I. A Calendar»
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1. 3.
Ninety years ago the first part of the four-part series of Jaroslav Hašek’s humorist novel The Good Soldier Švejk, which has been translated into nearly 60 languages, was published. The novel is inseparably linked with the illustrations by Hašek’s friend, the painter Josef Lada. Parts of the novel have been adapted for the stagee and several times made into films. Czech film adaptations include the silent film The Good Soldier Švejk (Dobrý voják Švejk, dir. Karel Lamač) from 1956 with Karel Noll, The Good Soldier Švejk (Dobrý voják Švejk, dir. Martin Frič, 1931) with Saša Rašilov, The Good Soldier Švejk (Dobrý voják Švejk, 1956), Beg to Report, Sir (Poslušně hlásím, 1957), both directed by Karel Steklý, with Rudolf Hrušínský a major role or The Good Soldier Švejk (Dobrý voják Švejk, dir. Jiří Trnka, 1954). Foreign films included Der brave Soldat Schwejk (dir. Axel von Ambesser, 1960, West Germany) with Heinz Rühmann. The American composer Robert Kurka (1921 – 1957) wrote the opera The Good Soldier Schweik, which premiered in April 1958 in New York (The Švejk character is a tenor). In 2001 the German musical Schweyk It Easy with the music of Konstantin Wecker premiered in Berlin.
2. - 9. 3.
The 2nd International Film Festival CINEMA MUNDI 2011(2. mezinárodní filmový festival CINEMA MUNDI 2011) was held in Brno. The festival offered 142 screenings in the four halls of Velký Špalíček, in the Břetislav Bakala hall and at the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University (Masarykova univerzita - Fakulta sociálních studií). The main section featured 48 films that in 2010 vied for an Oscar – Annual Awards of American Academy of Film Art and Sciences –for best foreign-language film. The Czech film Kawasaki’s Rose (Kawasakiho růže, dir. Jan Hřebejk, 2010) was also shown in this section. Secondary sections included a selection of Czech Lions and Oscars 2011, as well as the latest work of Czech Television (ČESKÁ TELEVIZE) and also a newly expanded presentation of select films of Central and Eastern Europe – films from Russia, Romania and Poland. Also screened were television projects introduced upon the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Brno’s Czech Television studio (ČESKÁ TELEVIZE – Televizní studio Brno). The festival was visited by over 13,000 viewers. Clearly the most successful film was the Oscar-winning film King’s Speech (dir. Tom Hooper, 2010, Great Britain –Australia – USA), attended by over 1,000 viewers. The competition section was a new aspect of the 2nd-year festival. A seven-member student jury chose the winning films. The Cinema Mundi main prize went to the French film Des Hommes et des dieux (dir. Xavier Beauvois, 2010).
3. 3.
Czech actress Jiřina Jirásková received from Czech Minister of Culture Jiří Besser the Artis Bohemiae Amicis medal. Recipients of this award contributed or are contributing to spreading the good name of Czech culture at home and abroad. Jiřina Jirásková received the award on the stage of Vinohradské Theatre following a Czech performance of Joe DiPeitro’s comedy Over the River and Through the Woods.
3. 3.
Two Czech documentary films entered Czech cinemas From Cherries to Cherries (Od višní do višní, dir. Jana Boršková, 2011) and Everything Is Shit (Všechno je sračka, dir. Tomáš Weinreb, 2009) introduced in the series entitled From Cherries to Cherries/Everything Is Shit (Od višní do višní/Všechno je sračka).
3. - 5. 3.
