The Film Industry in Czech Republic in 1997

Report on the State of Czech Cinematography in 1997

Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Mass Media Department, July-September 1998

1.  INTRODUCTION

Last year, a Czech film won an Oscar for the best non-English language film after thirty years, but this has not changed anything in the non-preferred position of the national cinematography. Film production, assisted by international co-producers but especially by Czech Television and the Cinematography Fund, has maintained the optimum scope of twenty new full-length films. The influence of television has also found its reflection in a certain reduction of the production budgets; still the hunting for money to implement film projects remained the most difficult task for film-makers. Lack of capital forces Czech producers to accept unfavourable exploitation conditions when working with stronger local (Czech Television) or foreign partners. Thus, even the income -- fairly unique in our conditions -- generated by the global exploitation of Kolya, failed to provide the required investment injection for the Czech cinematography because its decisive portion was retained abroad.

With the stagnating state, other public, and private resources, lower attraction for viewers and low export prospects for the majority of feature films, the only possible result was a growing deficit. Such deficit both ruins local producers and makes them resort to ethical and legally unclear practices that further burden and compromise the entire industry. This is also affected by the extremely liberal approach to doing business in the audio-visual industry, insufficient or entirely missing records of subjects, as well as a non-existent review of their activities, including control and penalties for possible defects.

Also the situation regarding documentary films is not easy as its vital dependence on Czech Television further increased with the culminating crisis of Krátký Film Praha still, it would be an exaggeration to say that it is dying. The threatening liquidation of this company would hit in particular animated film making, currently in fact reduced to jobs ordered televisions. A relatively prospering section of the Czech industry is the provision of services to international film makers and especially the production of commercials.

Also film schools have been facing financial problems, although they grow in number and also their share in the original animated creation is increasing. Their contribution can also be seen in their on-going high share of débuts of new directors of feature films. Following the extinction of the film magazine Kinorevue, several new or renewed titles appeared in the market (Film Jam,  Biograph, Cinepur).

After seven years film distribution has recorded an increase in the number of viewers. This in spite of a significant increase of admission fees, so that even cinemas have made profit. Not so much that they could have in a sufficient way invested in their reconstruction and modernising, but their decline has practically stopped. The input of non-commercial films has been maintained, to be presented in film clubs, in art-cinemas and at various festival events, that have been slowly growing in numbers and that keep attracting the attention of especially young film fans. New festivals come into being while the existing ones have managed – even under the meagre financial conditions -- to improve and expand. The film industry last year eventually gained a strong and hopefully also a stable sponsor in the company Telecom, subsidising a number of festivals and other projects.

Last year’s performance of the Czech cinematography, thus, was not bad. Still, voices criticising lukewarm and non-conceptual support from the state are still to be heard. Film professionals lack a co-ordinating and servicing centre, which would especially support contacts between local audio-visual subjects and foreign partners, promote Czech films abroad, provide for a two-way flow of information, etc. They also require a tax relief and other benefits for producers and investors. They see as urgent the extension of the sources of revenue for the Cinematography Fund, beside cinemas also to the sphere of video and television, including a guaranteed subsidy from the state budget. They initiated the establishment of a working team at the Ministry of Culture’s Mass Media Department to prepare a new audio-visual act, which would replace the present unsatisfactory legislation (Act No. 241/92, the Cinematography Fund Act, and Act. No. 273/93, the Audio-Visual Works Act). Its specific form will this year depend not only on the future political development, but also on the economic situation and the ensuing financial potentials of the country.

2. LEGISLATION

By the reconstruction of the Audio-Visual and Copyright Department of the Ministry of Culture at the beginning of 1997 into the Mass Media Department, its authority expanded to also cover television, radio and the print media. Thus, the centre of gravity of the legislative work of the department has shifted to the media sector. Also, the material intent of so-called Press Act, was drafted. The preparation of the so-called Right to Information Act has moved forward, too; later, however, a draft submitted by some MPs got the upper hand. Work has began on the preparation of the act on the limitation of concentration and against cross ownership in the media and on a broader amendment of the Radio and Television Broadcasting Act. Instead of the originally planned amendment of Act. No. 241/1992, the Cinematography Fund Act, considerations were given at the year end to a new comprehensive audio-vision act; however, there is still a long way towards its enactment. Following the failure of the House of Deputies to enact the amendment of the Copyright Act, the Ministry of Culture has been drafting the material intent of a new Copyright Act, already approximated with the legal regulations of the European Union and with the international obligations adopted by the Czech Republic lately.

3. THE STATE SUPPORT FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY

The composition of the state support for Cinematography did not experience any substantial changes last year, however, its volume was somewhat reduced by the austerity measures. The largest item was the subsidy to the budget of the National Film Archives, in the amount of CZK 17 million. The state then covered the expenses connected with our membership of some European organisations (Eurimages, Eureka Audiovisuel, European Audiovisual Observatory), to the tune of about CZK 8 million. The Ministry of Culture budget also subsidised the activities of the Czech Film Clubs’ Association (almost CZK 700 thousand), the Czech Film and Television Union FITES (less than CZK 300 thousand), some twenty local film festivals and reviews lead by the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary (nearly CZK 10 million) and the magazine "Film a doba" (Film and Times - CZK 480 thousand), in total CZK 13 million. Adding the state expenditure on the running of the Cinematography Fund and the modest film section of the Mass Media Department of the Ministry of Culture, last year’s direct state grants amounted to CZK 42 million.

3.1. EURIMAGES

We joined this fund that stimulates active participation of Czech producers, authors, and directors in the European film making, production and distribution, in 1994. Let’s recall that Eurimages extends its activities along three lines. Grants for production projects would require the involvement of three co-producers from the Eurimages member countries and can be as much as FRF 5 million for a feature picture and FRF 1 million for a documentary. Grants for distribution projects are meant for European pictures and can be as much as FRF 100 thousand per one title. Grants for cinema operators to present European films require a 50% share of such films on their show-list and can amount up to FRF 200 thousand per year. Over four years, the Fund supported 5 projects with a Czech production majority and 7 minority projects. Eurimages further contributed to the distribution of 40 imported European films, and the Fund-subsidised cinemas in Prague (Lucerna) and Brno (Scala/Art), listed in the Europa Cinemas network, have entered their fifth season.

Even last year when our annual contribution to the Fund increased to FRF 1,320 million, we received from it still more than that: almost FRF 1,7 million. The only majority Czech project was the picture Sekal Must be Killed (Je tøeba zabít Sekala) which won a total grant of FRF 800 thousand. Approximately the same sum was granted to the minor project of The Barber of Siberia (Lazebník sibiøský) by the Russian director Nikita Michalkov. A total of 9 distribution projects were subsidised in the amount of FRF 300 thousand, and three subsidised cinemas shared FRF 340 thousand. This year’s balance is still more favourable, as two Czech majority projects (Prague Through the Eyes of…, All My Akin) have been allocated FRF 1,750 million.

3.2. EUREKA AUDIOVISUEL AND MEDIA II

It may be more difficult to measure the contribution our presence meant for the inter-Governmental organisation Eureka Audiovisuel, which specialises in information, methodology and mediating support for audio-visual activity in the member countries. EA updates its programme on an annual basis. After a year when it preferred educational events, seminars, training and courses, last year it directed itself onto support for pre-production preparation of projects, their financing, and on new audio-visual technologies. This year it turned its attention to international distribution of European pictures and the construction of a network of independent European distributors. The Czech audio-visual professionals have taken part in no less than thirty EA events since 1995, which have opened up for them not only qualified information, but also the necessary contacts with foreign partners. Lately, Eureka has co-ordinated its activity with the European Union’s MEDIA II programme, which is advantageous especially for those countries that have only been affiliated to the Union. EA also expands its publication activity, which is also addressed to Czech audio-visual professionals.

As far as the entry of the Czech Republic in the MEDIA II programme is concerned, it has been inhibited by lack of compatibility between the Czech and the European legislation in the audio-visual areas, especially the quotas of European programmes in television broadcasts, as well as other parameters. The membership fee and other costs have been so high with the MEDIA II programme that they currently constitute the most serious obstacle to our membership. Nevertheless, it is necessary that the Czech film-maker should prepare for it in advance so that they could make a full use of all potentials offered by the programme.

3.3.State Fund for the Support and Development of Czech Cinematography

In 1997, a total of 125 applications for grants were submitted on two deadlines, while agreements were concluded with twenty applicants for financial contributions totalling to almost CZK 30 million. Grants were paid out in the total sum of CZK 22.8 million. On top of that, the Fund had liabilities to the tune of CZK 47.5 million from previous years, which were being paid out step by step as soon as the contracting conditions were met. The Fund’s revenue reached CZK 48 million last year, of which CZK 36.5 million was generated from the commercial uses of older Czech pictures and about 10 million from the surcharge to admission fee in cinemas. Whilst the income from the cinemas topped the expectancy last year, the substantially more voluminous revenue from the commercial uses of pictures generated an ever increasing deficit, which exceeded CZK 110 million over three years. This deficit was mainly caused by AB Barrandov, which unjustifiably cut down and/or withdrew its payments to the Fund. The receivables for the commercial uses of films from another debtor, the Zlín Studios, is lower by an order: CZK 5.6 million, and according to latest reports it has already been settled. In this situation the Fund cannot effectively implement its functions because it cannot cover financially all of its approved and contracted events.

Last year, grants were approved for the full-length films The Wooden Boy (Otesánek - directed by Jan Švankmajer) in the sum of CZK 7 million, 3 million were allocated to The Circle (Kruh - Vìra Plívová-Šimková), while Sekal Must be Killed (Je tøeba zabít Sekala - Vladimír Michálek) and Prague Through the Eyes of… (Praha oèima... - Martin Šulík, Michaela Pavlátová, Petr Václav, Vladimír Michálek, Artemio Benki) received CZK 2 million each; Swift Motion of the Eyes (Rychlé pohyby oèí - Radim Špaèek) was given CZK 1.3 million, an episode Wedding Night (Svatební noc) from the film What Can Be Caught in the Rye (Co chytneš v žitì) by Roman Vávra was allocated 1 million, Night Conversation With My Mother (Noèní hovory s matkou) by Jan Nìmec received 980 thousand, a short-story Smíchov (Smíchov) from the film Prague Wretched (Praha mizerná -Štìpán Kaèírek) 250 thousand; for distribution, The Buttoners (Knoflíkáøi) by Petr Zelenka has got CZK 350 thousand. The feature documentary by Pavel Kaèírek Climb the Top - Preaching the Fish II (Výstup na vrchol - Kázání rybám II) will be supported with CZK 2 million, as well as the documentary essay by Karel Vachek Bohemia docta, the composed documentary by Dušan Hanák Intolerance (Intolerance) and the full-length film Among Blinded Madmen (Mezi zaslepenými blázny) by Petr Bok. Grants for eight shorter documentaries make CZK 3.3 million in total. The film review Project 100 - Winter 98 has received a grant of CZK 1 million from the Fund.

