Representatives from the Czech Republic celebrated 20 years of presence at the Marché du Film and had a lively debate about the state of the business as part of this year’s Variety Global Conversations at the Cannes Film Festival.
Leo Barraclough of Variety moderated a discussion including Markéta Šantrochová, president of the Czech Film Fund’s Czech Film Centre; Pavlína Žipková, head of the Czech Film Fund’s Czech Film Commission; and Petr Tichý, CEO of Barrandov Studio.
“If there is one thing you need to remember from this session, it is that the Czech Film Fund production incentives scheme is open,” stated Zipkova, speaking on behalf of the Czech delegation, to all those present. It won’t close once more. Permit me to reiterate. She emphasised, “It’s open; it’s not closing down.
The fact that President Petr Pavel signed an amendment into law last December that guarantees the fund’s permanence gives her the confidence to make such a firm declaration. She added that a vote is now being held by the government to enhance financial incentives even more; alterations may be implemented as early as January 2025.
International co-production was another of the day’s major discussion points. The Czech Republic is an attractive shooting venue for global partners because of significant financial incentives. An upcoming example given by Šantrochová was “Franz,” an ambitious film directed by Aniška Holland that is a “mosaic, multi-layered film” about the renowned novelist Franz Kafka. Early this month, filming on the co-production between Czech, German, and Polish started.
In addition to offering financial benefits, the Czech Republic has some of Europe’s most picturesque backdrops for filming. The nation has served as the location for filming a number of highly regarded worldwide TV shows in recent years, including AMC’s “Interview with a Vampire,” Netflix’s “The Empress,” and Prime Video’s “Wheel of Time.”
The illustrious animation sector of the Czech Republic was also honoured by the panellists. Filmmakers Daria Kascheeva (“Electra”) and Diana Cam Van Nguyen (“Love, Dad”) talked about their next endeavours. Legendary and innovative animation productions have come from the Czech Republic. The groundbreaking works of painters from the 20th century, including Jan Švankmajer, Jiří Trnka, Břetislav Pojar, and Karel Zeman, continue to influence art today.