Aero cinema in Prague hosted the CINEMA CONSPIRACY 2011 – Festival of Conspiracy Films, following the conspiracy theories, religious manipulation, media lies and political and corporate games. The three-day festival included the Czech films The Grandmother: The True Story (Babička aneb jak to bylo doopravdy, dir. Pjeer van Eck, 2010), Mnyaga – Happy End (Mňága – Happy End, dir. Petr Zelenka, 1996) and Landa’s Elixir of Love (Landův lektvar lásky, dir. Erika Hníková, 2009) – presented in the section Conspiracy cz. Viewers could also see Emperor of Hemp (dir. Jeff Jones, 1999, USA), a document mapping the struggle of activist Jack Herer entitled The Emperor Wears No Clothes (dir. Melissa Balin, Jack Herer, 2009, USA) and the films Deliver Us from Evil (dir. Amy Berg, 2006), the appalling testimony of Californian priest Oliver O’Grady, who raped hundreds of children, while clergy representatives provided him with protection even though they knew of his actions, and the film A Perverse Guide to the Cinema (dir. Sophie Fiennes, Great Britain – Austria – the Netherlands, 2006), a conspiracy psychoanalysis of philosoph, cultural theoretician and unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of Slovenia, Slavoj Žižek. An entertaining non-English accent accompanies the viewers through the history of American film to convince of the world conspiracy of phallogocentrism. This film was presented in the final festival section Files: Food, sex and Slavoj Žižek.
5. 3.
Lucerna's Large Hall in Prague hosted Czech Television (ČESKÁ TELEVIZE)'s live coverage of The 18th Annual Czech Lion Awards 2010 (18. výroční ceny Český lev 2010). A total of 21 films, their filmmakers and actors vied for the glass statuette that for the 10th time was made in the Rückl Crystal glassworks in Nižbor (CR). The nomination evening, at which some Czech Lions were presented, took place on 5. 2. The evening was moderated by actor Marek Daniel and Jakub Žáček; the main awards ceremony was moderated by actor and musician Jan Budař. For the awards see 18. výroční ceny Český lev 2010.
5. 3.
The 19th Alfréd Radok Awards 2010 (19. ceny Alfréda Radoka 2010 v oblasti divadelní a dramatické tvorby) in the field of theater and drama were presented at Prague's Komedie theatre. The Alfréd Radok awards are presented every year by the Alfréd Radok Awards Foundation in collaboration with the Aura-Pont agency (Aura – Pont s. r. o.) and World and Theatre magazine. The awards include a drama competition – awarding the text of the best original Czech theatre play. This category follows up on the Alfréd Radok Foundation Award that was bestowed in 1992 – 1998. The second part of the prizes consists of staging categories. For the awards see – 19. ceny Alfréda Radoka 2010 v oblasti divadelní a dramatické tvorby.
7. - 12. 3.
In Roztoky near Prague there was held the “Find Your Way” workshop, the first of three year-round international workshops of Ex Oriente Film 2011 that supports the development and financing of auteur documentary films in Central and Eastern Europe. The main theme of the first meeting was inspiration. Participants focused mainly on the story and protagonists of films, analysing strong and weaker aspects of the project and its international dimension. They also worked on the proposal of a basic plan for the strategy of producing and financing the film stemming from the system of European financing, grants and TV stations. During the first workshop, Documentary Campus Masterschool, a German training programme, became the Czech partner. It organized in the Czech Republic its second workshop and open programme for professionals in collaboration with the One World festival. Fourteen projects were chosen from the entries and the workshop was attended by 28 filmmakers. The 2nd Ex Oriente Film workshop was held in June 2011 in Bratislava (SR) and the third on 24. – 31. 10. in Jihlava.
8. 3.
The awards ceremony of the 19th Competition for the Most Creative Czech Advertisement – the Nutcracker 2010 (19. soutěž o nejkreativnější českou reklamu – Louskáček 2010), organized each year by the Art Directors Club of the Czech Republic in collaboration with the Association of Communication Agencies, was held in Prague The Nutcracker competition, divided into 12 categories, is part of the Art Directors Club of Europe Awards (ADC*E). The winning works are thus automatically entered into the major European competition held in Barcelona. For the awards see 19. soutěž o nejkreativnější českou reklamu – Louskáček 2010.
8. - 17. 3.