3.4.National Film Archives

The National Film Archives ("NFA") completed at the end of the year its premises in the Konvikt Building and equipped it with computers. At the beginning of the year, it opened to the public a library, a study, and a reading-room. Last year the Archives took over to its care film materials from the Zlín film-studios, the Czech Army Film, the Czech Ministry of the Interior and a number of other institutions. It processed and filed 2,250 film materials and more than 700 video cassettes, including 55 full-length pictures, 3 short films and 135 video cassettes acquired on the grounds of their statutory provision by producers. Some 280 thousand metres of film materials were copied to a fire-proof carrier, and some 330 thousand metres of film material were cleaned of mould. Documentary records concerning some 4 and half thousand films were digitised. The fund of scriptural documents was enriched by 9,830 photographs, mainly from Czech pictures, over 960 posters and 2,250 advertising materials. The restoration of old slides (3,160) and film posters (nearly 200) has continues; 420 older posters were photographed on slides. In June, the Film Almanac 1996 was published, along with four issues of the specialised review "Iluminace" and twelve issues of the oldest periodical in the industry, Filmový pøehled (Film Survey), with some new columns. The second volume of the publication Czech Feature Film (Ceský hraný film) was completed, covering the period of 1930 till 1945. The Department of Film Theory and History prepared a series of studies and articles, mainly for Iluminace, it participated in the Vienna seminar on the Czech and Austrian Film of the Thirties, etc. The library extended its funds by about 860 books, 120 script-books and more than a thousand issues of various periodicals. The cycle of film chronicles acquired a number of items, and the collection of personalities of the Czech cinematography received some sound and other recordings.

In the newly opened archives cinema more than 400 performances took place showing some 350 full-length and 170 short and medium-length films. The NFA held here, among other things, festivals of Chinese, Slovenian, Korean and Indian cinematography. Within its international co-operation, the NFA staged an extensive review of the European film avant-garde, it continued in its cycle devoted to significant directors and actors and certainly did not forget about people celebrating some anniversaries. The NFA participated in the preparation of such popular programmes and cycle by Czech Television as "Period Films", "Search for the Lost Time", "Czech Film Smiles", "Videostop", etc. Czech Television, at the same time, represented the main customer of the NFA, having borrowed more than one hundred full-length and almost five hundred short films. The NFA has also contributed to the agenda of the Febiofest Festival, the third decade of Project 100, the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, the Tìrlicko Film Summer and other events. For the Czech Film Clubs’ Association, it arranged the distribution of club films. The NFA added 28 older Czech pictures to the club library and eight foreign films were bought for the Artistically Worthy Pictures Fund. The NFA co-operated with the Association on the preparation of several nation-wide seminars and other events. It also partook in a number of international film events and organised the World Congress of the International Federation of Film Archives, FIAF.

3.5. International Activities

The Mass Media Department of the Ministry of Culture last year participated in the staging of Czech Day within the framework of the Slovak Art Film festival, a retrospective review of films by Jan Švankmajer in France and Italy, a review of the work of the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal in Rumania, Director Menzel’s review in Yugoslavia and Spain, festivals of Czech Films in Finland, Egypt and Kazakhstan, the Czech Cartoon Films for Children in the New York Lincoln Center, in the travelling exhibition New Europe held in Canada, and other events. Also, it arranged for Czech participation in nine international film festivals, programmes for the Czech centres abroad and other similar services. For this year, it was preparing so far the biggest review of Czech films in Japan and a reciprocal Week of Czech Films in China. At the end of 1997, however, the Mass Media Department terminated such activity.

The National Film Archives that thus took over the main load of the international activities participated – beside the above described events – in a seminar on the Czech and Austrian Film of the Thirties in Vienna, a review of the films by Director Vìra Chytilová in New York, it arranged for the participation of our films in the French Théatres au cinema festival, the review of animated films in Laon, France, a retrospective of European pictures in Ljubljana, Slovenia, of Director Menzel’s works in Berlin, a major retrospective festival of Czechoslovak films at the International Film Festival in Venice, a review of the films by Jan Svìrák in Cape Town, South Africa, and in a New York show and review marking the 90th birthday of Alexander Hackenschmied.

4. FILM CLUBS AND ART-CINEMAS

The Czech Film Clubs’ Association says that in the 1997/98 season the number of film clubs increased in the Czech Republic, nearing one hundred. Proportionally, the number of their members grew to more than 25 thousand. In 1997, film clubs made 1,230 borrowings and their performances were attended by almost 64 thousand viewers. The size and activity of clubs, of course, differ considerably; in Prague and in Brno, where there are several clubs, they present several pictures a week while in smaller places they usually apply the semi-monthly interval. The club repertory is based on older Czech (around 50) and East European (about 40) films, which have already been considerably worn down. Another about 60 pictures are kept by clubs in their own archives, which also includes films purchased pursuant to Act No. 273/93 by the National Film Archives. They are complemented by films presented within the framework of Project 100, Evenings of Film Library, etc. Last year the list was boosted by 20 new films (including eight registered in Project 100) from 15 countries - among them, however, only two picture were brand-new. The clubs enrich selectively their programmes from the offers of Cinemart and other distributors, the national cultural centres, etc. Numerous other sources are provided by once-off events held by the Association, specially the Summer Film School, the annual seminars of English, Hungarian and Russian films, and other. The increased input of pictures of the previous years, however, cannot fill in the gaps existing especially in the sphere of the world’s classical films, and the demand for interesting novelties has also been met only in part. Despite the fact that club performances often have higher average attendance than regular shows in the same cinemas, it needs to be admitted that buying any larger number of pictures for such a limited viewer circle would in our conditions be an indisputable luxury. A partial solution to this dilemma would be in holding once-off events like the Summer Film School, which offers participants over a hundred pictures in ten days and in general attracts more viewer than all clubs within the whole year. An increasing interest is shown in Project 100, which is also meant as an annual review. As against such once-off events, however, a consistent year-long activity plays an irreplaceable role. The third ten of full-length and short films, entitled Winter 1997, was presented by 60 cinemas in the Czech Republic (about a half more than in 1996) and was seen by 37 thousand viewers - with another 11 thousand viewers added up in Slovakia.

Yet another way as how to keep bringing more artistically ambitious films to the broad public is in creating the network of Art-Cinemas, (and/or art-performances) which last year included some one hundred cinemas in 90 places of the republic. In Prague alone, this repertory is regularly taken up by nine cinemas. The forming of the network of art-cinemas has been substantially contributed to by the distributing company Cinemart, which shows in them up to ten worthy pictures a year (18 so far), viewed last year by about 60 thousand people. Art-cinemas further present films within Project 100, club as well as suitable films from regular distribution. The promisingly evolving alternative distribution can be extended – beside the already mentioned Summer Film School and the seminar held by the Czech Film Clubs Association -- also by the Karlovy Vary Festival, Febiofest, Days of European Films, the new festival Indies in Prague, and other. The scope of their visitors overlaps to a substantial degree, thus representing a minor but slowly growing portion of cinema-goers – more than 2 per cent of all viewers and perhaps as many as 5 percent of all regular filmgoers.

5. DOMESTIC FESTIVALS, REVIEWS AND AWARDS

The International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary remains the chief cinematography event of the year; its 32nd annual show took place between 4 and 12 June, surpassing its predecessor in all parameters. In two competitions (full-length feature films and newly also documentary films) and nine non-competitive reviews (i.a., The Other View, Horizons, Forum of Independents, and East of the West) it presented almost 300 pictures from 46 countries, among them 200 full-length feature films. Almost 8 thousand accredited guests and more than 110 thousand viewers in 440 projections evidenced the steep growth which, however, already hits the limits of, among other things, the capacity and also quality of available projection rooms.

In the calendar order, first comes Febiofest, which expands still more dynamically. Its 4th year (23 January-6 February) astounded especially with its broad programming consisting of sixteen sections, including Project 100 - Winter 1997. It has already took place in 8 Czech and one Slovak cities and its more than 200 performances were visited by a record-high 50 thousand viewers. Thus, it confirmed its place among the leading non-commercial events. At the beginning of February, the Prague cinema Lucerna hosted a six-day review of films by Director Juraj Jakubisko. Two weeks later, the Prague cinema "Kvìten" saw an ‘in memoriam’ review of films made after stories by Bohumil Hrabal. Again in Prague (4-13 April) and in Brno (14-19 April), Days of European Film took place, accompanied by discussions at an international level: 35 pictures from 21 countries were seen by 22 thousand viewer. Concurrently, Plzeò was hosting the 10th year of the balancing festival of Czech feature films, entitled Finále (7-11 April), somewhat doubtful due to a mere one-month distance from the promulgation of the Czech Lions. A sought-after event, the Film Academy (FAMU) Film Festival was held for the seventh time at the beginning of May, this time in the Prague theatre Archa.

The International TV Festival Golden Prague 1997 (7-11 May), specialised in the musical and dance genres, gained a more pleasing and a more varied face programme-wise in Žofín in Prague. Yet another May event with more than thirty-year’s tradition was the last year by one day shorter International Festival of Scientific, Popular Scientific and Didactic Films and Video Programmes, Academia Film Olomouc (13-15 May). The longest running is the International Festival of Films for Children and Young People in Zlín, which took place immediately afterwards (15-21 May) already for the thirty seventh time. Due to a decline in the home production for children, the Scandinavian countries dominated this festival lately. Between 12 and 26 May, the Prague Konvikt Building saw the presentation of contemporary Chinese films. A small, mainly amateurish International Festival of Diver Films was organised already for the nineteenth time in Tachov, between 22 and 25 May. The May series was concluded by the merely second year of Eurofilm in Luhaèovice (24-31 May), which substantially expanded its agenda, first of all by picture from East Europe, and the much more modest although already almost a quarter-centennial, Medicfilm Podboøany, specialising in films on medical themes.

Regional tourism is the theme of the Tour Region Film Festival in Písek (10-11 June). The Nové Mìsto Laughter Pot Festival (14-21 June), originally an annual review of Czech comedy films, due to their present lack would also look abroad. In July, beside the Karlovy Vary festival, the Week of Iranian Films took place in the Prague cinema "Kiev" (21-27 July) and, on the break of July and August, the Summer Film School (25 July-3 August), which because of the aftermath of the flood moved from Uherské Hradištì to Jihlava. Apart from the variable main cycles (last year it was "Film and Literature" and "Film and Religion") the agenda consisted of regular cycles as well: "New Czech and Foreign Films", "Film Festival Echo", "Film Personalities", "Film Makers Anniversaries", "Short, Student and TV Creations", "Music and Film", "Unknown Film Territories", etc. Some 1,600 participants and guests could choose from 120 full-length and 170 short films, shown in two hundred projections. The successful transfer of such extensive and ambitious event (the organisers hardly had ten days to stage it) earned general appreciation.

