV NOVA) until early 2010, was chosen for the job. He assumed the post on 1. 10. 2011.
21. - 24. 9.
The Slovinska kinoteka organized in Ljubljana in collaboration with the National Film Archive, Prague (Národní filmový archiv) a Screening of Films by Czech director Karel Zeman (3. 11. 1910 – 5. 4. 1989). Among the films screened were Krabat (Čarodějův učen, 1977), Jester’s Tale (Bláznova kronika, 1964) and The Tale of John and Mary (Pohádka o Honzíkovi a Mařence, 1980).
21. - 25. 9.
The 19th Screening of Czech, Slovak and Polish Feature Films – The Třinec Film Indian Summer was held in Czech city of Třinec (19. přehlídka českých, slovenských a polských hraných filmů – Třinecké filmové babí léto/Trzyniecke Babie Lato Filmowe). This originally non-competition festival of Polish films suddenly changed into a competition in which the presented Czech, Polish and Slovak films were divided into three groups. In the first group the organizers presented to the public in a time-tested retrospective the works of famous film directors. The second part is a competition of director debuts. In the third part viewers could see the best that was filmed over the past year in the involved cinematography. Each year the jury gives the prize for the best directorial debut that is financed equally by the Czech, Polish and Slovak ministries of culture. The audience also gives its award. Since 2002 the International Visegrad Fund has taken part in the award. The festival also includes a work meeting of film schools from Prague, Bratislava and Łódź. For award film see 19. přehlídka českých, slovenských a polských hraných filmů – Třinecké filmové babí léto/Trzyniecke Babie Lato Filmowe.
23. 9. - 2. 10.
The 3rd International Cinematographers’ Film Festival – Ostrava Kamera Oko (Ostrava Kamera Oko – 3. mezinárodní filmový festival se zaměřením na kameramanskou tvorbu) was held in Czech city of Ostrava. The festival featured the screening of over 100 films attended by six thousand viewers. The Association of Czech Cinematographers (Asociace českých kameramanů – A.Č.K.) and the IMAGO Federation of European Cinematographer Associations assumed the auspice of the festival, which provided for a quality competition programme. Three new Czech films were screened at the festival: Alois Nebel (dir. Tomáš Luňák, 2011, CR – Germany – SR), Nothing against Nothing (Nic proti ničemu, dir. Petr Marek, 2011) and Long Live the Family! (Rodina je základ státu, dir. Robert Sedláček, 2011). In the international competition, the Ostrava Camera Eye Award went to cinematographer Miladin Čolaković for best camera work for the film Beli beli svet (dir. Oleg Novković, Serbia – Sweden – Germany, 2010). For awarded Czech films see Ostrava Kamera Oko – 3. mezinárodní filmový festival se zaměřením na kameramanskou tvorbu.
26. 9.
The Czech documentary film Abused (Zneužívaný, dir. Ivanna Benešová, 2011) had its ceremonial premiere at Lucerna cinema in Prague.
26. - 30. 9.
The 28th International Festival – Agrofilm 2011 took place in Slovak city of Nitra. Among the awarded films were the Czech television films Silva Gabreta (dir. Ladislav Miko, Ivan Stříteský, 2011) – with the award of the chairman of the Nitra self-goverment region, The Mystery Hidden under the Surface (Tajemství ukrytá pod hladinou, dir. Hugo Habrman, 2009) – with the award of the rector of the Mendel University of Brno (Mendelova univerzita v Brně), the Wood from the cycle the Smell of Our Countryside, (Náš venkov – Vůně dřeva, dir. Zdeněk Pojman, 2011) – the award of the rector of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra, A Video Atlas of Our Nature – Domestication (Videoatlas naší přírody – Domestikace, dir. Jiří Pálka, 2010) – the award of the National Jury and an award to Jiří Pálka for directing this cycle.
27. 9.
The National Film Archive organized at its Ponrepo screening hall in Bio Konvikt (Národní filmový archiv) in Prague an evening devoted to Argentine exile of Czech filmmaker Irena Dodalová (29. 11. 1900 – June or July 1989), her film and theatre work in Buenos Aires (Argentina). The evening’s main point was Oscar Sandoval Martínez’s lecture on Irena Dodalová – the woman and artist, in which the Argentine actor and director presented the Czech-Argentine filmmaker and drama teacher, in whose theatre ensemble Primer Experimental Argentino de Cámara he spent thirteen years. The programme also featured a screening of the unique ballet poem by Irena Dodalová entitled Apollon Musagete, which she shot in 1951 in Buenos Aires. Oscar Sandoval Martínez’s lecture was part of the NFA’s (Národní filmový archiv) research on the film and theatre work of Irena Dodalová in Czechoslovakia and at Terezín, in the USA and in Argentina. Only contemporary research of the history of Czech pre-war animated film includes the name of Irena Dodalová in the context of the history of Czech pre-war film and shows the importance of her collaboration with Karel Dodal for the creation and development of the first Czech studio of animated film – IRE-Film. An unknown chapter is the period of her imprisonment at Terezín (CR) under the 2nd World War where Dodalová became involved in the cultural life of the ghetto and played an important role in the Nazi’s filming of Terezín in 1942. The aim of Martínez’s lecture was also to create the context for the archive materials that Dodalová sent along with copies of films, photographs and other documents at the end of the 1980s to Prague, and to present the system of her theatre work in Buenos Aires. Martínez’s lecture was supplemented by the hitherto research of Eva Strusková, PhD., an NFA (Národní filmový archiv) film historian, whose work has thus far been published as essays in the Czech magazine Illuminace (edited by Nation Film Archive, Prague Národní filmový archiv,) and in the FIAF Journal of Film Preservation. Oscar Sandoval Martínez was one of the students of Irena Dodalová working professionally in theatre. He is an actor and director of the De Los Actores theatre ensemble. Since 2009 he has worked in conjunction with the National Film Archive in Prague (Národní filmový archiv), for whom he searches for documents in Buenos Aires linked to Irena Dodalová’s work there.
27. 9.
The ceremonial premiere of the film Alois Nebel (dir. Tomáš Luňák, 2011, CR – SR – SRN) was held in two Prague cinemas – Světozor and CineStar Anděl.
29. 9. - 2. 10.
The non-competition 10th International Festival – Film in the Sign of the Fish (10. mezinárodní festival – Film ve znamení ryby) was held in Czech city of Olomouc. The festival of spiritual films in Olomouc traditionally tries to offer a selection of the best from film art. The programme featured, among other films, The Tree of Life (dir. Terrence Malick, 2010, USA) and Melancholia (dir. Lars von Trier, 2011, Denmark – Sweden – France – Germany). The British director Michael Whyte presented the feature-length documentary film No Greater Love (2009, Great Britain). Viewers also met with Polish director Agnieszka Holland and her works from the late 1970s and early 80s. Czech feature films screened included Eighty letters (Osmdesát dopisů, 2011) by Václav Kadrnka. The festival also offered a number of Czech and foreign documentary films. Czech films screened included Guyanese Diana (Guajanská Diana, dir. Martin Rýznar, 2011) and The Children of Ventanas (Děti Ventanas, dir. Lucie Pracná, 2011).