The 13th International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival One World 2011(13. mezinárodní festival dokumentárních filmů o lidských právech – Jeden svět 2011) was held, taking place in the Lucerna and Světozor cinemas and at Prague Crossroads (an international spiritual centre in the deconsecrated Prague St. Anne’s Church) and another 33 places in the Czech Republic. The programme axis consisted of two competition categories: The Main Competition and Right to Know, as part of the non-competition categories, presented festival documentaries divided into the following categories: Portraits of Corruption, Age Is Just a Number, I Want to Break Free, Environmental Challenges, Women’s Voice, Panorama, Czech Documentary Films, People in Need Production, Short Films and Screenings for Schools. In 2011 projects-campaigns competed for the first time. Their use of modern communication technology enabled important information to be shared and the public to be involved in social events. The festival featured a six-day workshop focused on the effective use of video activism and new media in the work and campaigns of non-government not-for-profit organizations in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. Starting in 2011 the One World festival began to systematically focus on events designed for film professionals. In collaboration with the German educational organization Documentary Campus, it organized the three-day workshop One World Many Ways – New Directions in Human Rights Documentaries. The three-day seminar was geared toward the creation, production and distribution of (not only) human rights documentaries with regard to new trends, thanks to which they present either classic media such as television or cinema through the unique market for audiovisual work. The entire block in the programme was devoted to a special guest, activist filmmaker from Egypt Wael Omar, who presented footage taken directly from the political unrest in Cairo and spoke of the influence of social media on the course of Egypt's revolution in 2011. A special panel was devoted to the phenomenon of Wikileaks and its impact on human rights and journalism. The programme You Can Project Films Too! that allows viewers to screen select films of the festival to people in their surroundings. Some 600 people projecting films became involved in the programme and their home screenings were attended by twenty thousand viewers. The thirteenth annual festival also feature the Empty Chair campaign aimed at securing the release of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, a recipient of the Nobel Peace prize, who has been serving since December 2008 an eleven-year sentence for taking part in the creation of the Charter 08 document. In 2010 the Homo Homini award was bestowed upon him. One year later the Kyrgyz activist Azimjan Askarov received the award. Askarov was sentenced in 2010 to life in prison in a show trial. His son, Sherzodbek Azimzhanovich Askarov, accepted the award on his behalf. For the awards see 13. mezinárodní festival dokumentárních filmů o lidských právech – Jeden svět 2011.
9. - 10. 3.
The National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall at Bio Konvikt (Národní filmový archiv) in Prague screened films from the Anthology Film Archive in New York Heaven and Earth Magic Feature (dir. Harry E. Smith, 1957 - 1962, USA) and a cycle of films entitled Andrew Lampert presents films from the Anthology Film Archives (2011, USA), in which Andrew Lampert, for many years a colleague of the American filmmaker Jonas Mekas, shows some films from the Anthology Film Archive’s collection. Since the 1950s when he founded the magazine Film Culture and later Filmmaker’s Cinematheque, Jonak Mekas has demonstrated a capacity to bring together important filmmakers, to show their works to viewers and to preserve them for the future. On 1. 12. 1970 the Anthology Film Archive in New York launched its activities. The archive was founded by Mekas, who is still, at the age of eighty-eight, its artistic director. Although the Anthology Film Archive does not on principle exclude any genre, it primarily maps the artistic aspect of the development of the history of film and video, and it is this role that makes it unique among American film institutions.
10. 3.
The Czech documentary film When a Stone Speaks (Když kámen promluví, dir. Viliam Poltikovič, 2010) had its premiere in the Aerodok section at the Aero cinema in Prague.
10. 3.
The Czech documentary film Tantra (dir. Benjamin Tuček, 2011) had its distribution premiere at Aero cinema.
10. - 28. 3.
March’s traditional Days of Francophonia 2011 (14. dny Frankofonie 2011) were celebrated along with other members and observing countries of the EU for the fourteenth time. Viewers in eleven towns and cities in the CR were treated to a diverse programme of films and theatre performances, author readings, concerts, conferences and other events. Among the films offered to viewers were the Romanian-Moldavian feature Mariage en Bessarabia (dir. Nap Teodor, 2010), the feature animated film Le Triomphe de Babar (dir. Alan Bunce, 1990, France – Canada), the hour-long documentary Georgi i peperudite (dir. Andreï Paounov, 2004, Bulgaria) and the documentary film by Geneviève Mersch Plein d’essence, 2007, Luxembourg). The Days also featured a competition for primary and secondary school students in knowledge and in artistic expression related to a Francophonia theme. The Days of Francophonia (14. dny Frankofonie 2011) were also a welcomed opportunity to commemorate the culinary arts and wine making.