Towards the end of the holidays (from 27 to 31 August) the 14th International Festival of Films About Mountains and Mountaineering in Teplice nad Metují and the new Summer Film Festival Køivoklát 97, combining premiere and archives pictures, took place simultaneously. The Tìrlicko Film Summer confronting young Czech, Slovak and Polish film makers held its fifth year in the Tìšín region, namely from 4 to 7 September. The Hungarian Cultural Centre in Prague together with the Czech Film Clubs’ Association prepared the 10th annual seminar on Contemporary Hungarian Film between 19 and 21 September. Also the international festival of films and video-recordings about tourism, Tourfilm Karlovy Vary (24-26 September) came to its jubilee, thirtieth year last year. The autumn series was launched by the regular club seminar Film Laughter in Rychnov nad Knìžnou, this time devoted to the art of Vlastimil Brodský and Jiøí Sovák (3-5 October). The next events were the new international review of works by students of film schools in Písek (8-10 September) and the renewed international festival of pictures and video-recordings about the environment, Ekofilm, which found a new, pleasing refuge in Ceský Krumlov (9-12 October). It was partially overlapped by another traditional review devoted to the youngest viewers, the Ota Hofman Film and TV Festival in Ostrov (11-15 October). Yet another newcomer, the Jihlava Festival of Czech Documentary, staged by the students of the local secondary general school from 24 to 26 October, made itself stand out by its high-quality programming as well as the large attendance of documentary makers. An extensive festival of Slovenian films was organised by the NFA in its Cinema Konvikt (29 October-25 November). The November term has been traditional for the international festival of films and video-recordings about science, technology and art, Techfilm Hradec Králové (7-12 November), whose 35th year carried on the efforts to include the world of technology into the broad social and cultural context. From 13 to 18 November, three Prague cinemas hosted the new international review of independent cinematography "Indies in Prague", the international festival of "film Cinderellas", responding to the demand for this, otherwise hardly accessible work. Within the framework of The Georgia Days held in Prague from 20 to 23 November, twelve Georgian pictures were shown in a historic review. At the same time, FITES organised a non-competitive festival of documentary and cartoon films, moved from Brno to the Prague cinema Mat. And as the third event on the same dates, 21 to 23 November, the town of Veselí nad Moravou hosted the 4th annual seminar on Russian pictures. In December, the NFA organised a festival of Indian films in Konvikt Building(3-12 December), concurrently with the 3rd seminar on English films held in Uherské Hradištì (5-7 December). In the pre-Christmas time, the Prague Biograf Pevnost presented the Advent Cycle of Spiritual Films (15-21 December).

Further festivals and reviews attended by both domestic and foreign film makers, complete with lectures, discussions, exhibitions, concert, etc. were held last year by foreign cultural centres, the NFA, film clubs, cinema operators and other organisers. A numerous series of reviews and competitions were held by film and video amateurs (Film Amateurs’ Benátky, the Amateur Arsfilm in Kromìøíž, the environmental festival "You Too Are Concerned" in Uherské Hradištì, the Brno Sixteen, The Young Camera in Unièov, the former Rychnov Eight, the Vysokov Cock, the Minute Film in Plzeò, the multi-genre Valašský špalíèek, the Beskydy Lizard, and other).

The festival activity, despite the gloomy material conditions, is very varied and keeps expanding. Also annual prizes and awards are bountiful in the film industry. As early as on 29 January, film journalists announced the Kristián Award for the most remarkable audio-visual action of the previous year. In February, the Association of Czech Cameramen awarded its annual prizes. A week later, the 1996 awards of the Televize Weekly readers’ poll, known as TýTý, were handed out in front of TV cameras. Less publicity accompanies the years-long opinion poll held by the (meanwhile extinct) magazine "Kinorevue" for the most popular Czech actor and actress. The February shower of prizes was concluded on 1 March by the most prestigious among them, the Czech Lions. As late as in September, awards for best direction and other performance in (especially television) dubbing, were distributed in Pøelouè. The November audio-visual Pierot Prizes are of regional Moravia-Silesia orientation. The end of the year then belonged to the promulgation of the annual Trilobite Prizes by the Czech Film and TV Association FITES.

6. AWARDS FOR CZECH FILMS AT HOME AND ABROAD

The most shining collection of awards last year went to Kolya (Kolja) - an Oscar for the best non-English language film and the Golden Globe in the same category, the UN award Time for Peace, the Grand Prix of the Tokyo International Film Festival, prizes from the international film festivals in Venice and Mirabelle, Italy, Madrid, Spain, Santa Barbara, USA, plus six Czech Lions, the award of film critics and readers of the "Cinema" magazine. Still larger is the collection of the Czech-German film Lea: the Grand Prix from the Bratislava Fórum ‘97, the International Film Festival in Brussels, Naples and Bludenz, Austria, the prize for the best new film from Montevideo, Uruguay, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, as many as three awards from Angers, France, the German Film Prix 1997, the Satyajit Raj Prix from the International Film Festival in London, and the FIPRESCI Prix from Sochi, Russia; from among the local awards: two Czech Lions and the Annual Award of the Association of Cameramen. It was not until this year that several awards also went to The Buttoners (Knoflíkáøi): four Czech Lions, the annual award of film critics and the Kristián Award, the Grand Prix and two more from Finále in Plzeò; internationally, it was the highest award from the International Film Festival in Bergamo, Italy, one of the grand prix at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam, the Grand Prix from Art Film in Trenèianské Teplice and the second prize from Lagów, Poland. A significant award from the International Film Festival in Montreal went to The Unclear Report About the End of the World (Nejasná zpráva o konci svìta) which also succeeded in Pesar, Italy, and which gained as many as four Czech Lions and a special award of the Czech Literary Fund Foundation on the domestic scene. The Jury Award from the International Film Festival in Mannheim went to the film Orbis pictus. The Wonderful Years That Sucked (Bájeèná léta pod psa - the Grand Prix from the Nové Mìsto Laughter Pot, the prize awarded by Cinema readers) was successful especially at home but it also won an award in Alexandria, Egypt. The remaining two Czech Lions were shared by A Path Through the Desolate Forest (Cesta pustým lesem) and Boomerang (Bumerang), or rather by the actor playing the main character, Jiøí Schmitzer. Mandragora gained more acclaim abroad - it snatched as many as five awards at the International Film Festival in Geneva. Two prizes from the Children’s Film Festival in Ostrov went to the film Into Heavens (Do nebíèka), it took it to this year for the fairy-tale Lotrando and Zubeida (Lotrando a Zubejda) to gain laurels at Nové Mìsto nad Metují, from where also the comedy Once There Was a Cop II (Byl jednou jeden polda II) did not leave empty handed.

Beside Kolya (Kolja), international acclaim was also reaped by some other films from the year before last: The Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté svìtlo) won three minor awards from the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary and an award from the International Film Festival in Newport (USA), while Marian (Marian) made its collection complete with the Special Jury Award from the Bratislava Fórum; The Dead Bug (Mrtvej brouk) won an identical prize in Sochi, Russia, while Conspirators of Pleasure (Spiklenci slasti) gained a special award from the International Film Festival in San Francisco and the film Whisper (Šeptej) received the so-called Support Prize in Cottbus, East Germany.

Among documentaries, the most successful was the film Unseen (Nespatøené) by Miroslav Janek, awarded in Leipzig, at the Prix Europa in Berlin, the Slovak Art Film as well as in Karlovy Vary. Two awards from "next-door abroad" went to the film by Karel Merhaut and Ivan Støíteský Cinderellas in Our Countryside (Popelky naší krajiny) at Agrofilm in Nitra and Ekotopfilm in Žilina (both in Slovakia). The overwhelming majority of other awards won by more than fifty documentaries come from domestic festivals. Among cartoon films, an older series by Lubomír Beneš Pat and Mat - The Snooker (Pat a Mat - Kuleèník) won a prize at the festival of animated films in Los Angeles. Also Encore (Repete) by Michaela Pavlátová, awarded in Tampere, Finland, dates some time back which confirms that this traditional Czech category has lately been stagnating. From among students’ works, the most successful was Eastern - Bloody Hugo (Eastern - Krvavý Hugo) by Aurel Klimt awarded at the FAMU Festival, the international review in Písek and the Brno Sixteen.

8. FILM PRODUCTION

If we stick to the collection of films enlisted for the Czech Lion award competition, again 20 full-length feature films came into being last year. Hereto we must add the film Visualisation (Zviditelnìní) by the Bolivian student of FAMU, Rodrigo Morales, shown only in club cinemas. Six of them were co-produced films: the fairy-tale Lotrando and Zubeida (Lotrando a Zubejda) is a through-out Czech film; The Firebird (Pták Ohnivák) financed mainly from Germany, only in the authorship sense; Lea (Lea) is both Czech and German, about half-and-half; The Arcade (Pasáž) is rather a universally European film; Blue Heaven (Modré z nebe) and Orbis pictus (Orbis pictus) are Slovak films with minor Czech contributions. The Eurimages Fund decided to support two of the twenty films while the local Cinematography Fund subsidised eight of them. A mere three films could be made without the involvement of Czech Television ("CT") and six of them were made with full funding from CT. In two cases, the public television was replaced as co-producer by TV Nova. The dependence of the contemporary feature film on television cannot be documented in a more distinct manner. If we do not take into consideration some ephemeral producers set up exclusively to produce one single film, the involvement of domestic producers is rather peripheral - there are the companies Space, Etamp and Barrandov Biografia that were involved in one, while In Film that participated in three is rather a Slovak than a Czech company. The costly project of The Unclear Report About the End of the World (Nejasná zpráva o konci svìta - at the same time a serial version was made) remains a rarity financed mainly from private sources.

The success among viewers as well as from the economic angle of last year’s twenty-one films can be judged by both the attendance and the receipts of cinemas (see chapter Film Distribution) but an artistic assessment is more tricky. According to responses by critics and both domestic and international awards, the best were The Buttoners (Knoflíkáøi), The Unclear Report About the End of the World (Nejasná zpráva o konci svìta) and Lea (Lea); The Wonderful Years That Sucked (Bájeèná léta pod psa) had a favourable reception, Lotrando and Zubeida (Lotrando a Zubejda) were appreciated, A Path Through a Desolate Forest (Cesta pustým lesem) had contradicting reviews, there were reservations against Orbis pictus and Mandragora, and few people wrote about the rest. Thanks to the Oscar and the successive second wave of interest, however, the year 1997 was marked by Kolya (Kolja).

The Czech film makers were slightly more open to film comedy which is traditionally in the highest demand. The film Once There Was a Cop II (Byl jednou jeden polda II), a continuation of the adventures of the police officer Maisner, even had a better time in the cinemas than its first part. The sardonically joyful family chronicle from the years of "normalisation", The Wonderful Years That Sucked (Bájeèná léta pod psa) had about a degree higher aspirations. It overrun in all aspects the adaptation of yet another novel by Viewegh, rather a self-ironic than humorous Educating Girls in Bohemia (Výchova dívek v Cechách).

Originality and especially screen-play sovereignty was characteristic of The Butonners (Knoflíkáøi), a black comedy of a post-modern stamping. Also of comical tune is the modern fairy-tale with songs, Lotrando and Zubeida (Lotrando a Zubejda) building upon well-tested authors. Also betting on humour was the routine but received with a cold shoulder by the audiences Account Separato (Konto separato) which tried to revive a criminal affair dating back to the first Czechoslovak Republic. A dramatic tone is present in two pictures from the same production workshop: Boomerang (Bumerang) about victims and culprits meeting in the same forced labour camp in the fifties, and a shortened version of the adventurous TV serial A Country Gone Wild (Zdivoèelá zemì) from the post-war border-land. A solitaire that cannot escape one’s attention is Jakubisko’s colourful message about our, from everywhere endangered world, The Unclear Report About the End of the World (Nejasná zpráva o konci svìta). The Czech-German Lea, a raw psychological drama of two underdogs, raised a far larger interest in the world than here. Likewise gloomy but highly stylised is the variation on the Kafkeasque theme, The Arcade (Pasáž) by Juraj Herz. Of documentary background is Mandragora, a testimony of flowering prostitution of boys today. The poetic picture of the old times, The Path Through a Desolate Forest (Cesta pustým lesem) can be included among experiments of its kind, along with the amateurishly novel The Shadow Line (Hranice stínu) after the story by the Catholic author Jan Cep, the just one-hour school study White Acacias (Akáty bílé) and the set of short-stories Visualisation (Zviditelnìní) that represents a racy glimpse into five post-Communist countries. Šulík’s girlish road movie Orbis pictus somewhat remained overshadowed by the previous Garden. There are as many as three women heroines in Blue Heaven (Modré z nebe) a debut of the Slovak film-maker Eva Borušovièová. The remaining two pictures are addressed to children: another in the series of Vorlíèek’s Czech-German story-book The Firebird (Pták Ohnivák) and the vacation eery Into Heaven (Do nebíèka), authored by Kryštof Hanzlík.

