20/03/2024 - Among the supported projects are a children’s sci-fi tale, a female-led anthology pic, a social dramedy about misinformation and a time-travelling adventure

The Czech Film Fund has allocated 60 million Czech crowns (approximately €2,373,600) in support of the production of eight feature-length films. Among these, Comenius, the latest work by acclaimed arthouse director, screenwriter and producer Václav Kadrnka, has secured 12 million crowns (€474,883). This movie comes on the heels of Kadrnka's distinguished film trilogy comprising Eighty Letters, Little Crusader [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Václav Kadrnka
film profile] and Saving One Who Was Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Václav Kadrnka
film profile]. Set amidst the religious conflicts and the downfall of Protestant forces during the Battle of White Mountain, Comenius explores the life of Moravian thinker and educational reformer John Amos Comenius, often hailed as the father of modern education. Caught in a maelstrom of historical upheaval, Comenius faces a pivotal decision in his life while forming a connection with a young girl plagued by illness and mystical visions. This Czech (via Sirius Films), Slovak (Silverart) and French (Taiweg) co-production has been chosen for the 21st Sofia Meetings (see the news).

Beata Parkanová (Moments [+see also:
trailer
interview: Beata Parkanová
interview: Beata Parkanová
film profile], The Word [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Beata Parkanová
film profile]), currently one of the Czech Republic's busiest filmmakers, has been granted 8 million crowns (€316,588) for her forthcoming project, a Czech-Slovak anthology titled Bears. The film interlaces five narratives, each centred on a primary female character at a different stage of life, delving into the intrinsic human craving for connection. Bears transports protagonists through a mental hospital, a funeral, a film set, a petrol station and a mountain hotel, presenting five distinct scenarios, relationships and transient moments that have the potential to transform lives. Michal Hogenauer (Calm in the Canopy – see the news), another emerging talent, has received 10 million crowns (€395,735) for Around the Fire, a project to be produced by Xova Film, and co-produced with Germany and Poland. Hogenauer's new drama unfolds in a summer camp, a backdrop where the tumultuous forces of adolescent longing and the weight of adult duties dramatically intersect.

A Czech collaboration with Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway and Hungary on the children's sci-fi title GamerGirl by Marina Andree Škop (My Grandpa Is an Alien [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marina Andree Škop and Draž…
film profile]), facilitated through 8Heads Productions, has been bolstered with 13 million crowns’ (€514,456) worth of funding. The story centres on a 12-year-old girl who, after a car accident, finds herself in a realm mirroring her beloved video game. She then embarks on a quest to beat the game and return home. Following the success of The Teacher [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jan Hřebejk
film profile] and after wrapping the Garden Store [+see also:
trailer
film profile] trilogy, director Jan Hřebejk is preparing for the October premiere of his new film, State of Emergency, a social dramedy that has secured 2 million crowns (€79,147) in funding. The film aims to explore the repercussions of misinformation in today’s hyper-connected society.

Additional projects receiving support include Timemasters by Jan Haluza, awarded 8.9 million crowns (€352,205), a time-travel adventure seen through the eyes of a young man who stumbles upon a murder during a live stream; Jakub Červenka's biopic Nepela, depicting the iconic Czechoslovak figure skater Ondrej Nepela during the 1973 World Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava, which received 5 million crowns (€197,867); and Milan Klepikov’s Spikes, inspired by poet Petr Král’s work. This project, which fuses cinema verité with actor improvisation to examine youths’ perspectives on the challenges of civilisation, was bolstered with 1.1 million crowns (€43,530).