11. - 13. 3.
The Morava cinema in Veselý nad Moravou hosted the Seminar of Taiwanese Film (Seminář tchajwanských filmů), organized in conjunction with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague and The Association of Czech Film Clubs (Asociace českých filmových klubů, o.s.). The seminar commenced with the opening of an exhibition of Nataša Suttá, who was born in Prague and spent twelve years in Taiwan where she studied fine arts at a teacher’s college and specialised in the painting technique using a Chinese brush. The exhibited painted created with a traditional Chinese painting technique presented Finnish, English, Slovak and predominantly Czech landscapes and Prague buildings. The exhibition also featured pictures for Moravian Fairy Tales from the book by Jiří Jilík entitled O Čutorkovi (About Čutorka). The films in the seminar's programme created a cross-section of recent Taiwan cinematography. Also featured was the film Tong nien wang shi (dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien) from 1985, which received numerous international awards. In Taiwan, however, the country's films certainly were not received so positively and the paradox arose that the more awards the films won at festivals, the less likely the Taiwanese were to go and see them. But this all changed with the film Hái-kak chhit-ho/Cape No. 7 (dir. Wei Te-Sheng, 2008), which entertained and touched just about every Taiwanese and, with a little effort, even foreigners open to something new. This film was also part of this film seminar.
13. 3.
Otakar Vávra (28. 2. 1911 – 15. 9. 2011) received at the Municipal House in Prague the Trebbia European Award (11. evropské ceny TREBBIA) for his life work. Prague’s Gallery Miro established the award which has now been presented eleven times. Hungarian actor János Bán, who played in Jiří Menzel My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková, 1985, CR) and the Russian director and actor Oleg Tabakov also received the award for their creative activities. A TREBBIA was also awarded to Czech centres promoting Czech culture and art abroad for their contribution to the dialogue of national cultures.
14. 3. - 12. 5.
Danish filmmakers shot at various places in the Czech Republic the film A Royal Affair (Královská aféra/En kongelic affaære/Dronningen og Livoegen, 2012). The story takes place in the 18th century and is based on true events in Danish history. Director Nikolaj Arcel cast Mads Mikkelsen in the leading role. He plays a doctor who becomes an advisor of the young Danish king and the lover of his wife. Mads Mikkelsen is chiefly known for his role as the villain Le Chiffre in the James Bond film Casino Royale (dir. Martin Campbell, 2006, USA). The film was nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize. A Royal Affair was created as a co-production by the companies Zentropa Entertainments linked to the name of director Lars von Trier and producer P. A. Jensen (Denmark), SIRENA FILM, s. r. o. (Czech Republic), Sveriges Television and others. The Danish film crew in the Czech Republic of nearly ten people was supplemented by a hundred Czech film professionals and dozens of other suppliers of related services. The film was shot at the chateau in Doksany, in Kroměříž, Ploskovice, Český Krumlov, at the Kačina chateau and in Ledeč nad Sázavou.
15. 3.
The animated film Car Fairy Tales (Autopohádky, 2011, CR) was launched into Czech distribution. The film is composed of short stories shot by directors Jakub Kohák (The Incidents of Antonín Kužilek, Příhody Antonína Kužílka), Břetislav Pojar (About the Princess Who Did Not Laugh, O princezně, která se nesmála), Michal Žabka (The Accountant and the Fairy, Účetní a víla), František Váša (The Fisherman Maršíček, O rybáři Maršíčkovi) and Libor Pixa (Vincent).
22. 3.
Prague’s Lucerna cinema and Palace Cinemas Slovanský dům hosted the premiere of the Czech feature film Havel’s Leaving (Odcházení, 2011) of debuting film director and former president CSSR, CSFR and Czech Republic Václav Havel.
22. - 27. 3.