Last year, Czech-Slovak co-operation further evolved; the on-going internationalisation of the home production is testified to by the involvement of more "next-door" film makers (directors Fíla, Herz, Grodecki, Morales, to some extent also Nikolaev, writer Novák). Again, a number of newcomers were given the chance: Müller, Sláma, Borušovièová, Morales, in the full-length feature category Nikolaev and Vojnár). Actually, it was not non-commercial projects that would be missing; rather, this applied to top-quality commercial ones. It seems that contemporary topics remain a hot potato for Czech film-maker.

This year we probably remain under the established standard of twenty new Czech films. There are seven of them announced for the first half-year. The first film authored by Oskar Reif The Bed (Postel), a grotesque fate of a man mishandled by women, the third from the series of the co-produced fairy tales by story-book writer Macourek and director Vorlíèek The Lake Queen (Jezerní královna), the gloom-ridden story of the young never-do-well The Dead Bug (Mrtvej brouk - the first direction by Pavel Marek), a shortened version of the satirical TV series The Czech Soda (Ceská soda) and the situation comedy from the period the German occupation Hold Up, or I Shall Miss (Stùj, nebo se netrefím - already the third newcomer, Jiøí Chlumský). After a long time, Vìra Chytilová is back with a feminist black comedy All the Little Traps (Pasti, pasti, pastièky) while the small Olomouc Studies let out the fairy tale For God’s Sake, Granny, Make a Charm (Šmankote babièko, èaruj! - Zdenìk Havlíèek, again a debut). In the second half of the year, the "Moravia western" from the war Sekal Must Be Killed (Je tøeba zabít Sekala) by director Vladimír Michálek is expected to come out, same as the psychological drama The Time of Debts (Cas dluhù) in which Irena Pavlásková follows the lives of the heroes of her previous picture. The fund of Czech films fairy-tales was enriched by Zdenìk Zelenka and his film Rumplcimprcampr made after the story by Jan Werich, and by Václav Køístek and his Emperor and Drummer (Císaø a tambor). A recent FAMU graduate, Roman Vávra finish the episode film What Can be Caught in the Rye (Co chytneš v žitì), and Ivo Trajkov a story of a man who lost hearing, entitled The Past (Minulost). The film Swift Motions of the Eyes by Radim Špaèek will probably manage to have its first night this year but it will not obviously be before next year that we could be looking forward to the new film by Saša Gedeon The Return of the Idiot (Návrat idiota), the five short-stories entitled Prague Through the Eyes of… (Praha oèima...) by directors Martin Šulík, Michaela Pavlátová, Petr Václav, Vladimír Michálek and Artemio Benki, The Canary-bird (Kanárek) by Viktor Tauš, The Doubler (Dvojrole) by Jaromil Jireš, The Little Dens (Pelíšky) by Jan Høebejk, All my Akin (Všichni moji blízcí) by Matìj Mináè, and other films.

The spectrum of our film industry is complemented by companies that make pictures for the international markets (North American Pictures), co-produce them (Etamp Film, Prague International Films) or provide a scale of different services to foreign clients (these are the most numerous). Their turnover seemed to have stagnated last year, still its volume can be well compared to the funds spent on the production of Czech feature films.

Following Krátký film having vacated the positions, Febio became the largest producer of documentary films. This is namely thanks to the new cycle The Way … live (Jak se žije... - 52 fifteen-minute pictures) and the monthly Window to the Neighbours (Okno k sousedùm) made for CT. Dozens of documentaries come out of FAMU and some of them manage to penetrate to the TV screens as well. The socially urgent issues have been taken up by the Film & Sociology Foundation, the akin to it Helena Tøeštíková’s Foundation Man and Time, Pavel Štingl’s K 2 and other minor producers. Topics from the cultural sphere are attractive for Peter Ruttner’s Ad libitum and Miloslav Šmídmajer’s Pluto Film-Video; Skyfilm of Ivan Støíteský from Prostìjov is interested in environmental issues. The number of major producers includes Czech Army Film processing jobs from various fields. Didactic and educational films are the domain of Fontis, OK Vision, Holly, etc., while tourism is the specialisation of Volwocom. The voluminous production put out by the CVUT Audio-Visual Centre is of special and instruction character, similarly as pictures made by university audio-visual establishments. There is a significant independent group of producers making both separate and serial TV shows (HaD Film, before it split-off Krátký Film, in the cultural field, and Vachler Art Company which specialises in film making). A number of minor firms work for local television studios in Brno, Ostrava, Plzeò and other cities.

Czech TV remains the chief and decisive support of the Czech documentary genre, its largest producer, customer and disseminator. A minor portion of these productions come out as jobs ordered by the governmental (Ministry of Defence, Agriculture, Health, Environment, and organisations reporting to them) and non-governmental institutions, big manufacturers and business firms as well as come communities. Last year, tens of so-called "clean" documentaries came into being as well as more than 200 pictures in the broader sense of the genre. Names like Josef Císaøovský, the "visiting’ Vìra Chytilová, Pavel Koutecký, Miroslav Janek, Milan Maryška, Ján Piroh, Olga Sommerová, Tomáš Škrdlant, Jan Špáta, Helena Tøeštíková, from the younger generation then Tereza Kopáèová, Andrea Majstoroviè, and Marie Šandová testify to the fact that the Czech documentaries have not been lacking authors, and despite the gloomy material conditions, still has something to offer. It is the utilisation and presentation of such works that remain a chronic problem as they may appear once or twice on TV and afterwards one can meet with them only at festivals and other once-off events. Major reserves exist in their exporting and pushing them ahead globally.

Undoubtedly the worse is the situation faced by cartoon films where the description carried in last year’s report can be repeated. The only difference is that the current agony of Krátký Film has brought to the verge of termination two animated film studios of major tradition and more modest present but still of significance for the industry - the Jiøí Trnka Studios and the Brothers in Trick Studios. Actually, it was their production together with the exploitation of older animated films that kept the company alive. Against that the newly established studios such as the Prague Anifilm, AiF, AAA, Hafan Film, Via Lucis and Paj-Tash of Ostrava keep doing well and have already won themselves a name. However, even they can survive mainly thanks to the "good-night story" series, and foreign jobs now and then complemented by commercials. A white crow is the full-length animated film The Great pilgrimage of Hair and Chin (Velké putování Vlase a Brady - story and design by František Skála Jr., direction Martin Otevøel), which may be eventually implemented after two years of hesitation. Jiøí Bárta and his, unfortunately more expensive, project of Golem (Golem) has not been that lucky. The awaited expansion of computer animation has not taken place here as yet and has so far been kept in a supporting and complementary role in advertising and trick scenes in feature films.

A remarkable expansion has been experienced by animated films at film schools - FAMU, UMPRUM, in Zlín and now also in Písek. It seems that there is no lack of young talents but it is their professional career that raises questions. Which, actually, is a problem faced also by their older colleagues and which has been resulting in a permanent departure of people from the industry. Some find a solution in leaving the country, others would shift to some neighbouring fine arts discipline and to teaching, and still others would change their professions completely.

A dynamic and also profitable branch is the production of TV commercials, which -- apart from the specialised firms and agencies -- has also been taken up by some feature film producers. These producers supply not only the local market but often work on order for some prestigious foreign clients. Thus, a large number of commercials for the USA and Western Europe come into being here. We can also see a number of well known names among the authors and directors of such commercials: F.A. Brabec, Jan Høebejk, Igor Chaun, David Ondøíèek, Filip Renè, Jan Svìrák, Milan Šteindler, and Jiøí Bárta or Pavel Koutský in the cartoon film sphere.

9. FILM DISTRIBUTION

Eventually, a favourable turn was noted in attendance. Last year, 800 thousand more viewer went to Czech and Moravian cinemas, and the total of 9,815 million represents an increase of 9%! However, the entire such growth was marked in the first six months, while the second half of the year was characterised by stagnation. This stagnation was only partially due to the summer floods and their long-term impact that reduced the annual balance at least by a per cent. However, even a 10-million result can hardly be satisfactory: the per-capita attendance of 1.0 a year may place us ahead of all post-Communist countries (with the exception of Hungary) but still it means the last place among the West European nations. Also the comparison to the attendance in Czech and Moravian theatres which at an eighty-per-cent utilisation of the capacity on offer exceeds five million, is not very favourable, because there are ten-times less permanent theatres than cinemas.

What is heart-warming is that the share of attendance of Czech films went up as it exceeded 2 million viewer last year, i.e., about 21% (in 1996 it was only 15%). The clearly overweighing American share somewhat dropped to 6.5 million or two thirds of the film-goers (the year before: 76%). Films from the rest of the European countries were seen by almost 1.2 million, or 12% (6%), while the remaining less than one per cent was shared by extra-European productions. The success of the home production continued to be based on Kolya (450 thousand viewer) which -- stimulated by its Oscar award, placed for the second time as the best attended picture of the year. Then, however, it was substantially supported by other films -- especially by the pre-November family "saga" The Wonderful Years That Sucked (Bájeèná léta pod psa - 329), the crazy comedy Once There Was a Cop II (Byl jednou jeden polda II - 256), the fairy-tale Lotrando and Zubeida (Lotrando a Zubejda - 219) and the screening of another best-seller by Viewegh Educating Girls in Bohemia (Výchova dívek v Cechách - 188). The one-hundred-thousand mark was exceeded even by the ballad The Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté svìtlo - 124) along with yet another fairy-tale, The Firebird (Pták Ohnivák - 110). Also Jakubisko’s The Unclear Report About the End of the World (Nejasná zpráva o konci svìta - 91) performed well, followed after a gap by the previous year’s novelty Whisper (Šeptej - 48), then as the third title the fairy-tale The Pearl Maiden (O perlové pannì - 34), the promisingly up-and-coming The Buttoners (Knoflíkáøi) and -- on the other hand -- the Account Separato (Konto separato - both 32) favoured by having its first night in January. The top hundred also included the long-distance runner The Stone Bridge (Kamenný most - 24) and the possibly unjustly neglected children’s sci-fi Into Heaven (Do nebíèka - 19). The remaining new films of the year, White Acacias (Akáty bílé), A Path Through a Desolate Forest (Cesta pustým lesem) and The Shadow Line (Hranice stínu) obviously did not rely on a broader following. Mandragora and The Country Gone Mad (Zdivoèelá zemì) were to a certain degree handicapped by having be seeded later, while the response to Boomerang and The Arcade (Pasáž) can hardly be described other than a sheer disappointment. Also the two co-produced, rather Slovak than Czech, films: Orbis pictus and The Blue Heaven (Modré z nebe), failed.

From among American pictures, the most successful among viewers (certainly also thanks to intensive advertising and a maximum number of copies) were Men in Black (437). The feature version of the family film 101 Dalmatians (383), the less brilliant continuation of the Jurassic Park, The Lost World (365), Miloš Forman’s controversy work The People vs. Larry Flynt (312) and the musical Evita (238), made it to the top ten. The flattering Czech-American ratio of 5-4 in the top ten has an analogy perhaps only in France and it testifies not only to the permanent hunger for home production but also to a certain resistance on the part of our public against the massive imports of the transatlantic production. The tenth to the number is the British Bean (409) which -- despite the relatively low number of performances really made the favourite of the year. It also is far ahead with the average attendance of 224 viewers per performance, with Men in Black (174), Kolya (155), 101 Dalmatians (150), Lotrando and Zubeida and Evita (both 122), The People vs. Larry Flynt (118), The Lost World (114), Once There Was a Cop II (106) as well as The Wonderful Years That Sucked (104), lagging far behind it.

British films, actually, recorded a remarkable boost last year (The English Patient - 14th, the perennial Trainspotting - 17th), having shared in the attendance with a full 8 per cent. The French share was hardly three percent, and the rest of the productions were left behind with mere trifles. From the individual titles worth mentioning, there is the French nature document Microcosmos viewed by 77 thousand people. Against expectations, the Russian self-ironic comedy Specialities of National Hunting (33) presented mainly only in art-cinemas, had a good year.

The American film production dominates the lists practically everywhere in the world, although to different extents. The most superior, somewhat paradoxically, it is in the post-Communist countries where it reaches as much as 90% of the market share. In France, Italy, but also in Norway, the share is around 60 per cent, and in Western Europe in general, according to the British Screendigest, it did not exceed 70% lately. Accordingly, with last year’s 69%, we are at the upper margin of the European zone. At the same time it can hardly be asserted that we import over a hundred American pictures a year because they "simply are the best" or "people require them". Rather, we have been "sentenced" to such portion by their suppliers, to whom the biggest home distributors have been linked. This is documented by both the permanent decline in attendance of the transatlantic production (by about a third over the last three years!), the never-declining interest in Czech films, the triumph of the locally very popular Mr Bean, as well as by the favourable reception of the French Microcosmos, that hardly could have been expected to be a hit but which in attendance left behind about a hundred of American films. However, it is a highly qualified, elaborate and risky job to identify such titles and then properly sell them in the domestic market.

Last year the number of film performances slightly fell to 168 thousand, thus the attendance per performance went up to acceptable 58 viewers. The average admission fee grew by a third to CZK 44.50 and also the receipts increased dramatically: CZK 437 million, which is almost by a half. In the distributor list, Bontonfilm continues to play the first fiddle (35% of the market and the record-high 60 first nights); breathing on its neck, though, there is the aggressive Falcon (32%, with a mere 24 first nights). The next places belong to Intersonic (12% and 22), Space (9% and 4), the still operating Gemini (7% and 21), along with a group of six small distributors, from which two - the NFA (12 first nights) and Cinemart (8) specialise in non-commercial films.

There was again more first nights, 173, last year (the year before it was 167), the American allotment increased to 115 (103), there was 20 news Czech films, including co-produced ones (19), 8 British and French (12/9), 3 Australian, 2 Slovak, Russian and Finnish and thirteen country contributed with one title each. Thanks to non-commercial films, the composition of the offer was fairly varied.

As far as genres are concerned, comedies (mainly domestic) seem to maintain a permanent priority; sci-fi films have good chances if they do not take themselves too seriously (Men in Black). The names of some directors represent a sure draw: Spielberg (The Lost World) and especially Forman (The People vs. Larry Flynt), actors (Evita, even Liar Liar) or the home best-seller author Viewegh (The Wonderful years That Sucked, Educating Girls in Bohemia). In the case of The English Patient it was the collection of the Oscars that had the effect. Children’s and family films seem to have a stable following. Horrors (Anaconda), action films (Con Air) and thrillers (Ransom) need to be sought after in the second ten and farther away. The erotic thriller Crash, on the brink of perversion, ended up below the average as far as attendance is concerned. On the other hand, original stories would attract viewers even without any outside effects. This can be documented by this year’s "unemployment" story The Full Monty. Still, also this film was distributed and thus profited from globally by the Americans.

10. CINEMAS

Cinema-owners, originally concerned about the pressure from distributors to increase admission and lending fees, mostly praised the previous year in the end. The higher prices, surprisingly, did not freeze the renewing interest in cinemas. However, the gap grew between Prague, where in the fresh case of Titanic the ticket price exceeded CZK 100, and smaller places, where it ranged between CZK 30 and 40. Two cinemas were closed down in the capital but this loss was compensated for by new additions: Cinemart opened the chamber Cinema Evald in the city centre, the NFA moved its Ponrepo Cinema to the historic Konvikt Building, while Cinema Aero plans to renew its poly-functional operation. The biggest rush is around the projects of the Prague multi-cinemas, of which as many as six could grow here in the years to come - in Slovanský Dùm, in the newly constructed business and administrative centres in Cerný Most and in Smíchov, in the former Cinema Moscow in Kobylisy, at Výstavištì (the Exhibition Grounds) and even in Strahov. Also the second largest town Brno cannot complain about the number of cinemas: there are 16 of them, together with film clubs, and the new Cinema Cafe in the centre and a drive-in cinema in the outskirts of the city were added to them this year. Ostrava, too, has added Cinema Art to the existing six cinemas. As far as the other major cities are concerned, Plzeò stays with a mere two (and three show rooms), similarly as Liberec and Zlín, while the inhabitants of Olomouc, Ústí nad Labem and Pardubice can choose from three. Ceské Budìjovice has an extra open-air cinema theatre operating in the summer, same as Hradec Králové, which runs even four permanent cinemas. The venue of the international film festival, Karlovy Vary, beside two standing and one open-air theatre, also has several small show rooms in the spa houses; an attempt to make a round-the-year use of the (festival) complex of the Hotel Thermal and turn it into a multi-cinema, failed after several months.

The reduction of the network of the cinemas slowed down at the nation-wide scale, with only those most resistant having remained in the countryside, willing to cover the loss of several hundred crowns per each screening. Also some councillors in smaller towns found it rather ridiculous to give up the only cinema in town. It is impossible to identify the exact number of cinema that are really in service (not those that just failed to announce their termination) due to imperfect record-keeping. The Film Distributor’s Union estimates that there are about 720 permanent and 110 open-air cinemas. Of them, about 30% are in private hands (mostly in Prague and large cities) which, however, make for full two-thirds of the revenue. The rest are run by communities through various contributory organisations (cinema administrations, municipal cultural centres) or they are subleased to private operators. Because their operation generates loss in the overwhelming majority of cases, even with the current boosted attendance and various marginal incomes (advertising, video libraries, refreshment) they can hardly do without subsidies for which the lessees are compensated, e.g., in the form of reduced rents or other costs. The financial volume of advertising in cinemas (allegedly up to CZK 180 million) does not seem to be marginal if compared to the income from admission fees but the operators seem to be able to retain only a minor portion of that money.

Last year Prague cinemas attracted about a quarter of all viewer and about a third of all receipts. If we add the group of the major cities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants, their share in attendance would increase to a half. The list of the best sought-after cinemas (without those that refuse to supply the data) is headed in a smashing manner by the Prague and the only multi-cinema in the country, Galaxie, with 732 thousand viewers, followed by Lucerna (Prague) 225, Alfa (Brno) 168, Blaník (Prague) 147, Vesmír (Ostrava) 139, Velké (Zlín) 132, Svìtozor (Prague) 130, Hvìzda (Prague) 127, Kapitol (Brno) 126 and Broadway (Prague) 124. The second ten includes: Metropol (Olomouc) 105, Centrál (Hradec Králové) 104, U hradeb (Prague) 101, Kvìten (Prague) 97, Morava (Brno) 95, Hranièáø (Ústí nad Labem) 94, Elektra (Plzeò) 89, Scala (Brno) 86, Vesmír (Ceské Budìjovice) 84 and Luna (Ostrava) 83 thousand viewers.

The glory of once so popular open-air cinemas seems to be over, as they are handicapped by late-night showings, unstable weather, transport difficulties, maybe too Spartan conditions, vandalism and other problems. In many cases, they just stand up in the summer for the permanent cinemas, temporarily closed. Last year, the first drive-in cinema appeared in Vyžlovka, a recreational resort near Prague. Communities or private owners are hardly capable of improving significantly the unsatisfactory technological state of most cinemas. In large cities, they mostly rely on hypothetical investors, while in smaller places rather on local patriotism and film fans. The only regular increase is marked of cinemas furnished with the Dolby stereo sound systems - there were exactly 50 of them at the end of 1997.

Beside the already mentioned club and art performances, a large group of cinemas offers periodically (most usually once a week) reduced fee shows for children, although they generate loss and also suffer from a lack of new films. Very rarely there are infrequent screenings for old-age pensioners.

11. VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

In the previous Report, we complained here that we could only base our assessments in the area of the video-distribution of very rough guess. This year, even such information became inaccessible – it was actually due to our pertinacious efforts to obtain at least some basic data about last year’s balance of the video that this year’s Report was delayed. The Czech Anti-Piracy Union -- unlike in the previous year – told us that it had not any business data, and we were not successful also with the Video Distributors’ Union which may cover companies with the decisive market share but was not prepared to collect and process data concerning the entire distribution field (such as UFD).

According to estimates from other sources, the revenue of this, second only to TV, mass film medium dropped moderately last year, thus remaining under CZK one billion, which on the one hand testifies to some permanent stagnation, on the other hand to a relative stability of the prices. At the dramatic increase of the revenues of film distribution, the cinema-video turnover ratio dropped to two-to-one and the gap widened between daily renting fee (CZK 15-35, in some extraordinary cases even CZK 10) and the cinema admission fee (also in excess of CZK 100). However, it is mainly the dominating competition of television rather than the renewing interest in cinema that prevents video from expanding. Even the increase of the number of video-players in households has slowed down; currently, about 30 per cent of households own one. The estimates of the number of video libraries and recorded cassette points-of-sale differ considerably - from two to three thousand. The same applies to the annual increase in the number of the borrowings which obviously did not exceed 20 million. The volume of the retail sales represents something over one million video programmes. The market ratio between borrowings and sold video films has been slowly levelling.

Majority distributors associated in the Video Distributors’ Union annually publish about 500 titles for the libraries and the same number for retail sales. The total topical offer is higher with the titles on sale (up to 2500) but it is still higher with the titles in the libraries (up to 8000). In large video libraries customers can choose from two, three and even more thousand video cassettes. The spread in the number of the cassettes designed for libraries is quite high (500 to 5000 pieces) but it sinks moderately. Still larger is the spread with cassettes designed for retail sales -- 500 to 50 000 pieces. The average prices of programmes on sale go slowly up and most often they vary in the range of CZK 300 to 500.