The Czech Film Center (České filmové centrum) in Brussels organized The Best of Visegrad Cinema festival upon the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Visegrad group. Four recent films were screened from each country at the Vendôme cinema – both the most popular film with viewers, the biggest foreign success, the best documentary and the most successful film for children and youth. Films selected to represent the Czech Republic were Empties (Vratné lahve, 2007, CR – Great Britain – Denmark) by Jan Svěrák, I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále, 2006, CR – SR) by Jiří Menzel, Citizen Havel (Občan Havel, 2007) by Pavel Koutecký and Miroslav Janek and Who’s Afraid of the Wolf (Kdopak by se vlka bál, 2008) by director Maria Procházková. Slovak film was represented by the co-production film Tomáš the Falconer (Král sokolů/Sokoliar Tomáš, 2000, CR – SR – Poland – France – Hungary – Germany) shot by Czech director Václav Vorlíček. The screening was preceded by the conference entitled Quo vadis Visegrad?
24. 3.
announced The Association of Directors and Screenwriters – ARAS (Asociace režisérů a scenáristů – ARAS) the Jaromil Jireš Awards as part of The 18th International Film Festival – FEBIOFEST 2011 (18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011). This prestigious award bearing the name of one of the founders Jaromil Jireš (10. 12. 1935 – 24. 10. 2001) of ARAS (Asociace režisérů a scenáristů – ARAS) in Czech Republic is presented yearly, always in two categories: In category A – for considerable financial, economic support for the creation or dissemination of a non-commercial film work or works by a person or institution (project investors, patrons and sponsors), in category B – to a person or group of people whose activity contributed significantly to the creation and dissemination of non-commercial film works and are not the filmmakers or producers of the original works that the act concerns (creative-organization, distribution and publication activity). The assessment is always done for period of the past twelve months preceding the nomination deadline. For awarded see 18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011.
24. 3. - 20. 4.
The Febio company (FEBIO s. r. o.) organized in Prague on 24. 3. – 1. 4. and in eight Czech and eight Slovak towns and cities (25. 3. – 20. 4.) the 18th International Film Festival – FEBIOFEST 2011 (18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011). The Association of Directors and Screenwriters – ARAS announced the 6th annual Jaromil Jireš Awards as part of The 18th International Film Festival – FEBIOFEST 2011(18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011). As in previous years, the programme focused on feature films. The sections World Cinema Panorama, Cinema Made in USA, Asian and Latin American Cinema were preserved as were other traditional parts of the programme, including the section of films that break convention and cliché – Against the Stream. The festival offered an encounter with major filmmakers in the Cinema of Stars section. The festival was attended by, among other, Icelandic director Fridrik Thór Fridriksson, Australian director Peter Weir and Austrian actor Helmut Berger. Swedish film was presented in a large retrospective. The Febiofest Music Festival ran concurrently with the film festival. The National Film Archive’s Ponrepo screening hall (Národní filmový archiv) at Bio Konvikt screened a cycle of films to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Barrandov studios. Among the Czech films screened were Murder on Ostrovní Street (Vražda v Ostrovní ulici, dir. Svatopluk Innemann, 1933) and On the Sunny Side (Na sluneční straně, dir. Vladislav Vančura, 1933). For the awarded films and filmmakers see The 18th International Film Festival – FEBIOFEST (18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011) Since a separate competition of the Czech Film Critics’ Award (1. ceny české filmové kritiky 2010) was established in 2011 (announced on 13. 1. based on the assessment of film journalists) the Czech critics’ Kristián award will not be presented at the next Febiofest. For other awards including the 6th annual Jaromil Jireš Award see 18. mezinárodní filmový festival – FEBIOFEST 2011.
24. 3. - 31. 5.
An exhibition of the film posters by artist Karel Teissig (9. 4. 1925 – 1. 10. 2000), which was part of the series of the Golden Era of Czech Film Poster XIII, was held in the lobby of the Světozor cinema in Prague. The event was organized by Světozor cinema and the Film Haberdashery Terry’s Socks.
26. 3.
The Actors’ Association (Herecká asociace, občanské sdružení) presented the 18th Thálie Awards 2010 (18. ceny Thálie 2010) at the National Theatre in Prague. The awards are for acting, singing, ballet and pantomime performances. For the results see 18. ceny Thálie 2010.
28. 3.
The group CME announced the acquisition of BONTONFILM a.s., – the largest distributor in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. The purchase price is to be roughly USD 12.5 million – over CZK 217 million. CME vows to increase distribution revenues of both foreign and Czech companies.