The repertory of video has been changing relatively quickly. It can be said in principle that films that succeed in the cinema also have good sales on video. The out-of-proportion broader offer of video libraries, however, also includes films that never appeared on the screen. The reverse can be said especially about so-called "minority" pictures, i.e., those that usually have higher artistic value. According to a reliable research performed by the company Dispro, last years video library top ten looked like this: The Rock - Kolya - Independence Day - The Nutty Professor - Twister - Executive Decision - 12 Monkeys - Eraser - Spy Hard and Ransom. The overwhelming American domination is confirmed by the first one hundred films, which -- apart from 92 transatlantic pictures -- included the following local films: There Once Was a Cop II (Byl jednou jeden polda II), The Wonderful Years That Sucked (Bájeèná léta pod psa), The Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté svìtlo) and Educating Girls in Bohemia (Výchova dívek v Cechách), then the British Trainspotting and Mr Bean: Amazing Adventure (Mr.Bean: Úžasná dobrodružství) together with the Italian Crazy Comedy 3 (Bláznivá komedie 3). At the same time hardly eight pictures from this top one hundred appeared in our cinemas previously. In the genre breakdown, comedies keep only closely ahead of action films and thrillers which, though, have the upper hand if combined. As against the comedies where Europe maintained unexpected superiority the other two genres practically represent a one-hundred-per-cent American imports. American films also top the list of children’s and family films, although a full one quarter placing in the first fifty are Czech pictures. These also sell fairly well but we do not have even estimates of such sales.

The quartet made up of Bonton Home Video, Hollywood Classic Entertainment, Warner Home Video and Intersonic had the main say last year, offering as they were mainly films by major American producers. The good news is that Czech Video Centre has been strengthening its position lately as it directs itself on home production. From among the other distributors, only three had at least one-per-cent market share. The share of American video films has been permanently higher than in cinemas, exceeding 85 %.

Video distributors have been waging a Sisyphean fight through the Czech Anti-Piracy Union (fighting the violation of copyright also in cinemas and cable TV) against illegally disseminated video programmes. The ever improving protection of legally copied films has been constantly countered by the unsparing inventiveness as well as the ever better technological equipment of pirates, so that the black market share is still estimated at 20 to 25 per cent. While the video distributors call for state assistance in the abatement of the black market, on the other hand they seem to enjoy that certain owl-light in which they operate.

12. TELEVISION

According to last year’s data, 97% of Czech household had a TV set, 84% a coloured one. Satellite dishes could be found in only 6%, i.e., about 250 thousand, households, and cable TVs had about 800 thousand connections which represented roughly 13% of household. The composition of the four nation-wide TV stations -- CT1, CT2, Nova, Prima -- did not change last year and also the availability of their signal remained unbalanced. Nova is best available as it can be viewed in optimum quality by 98% inhabitant of the Czech Republic, followed by CT1 with 96-97%, CT2 with a slightly lesser coverage -- 91-92%, while Prima has only been slowly cutting down its distance with approximately 75 per cent. The full-day following of this quartet, measured with help of a more exact, electronic way since June, developed in a more dynamic way. It slightly dropped to 52% with the leading Nova, CT’s following varied around 28%. A positive phenomenon is the increase for CT2 to 7%, while Prima had even better results: 9%. The remaining, i.e., cable, satellite and terrestrial foreign televisions were left with a mere 4 per cent.

The July 50% increase in subscription fees (from CZK 50 to 75 a month) while maintaining the time limits for advertising improved the strained economic situation of Czech Television. Commissioned by law as it is with many publicly beneficial but unprofitable tasks (such as to support original Czech film-making) it certainly needed it. The relatively high profitability of Nova leads to its natural expansion. The fascination at having an economically capable private TV was gradually replaced by anxiety concerning its growing economic power and subsequent political influence supported by a dominant share in the formation of the public opinion as well as the majority taste. The year 1997 actually did not see the end of the dispute regarding the fact that the licence was issued to a different subject (and for a different project) than that which has been running Nova. Vague property relations are actually also characteristic of the other nation-wide television, Prima.

The cable TV sector has not been developing quite stormy, either, as it currently comprises some seventy TV subject, mostly of a local size. The biggest cable TV, Kabel Plus, associating several regional networks, has an American proprietor. There are less than ten companies that broadcast their programmes via the satellite, including the pay American HBO, Max and SuperMax. All of the three networks have been interconnected, e.g., the cable networks receive satellite programmes, the regional and local stations make use of time gaps in the transmission plans of Prima disseminated by way of terrestrial transmitters, etc. The offer is further expanded by more than 110 foreign satellite programmes available on our territory - their share in the total following, however, is very low.

Last year, too, the best following of the major four TV stations, beside the evening news and some public-affair programmes (Nova) was scored in the first place by entertaining shows (all of them) and top sporting broadcasts (CT). Feature films, however, still are the main programming pillars, both in the scope of their presentation, following and viewer satisfaction. Last year, CT1 screened some 650 pictures, that is slightly more than in 1996, including 42% Czech, 32% American and 23% European ones. CT2 retained its 500 feature films mark, mainly European (53%), ahead of American (32%), and traditionally less Czech pictures: 9 %. With Nova, the number of films somewhat decreased but the ratios remained unchanged: from the total of seven hundred films, again about 57 per cent were American, 18% Czech and 25% European. Again, the largest number of feature films was screened by Prima, although the total number was lower, roughly 710. The increase in the number of American films (62%) meant a reduction of the Czech ones (20%), and about 17% of the list was left for European films. These numbers, of course, do not include television films and series which would turn this ratio, especially with the private TVs, substantially in favour of the American production.

The highest following was scored by Czech pictures at CT only at Christmas, namely Fanny (Fany), The Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté svìtlo) and the fairy-tale Rumplcimprcampr. Among the foreign pictures, the highest interest was aroused by the older films Fanfan the Tulip (Fanfan Tulipán), Crocodile Dundee (Krokodýl Dundee), Operation Condor (Tøi dny Kondora) and The Silence of the Lambs (Mlèení jehòátek). Also the "majority" viewers of Nova preferred such well-established titles as Old Shatterhand, The Gods Must Be Crazy and The Call of the Wild, and from among the Czech films: Sun, Hay and a Couple of Slaps (Slunce, seno a pár facek). As far as new films are concerned, only the cartoon New Jungle Book ranked among the best viewed. At Prima, beside the American True Lies, also the fluky Russian Father Frost and an older Czech fairy-tale The Prince and the Evening Star (Princ a Veèernice) made a break-through. Generally speaking, viewers seem to prefer older pictures, although rugged, to brand-new ones, and they distribute their favour evenly among the different genres.

The new and old Czech documentaries are systematically shown only by CT (documentaries, without publicity, actually make up a respectable 9% of its programming), while Prima and Nova present almost none. Also Czech animated films can be seen very rarely on the two private TVs, something that can be explained by the fact that a major portion of them belong to CT’s programming fund.

As indicated before, Czech Television remains the major producer of Czech feature films, followed in a moderate way by Nova. It also is the most important client of the independent producers concerning the production of isolated (solitaire) programmes and serials, documentaries and cartoon serials. Such a strong domination may bring about certain disadvantage for Czech Television’s small and still smaller partners but it is the logical outcome of the situation in the local audio-visual market.

CZECH FILM PRODUCTION

¹ First nights in cinemas, including international co-productions
² Including video-recordings and similar genres (publicity, popular-scientific, educational, informational), without TV programmes
³ Including serial instalments
* Estimated  

Czech full-length PREMIERES in 1997

AKÁTY BÍLÉ / WHITE ACACIAS
Directed by: Bohdan Sláma - Czech Republic
Produced by: Studio FAMU / Krátký film Praha / Czech Television + SFCRPRÈK grant

BÁJEÈNÁ LÉTA POD PSA / THE WONDERFUL YEARS THAT SUCKED
Petr Nikolaev - Czech Republic
Space Films / Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

BUMERANG / BOOMERANG
Hynek Boèan - Czech Republic
Czech Television

BYL JEDNOU JEDEN POLDA II / ONCE THERE WAS A COP II
Jaroslav Soukup - Czech Republic
Nový oceán / TV Nova / Starorežná Prostìjov / Krátký film Praha

CESTA PUSTÝM LESEM / A PATH THROUGH A DESOLATE FOREST
Ivan Vojnár - Czech Republic
Czech Television /Production GAGA + SFÈRPRÈK grant

DO NEBÍÈKA / INTO HEAVENS
Kryštof Hanzlík - Czech Republic
Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

HRANICE STÍNU / THE SHADOW LINE
Martin Müller - Czech Republic
Studio Velehrad Olomouc + SFÈRPRÈK grant

KNOFLÍKÁØI / THE BUTTONERS
Petr Zelenka - Czech Republic
Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

KONTO SEPARATO / ACCOUNT SEPARATO
Dušan Klein - Czech Republic
Czech Television Ostrava

LEA
Ivan Fíla - Germany, Czech Republic
Ivan Fila Filmproduktion / Avista Film / Barrandov Biografia

LOTRANDO A ZUBEJDA / LOTRANDO AND ZUBEIDA
Karel Smyczek - Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria
Czech Television Brno / Mirage Production Service / ArtCam International / Vida Film + Eurimages grant

MANDRAGORA
Wiktor Grodecki - Czech Republic
Prague Film Enterprises

MODRÉ Z NEBE / BLUE HEAVENS
Eva Borušovièová - Czech Republic, Slovakia
Charlie´s / In Film / Czech Television / Slovak Television

NEJASNÁ ZPRÁVA O KONCI SVÌTA / AN UNCLEAR REPORT ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD
Juraj Jakubisko - Czech Republic
J&J Jakubisko Film / Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

O PERLOVÉ PANNÌ / THE PEARL MAIDEN
Vladimír Drha - Czech Republic
Czech Television / Tøi bratøi production

ORBIS PICTUS
Martin Šulík - Czech Republic, SR
Charlie´s / In Film / Czech Television / Slovak Television

PASÁŽ / THE ARCADE
Juraj Herz - Czech Republic, France, Belgium
Etamp Film Production / Les Films de la Cassine / Artemis Production / Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

PTÁK OHNIVÁK / THE FIREBIRD
Václav Vorlíèek - Czech Republic, Germany
Art Oko Film / In Film Praha

VÝCHOVA DÍVEK V CECHÁCH / EDUCATING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA
Petr Koliha - Czech Republic
Czech Television

ZDIVOÈELÁ ZEMÌ / A COUNTRY GONE WILD
Hynek Boèan - Czech Republic
Czech Television

ZVIDITELNÌNÍ / VISUALISATION
Rodrigo Morales - Czech Republic
Rodrigo Morales - Audio-Visual Production / Czech Television + SFÈRPRÈK grant

CZECH FILM DISTRIBUTION

¹ genuine operating cinemas
* Estimated

CINEMAS WITH THE BEST ATTENDANCE IN 1997
in thousands of admissions

Audiovisual Institutions, Companies and Other ADDRESSES

INSTITUTIONS

POSLANECKÁ SNÌMOVNA PARLAMENTU CR - VÝBOR PRO VÌDU, VZDÌLÁNÍ, KULTURU, MLÁDEŽ A TÌLOVÝCHOVU/ THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES OF CZECH PARLIAMENT - SUBCOMMITTEE FOR SCIENCES, EDUCATION, CULTURE AND YOUTH
Snìmovní 4, 118 26 Praha 1, tel. 02/57175583, fax 539357
Chair: Petr Mareš, Ph.D.

MINISTERSTVO KULTURY CR - ODBOR HROMADNÝCH SDÌLOVACÍCH PROSTØEDKÙ / CZECH MINISTRY OF CULTURE - MASS MEDIA DEPARTMENT
Milady Horákové 139, 160 41 Praha 6, tel. 02/57085315, fax 24322558
Director: Marína Landová, Ph.D.

EUREKA AUDIOVISUEL - CESKÝ NÁRODNÍ KOORDINÁTOR / AUDIOVISUAL EUREKA  - CZECH NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR
Milady Horákové 139, 160 41 Praha 6, tel. 57085310, fax 24322558
Co-ordinator: Hana Váchalová, Ph.D.

EURIMAGES - CESKÝ NÁRODNÍ KOORDINÁTOR / EURIMAGES - CZECH NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR
Milady Horákové 139, 160 41 Praha 6, tel. 57085311, fax 24322558
Co-ordinator: Jaromil Jireš

RADA CR PRO ROZHLASOVÉ A TELEVIZNÍ VYSÍLÁNÍ / CZECH RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING COUNCIL
Krátká 10, 100 00 Praha 10, tel. 02/7811826, 7813830, fax 7810885
Chair: Josef Josefík, Secretary: Helena Havlíková, Ph.D.

STÁTNÍ FOND CESKÉ REPUBLIKY PRO PODPORU A ROZVOJ CESKÉ KINEMATOGRAFIE / STATE FUND FOR THE SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF CZECH CINEMATOGRAPHY
Milady Horákové 139, 160 41 Praha 6, tel. 02/57085248, fax 24321053
Chair: Lubor Dohnal, Secretary: Miloš Fryš, MSc

NÁRODNÍ FILMOVÝ ARCHIV / NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVES
Malešická 12, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/894363, fax 6973057
Director: Vladimír Opìla

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

APD - SDRUŽENÍ AUTORÙ ANIMOVANÝCH FILMÙ / APD - ASSOCIATION OF ANIMATED FILM AUTHORS
Na Doubkové 8, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/539820, fax 536068
Statutory representative Ivan Vít

ASOCIACE PRODUCENTÙ V AUDIOVIZI (APA) / ASSOCIATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL PRODUCERS (APA)
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67073440, fax 67075000
Statutory representative: Jan Šuster, MSc

ASOCIACE CESKÝCH AUDIOVIZUÁLNÍCH REŽISÉRÙ / ASSOCIATION OF CZECH AUDIO-VISUAL DIRECTORS
Pod nuselskými schody 3, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/6910310, fax 6911375
Statutory representative: Karel Smyczek

CESKÁ FILMOVÁ A TELEVIZNÍ AKADEMIE
CZECH FILM AND TELEVISION ACADEMY
Na žertvách 40, 180 00 Praha 8, tel. 02/6836487, fax 6836489
Chairman of the Board: Miroslav Ondøíèek, Executive Director: Petr Vachler

CESKÝ FILMOVÝ A TELEVIZNÍ SVAZ FITES
CZECH FILM AND TELEVISION UNION (FITES)
Pod nuselskými schody 3, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/6910310, fax 6911375
Chair: Martin Skyba

HERECKÁ ASOCIACE
ACTORS’ ASSOCIATION
Senovážné nám. 23, 112 82 Praha 1, tel. 02/24142672, fax 24142690
President: Jan Teplý

SAVTAM - SVAZ AUDIOVIZUÁLNÍCH TECHNIKÙ A MANAŽERÙ / SAVTAM - UNION OF AUDIO-VISUAL ENGINEERS AND MANAGERS
Uhøínìveská 40, 100 00 Praha 10, tel. 02/67073720, fax 297137
Statutory representative: Vladimír Kasika, MSc

UNIE FILMOVÝCH DISTRIBUTORÙ
FILM DISTRIBUTORS’ UNION
U Rajské zahrady 14, 130 00 Praha 3, tel/fax 02/22713001
Secretary: Anna Cerná

TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS

KUK - KONFEDERACE UMÌNÍ A KULTURY   / KUK - ARTS AND CULTURE CONFEDERATION
Senovážné nám. 23, 112 82 Praha 1, tel. 02/24142721, fax 24142512
President: Adriena Jirková

KINOS - MEZINÁRODNÍ ODBOROVÝ SVAZ PRACOVNÍKÙ V KINEMATOGRAFII
KINOS - CINEMATOGRAPHY WORKERS INTERNATIONAL
Senovážné nám. 23, 112 82 Praha 1, tel. 02/24142670, fax 24142512
Chair: Adriena Jirková

FOUNDATIONS

NADACE CESKÝ LITERÁRNÍ FOND / CZECH LITERARY FUND FOUNDATION
Film and Television Section
Pod nuselskými schody 3, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/6911362, 6911908, fax 6911375
Director: Michal Novotný, MSc

NADACE FILM-FESTIVAL KARLOVY VARY / KARLOVY VARY FILM FESTIVAL FOUNDATION
Moskevská 21, 361 20 Karlovy Vary, tel. 017/3223862, fax 3224870
President: Josef Pavel, LLD

NADACE MILOŠE HAVLA / MILOš HAVEL FOUNDATION
c/o Czech Television, Kavèí hory, 140 70 Praha 4, tel. 02/61137415, tel/fax 61137416
Statutory representative: Yvona Dobranská, MA

PROFILMS
Štìpánská 61, 116 02 Praha 1, tel/fax 02/96236353, 96236383
Statutory representative: Deana Jakubisková

SPECIAL-INTEREST ASSOCIATIONS

ASOCIACE CESKÝCH FILMOVÝCH KLUBÙ
CZECH FILM CLUBS ASSOCIATION
Malešická 12, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/894300, 894687, fax 6973057
Chair: Jan Kastner

COPYRIGHT ORGANISATIONS

CESKÁ PROTIPIRÁTSKÁ UNIE / CZECH ANTI-PIRACY UNION
Pobøežní 22, 186 00 Praha 8, tel. 02/2328767, 2328778, fax 2320983
Director: Markéta Prchalová

DILIA - DIVADELNÍ A LITERÁRNÍ AGENTURA / DILIA - THEATRICAL AND LITERARY
Krátkého 1, 190 00 Praha 9, tel. 02/826841-8, fax 824009
Director: Ladislav Simon, MA

IFPI CR - MEZINÁRODNÍ FEDERACE FONOGRAFICKÉHO PRÙMYSLU / IFPI CR - INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PHONOGRAPHIC INDUSTRY
Senovážné nám. 23, 112 82 Praha 1, tel. 02/24142373, fax 24142374
Secretary: Vratislav Šafáø, MSc

INTERGRAM
Na poøíèí 27, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/2311392, fax 2323341
Director: Martin Maøan, MSc

OSA - OCHRANNÝ SVAZ AUTORSKÝ / OSA - COPYRIGHT PROTECTION UNION
Cs. armády 20, 160 56 Praha 6, tel. 02/20315111, fax 3123073
Director: Josef Slanina, LLD

TECHNOLOGY

KINOTECHNIKA PRAHA
U prùhonu 36, 170 00 Praha 7, tel. 02/876550, fax 809846
Director: Jaroslav Novotný, MSc

VUZORT
Plzeòská 66, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/57321090
Statutory representative: David Kail, MSc

FILM SCHOOLS

FILMOVÁ A TELEVIZNÍ FAKULTA AKADEMIE MÚZICKÝCH UMÌNÍ (FAMU) / FILM AND TELEVISION FACULTY, FILM ACADEMY (FAMU)
Smetanovo nábøeží 2, 116 65 Praha 1, tel. 02/24229468, 24229176, fax 24230285
Dean: Jan Bernard, PhD

FILOZOFICKÁ FAKULTA UNIVERZITY KARLOVY - KATEDRA FILMOVÉ VÌDY
FACULTY OF ARTS, CHARLES UNIVERSITY - FILM SCIENCE CHAIR
Nám. Jana Palacha 2, 116 38 Praha 1, tel. 02/21619226-7, fax 2328602
Head: Jiøí Cieslar, PhD

SOUKROMÁ VYŠŠÍ ODBORNÁ ŠKOLA FILMOVÁ
PRIVATE FILM COLLEGE
Na výstavišti 377, 397 01 Písek, tel/fax 0362/270999
Director: Miloò Terè, MA

STØEDNÍ PRÙMYSLOVÁ ŠKOLA SDÌLOVACÍ TECHNIKY / SECONDARY VOCCATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SCHOOL
Panská 3, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/21002124, fax 21002666
Director: Marie Plocková, MSc

VYSOKÁ ŠKOLA UMÌLECKOPRÙMYSLOVÁ - ATELIÉR FILMOVÉ A TELEVIZNÍ GRAFIKY / ACADEMY OF APPLIED ART - FILM AND TELEVISION GRAPHICS STUDIO
Nám. Jana Palacha 80, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/21708111, fax 23268884
Head: Jiøí Barta

VYŠŠÍ ODBORNÁ ŠKOLA FILMOVÁ ZLÍN
FILM COLLEGE ZLÍN
Filmová 174, 761 79 Zlín, tel. 067/527404, 527379, fax 527527
Director: Jan Gogola, MA

FILM MAGAZINES

BIOGRAPH
Bayerova 2, 602 00 Brno, tel. 05/41218238
Editor: Petr Szczepanik

CINEMA
Václavské nám. 15, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24217787, 24235379, fax 24217788
Editor: Iva Hejlíèková, PhD

CINEPUR
P.O. Box 1/4, 150 05 Praha 5, tel. 0602 344755, fax 02/24009255
Editor: Pavlína Coufalová

FILM A DOBA
P.O. Box 248, 152 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/5815703
Editor: Stanislav Ulver, PhD

FILM JAM
Pøemyslovská 13, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/6272446, 6972361, fax 22713240
Editor: Uljana Donátová, PhD

FILMOVÝ PØEHLED
Bartolomìjská 11, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24237233/21, 22, 24237164, fax 24237233
Head: Tomáš Bartošek

ILUMINACE
Bartolomìjská 11, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24231988, fax 24231948
Editor: Michal Bregant, PhD

FILM FESTIVALS AND REVIEWS

ACADEMIA FILM OLOMOUC
International Festival of Audio-Visual Didactic programmes
Contact: Univerzita Palackého Olomouc, Køížkovského 8, 77147 Olomouc, tel. 068/5222802, 5631054, fax 068/26476

CENA FRANTIŠKA FILIPOVSKÉHO ZA DABING / FRANTIŠEK FILIPOVSKÝ DUBING AWARD
Contact: Mìstský úøad v Pøelouèi, Masarykovo nám. 23, 535 33 Pøelouè, tel. 0457/619246, fax 0457/3562

DÌTSKÝ FILMOVÝ A TELEVIZNÍ FESTIVAL OTY HOFMANA
OTA HOFMAN CHILDREN’S FILM AND TELEVISION FESTIVAL
Contact: Walburga Mikešová, Dùm kultury, Mírové nám. 733, 363 01 Ostrov, tel. 0164/612931, fax 0164/2921

DNY EVROPSKÉHO FILMU / DAYS OF EUROPEAN FILM
Contact: Eva Kaèerová, Rakouský kulturní institut, Jungmannovo nám. 18, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24234875, fax 24232649

EKOFILM
International Festival of Films and Video Programmes on the Environment
Contact: Auviex s.r.o., Obrovského 10, 141 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/767275, 769443, fax 768881

EUROFILM
European Film Festival
Contact: EUROFILM, U pošty 1, 180 00 Praha 8, tel. 0602 379805, fax 067/933182

FEBIOFEST
International Film, Television and Video Review
Contact: Febio s.r.o., Rùžová 13, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24213933, fax 24214254

FESTIVAL CESKÉHO DOKUMENTU JIHLAVA - FESTIVAL OF CZECH DOCUMENTARIES JIHLAVA
Contact: Marek Hovorka, Na kopci 23, 586 01 Jihlava, tel. 0601 547615

FINÁLE PLZEÒ
A balance review of Czech full-length feature films
Contact: Nadace Finále Plzeò, Nám. Republiky 1, 306 32 Plzeò, tel/fax 019/7236931

INDIES V PRAZE, MEZINÁRODNÍ FESTIVAL FILMOVÝCH POPELEK -INDIES IN PRAGUE: INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILM "CINDERELLAS"
Contact: Sdružení festivalu nezávislého filmu, Rooseveltova 45, 160 00 Praha 6, tel/fax 02/24314135

KØIŠÁLOVÉ SRDCE PODÌBRADY - CRYSTAL HEART PODÌBRADY
International festival of documentary, didactic and publicity programmes
Contact: Agentura EURO ZEUS, Proftova 297/III, 290 01 Podìbrady, tel. 0324/4408, fax 0324/5747

LETNÍ FILMOVÁ ŠKOLA UHERSKÉ HRADIŠTÌ - SUMMER FILM SCHOOL UHERSKÉ HRADIŠTÌ
Contact: Jiøí Králík, MSc, Mìstská kina, Nám. Míru 951, 686 01 Uherské Hradištì, tel. 0632/553617, 556670, fax 553790

MEZINÁRODNÍ FESTIVAL FILMÙ PRO DÌTI A MLÁDEŽ ZLÍN - INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILMS FOR CHILDREN ZLÍN
Contact: Ateliéry Bonton Zlín, Filmová 174, 761 79 Zlín, tel. 067/527217, 527401, fax 067/527442

MEZINÁRODNÍ FESTIVAL HOROLEZECKÝCH FILMÙ - INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MOUNTAINEERING FILMS
Contact: Mìstský úøad, Rooseveltova 15, 549 57 Teplice nad Metují, tel. 0447/93296, fax 0447/93204

MEZINÁRODNÍ FILMOVÝ FESTIVAL KARLOVY VARY - INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL KARLOVY VARY
Contact: Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary a.s., Panská 1, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24235412, fax 2423408

NOVOMÌSTSKÝ HRNEC SMÍCHU - THE NOVÉ MÌSTO LAUGHTER POT
Czech festival of film comedies
Contact: Josef Král, Mìstský klub, Nerudova 142, 549 01 Nové Mìsto nad Metují, tel. 0441/ 72891, 71587, fax 0441/72891

PØEHLÍDKA CESKÉ DOKUMENTÁRNÍ A ANIMOVANÉ TVORBY - REVIEW OF CZECH DOCUMENTARIES AND CARTOONS
Contact: Martin Skyba, FITES, Pod nuselskými schody 3, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/6910310, fax 6911375

TECHFILM
International festival of films and video programmes about sciences, technology and arts
Contact: Milada Balounová, Krátký film Praha - Infor Film Servis, Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67091313, fax 6709122

TÌRLICKÉ FILMOVÉ LÉTO - THE TÌRLICKO FILM SUMMER
Competition of Czech a Polish film newcomers
Contact: Dana Branná, PhD, Kongres Polákù v CR, Hlavní 3, 737 01 Ceský Tìšín, tel/fax 0659/711453

TOURFILM
International festival of films and video programmes about tourism
Contact: Art Production K/2, Malá Štìpánská 3, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/292053, 290277, fax 294552

ZLATÁ PRAHA / GOLDEN PRAGUE
International TV festival of musical programmes
Contact: Czech Television - International Relations, Kavèí hory, 140 70 Praha 4, tel. 02/61134405, 61134028, fax 61212891

PRODUCERS

ATELIÉRY BONTON ZLÍN / BONTON STUDIOS ZLÍN
Filmová 174, 761 79 Zlín, tel. 067/527200, fax 527527
General Manager: Zdenìk Skaunic

ATHANOR
Knovíz 35, 274 01 Slaný
Contact Address: Jaromír Kallista, U 5. baterie 21, 162 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/24313382, fax 24313383
Statutory representatives: Jan Švankmajer, Jaromír Kallista

BALZER INTERNATIONAL FILM
Opatovická 10, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/67073641, fax 67073845
Director: Jan Balzer

BÄR
Na Šafránce 2, 101 00 Praha 10, tel/fax 02/67311319
Director: Zbynìk Bartoš, MA

BARRANDOV BIOGRAFIA
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67072047, fax 67073190
General Manager: Karel Greif

BARRANDOV STUDIO /BARRANDOV STUDIOS
Køíženeckého nám. 322. 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67072100, fax 5815988
General Manager: Radomír Doèekal, PhD

BIOGRAF JAN SVÌRÁK
Svojšovická 2835/12, 141 00 Praha 4, tel/fax 02/763044, 5618274
Statutory representative: Jan Svìrák

BONTONFILM PRODUCTION
Severozápadní IV/39, 141 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/746529, 766204, fax 765750
Director: Jiøí Støecha

BUC FILM / BULL FILM
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/5815257, fax 5819441
Director: Jaroslav Bouèek

CINEART PRODUCTIONS
Vzdušná 1017/2, 142 00 Praha 4, tel/fax 02/61711044, 61711046
Statutory representatives: Viktor Schwarcz, Veronika Schwarczová

CESKÝ ARMÁDNÍ FILM / CZECH ARMY FILM
Hluboèepská 6, 152 51 Praha 5, tel. 02/538269, 535315, fax 534169
Director: Miroslav Fehér, PhD

ETAMP FILM PRODUCTION
U továren 261, 102 00 Praha 10, tel. 02/6273030, 6277175, fax 6271796
Director: Jan Bílek

ETIC
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67073171, 67072247, fax 67073818
Director: Petr Moravec,

MSc FRONDA FILM
Školská 1, 110 00 Praha 1, tel/fax 02/24914507
Director: Jiøí Pomeje

HAMILTON PRODUCTIONS
Vaníèkova 2, 160 17 Praha 6, tel/fax 02/57311640-2
Director: Jaroslav Stanìk,

MA IN FILM PRAHA
Panská 1, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24232548-9, fax 24238230
Statutory representatives: Rudolf Biermann, LLD, Magda Chýlková

J&J JAKUBISKO FILM
Štìpánská 61, 116 02 Praha 1, tel/fax 02/96236353, 96236383
Statutory representative: Deana Jakubisková

JAN NÌMEC FILM
252 08 Slapy nad Vltavou 187, tel/fax 02/9942236, 807404
Statutory representatives: Jan Nìmec, Iva Ruszeláková

JMB FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Malá 2, 162 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/24311292, 24311238, fax 24311355
Statutory representatives: Boris Valèák, Jiøí Chlumský

JUPITER FILM
Biskupcova 40, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/8278881
Statutory representative: Jan Miliè

KRÁTKÝ FILM PRAHA
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67091117, 5819887-8, fax 5816064
General Manager: Karel Hájek, MA

LUMARFILM
Pod Habrovou 7, 152 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/5814494-7, fax 5813907
Statutory representatives: Štefan Voržáèek, Ludvík Nìmec

LUXOR
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67073615, 67072021, fax 5816454
Director: Pøemysl Pražský, MA

NEGATIV
Švédská 21, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/541325, fax 548123
Statutory representative: Petr Oukropec, Pavel Strnad, MSc

NORTH AMERICAN PICTURES
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha, tel. 02/67091389, tel/fax 67091390
Statutory representatives: Lloyd Simandl, Andrea Dìdièová

NOVÝ OCEÁN / NEW OCEAN
P.O.Box 142, 100 31 Praha 10, tel. 02/81914173, fax 81913659
Statutory representative: Jaroslav Soukup

ORIGINÁLNÍ VIDEOJOURNAL
ORIGINAL VIDEO JOURNAL
Štìpánská 61, 110 00 Praha 1, tel/fax 02/24215234
Statutory representative: Pavel Kaèírek

PAVEL NOVÝ
Køíženeckého nám. 322. 152 52 Praha 5, tel. 02/67073623
Statutory representative: Pavel Nový

PRAGUE INTERNATIONAL FILMS
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/5817745, 67073613, fax 67073603
Director: Oldøich Mach

PROART PRODUCTION
V Jircháøích 8, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/291682, 294148, fax 291793
Director: Daniel Závorka

SILVER SCREEN
Václavské nám. 56, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24032463-4, fax 22210651
Director: Václav Marhoul, MA

SIROTEK STUDIO / SIROTEK STUDIOS
Janáèkovo nábøeží 11, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/537048, fax 24510494
Statutory representative: Jiøí Sirotek, MA

SPACE FILMS
Karlovo nám. 19, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/24913043, 24913045, 24912937, fax 24911370
Director: Jiøí Ježek

STUDIO FÁMA 92
Nerudova 13, 118 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24323881, 57311559, fax 24215234
Statutory representatives: Jana Tomsová, Ivana Kaèírková

STUDIO FAMU
Klimentská 4, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24810329, 2310981, tel/fax 2310692
Director: Petr Cech, MA

VAC - VACHLER ART COMPANY
Na žertvách 40, 180 00 Praha 8, tel. 02/6832600, 6832619, tel/fax 6832593
Director: Petr Vachler

WHISCONTI
Panská 1, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24236257, tel/fax 24238225
Statutory representative: Pavel Melounek, PhD

 Documentaries

AD LIBITUM FILM
Svobodova 4, 128 00 Praha 2, tel/fax 02/295451
Statutory representative: Petr Ruttner

FEBIO
Rùžová 13, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24213933, tel/fax 24214254
Director: Fero Feniè

FONTIS
Pod strašnickou vinicí 13, 100 00 Praha 10, tel. 02/771116, 776515, fax 774379
Statutory representative: Vladimír Mocek

HOLLY - STANISLAV CERV
Nepravidelná 18, 102 00 Praha 10 - Štìrboholy, tel. 02/705757, 705770, fax 706483
Statutory representatives: Zdenìk Navara, MA, Stanislav Cerv

INSTITUT VÝCHOVY A VZDÌLÁVÁNÍ MINISTERSTVA ZEMÌDÌLSTVÍ CR / TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
Tøanovského 11, 163 06 Praha 6 - Øepy, tel. 02/3038314, 3038337, fax 352237
Director: Jaroslav Blažek, PhD K 2
Jankovcova 45, 170 00 Praha 7, tel. 02/24254151, fax 6911635
Statutory representative: Pavel Štingl

KOHAK FILM
Novotného lávka 5, 116 68 Praha 1, tel. 02/21082343, 21082363, fax 21082324
Director: Jaroslav Kohak MARTIN ŠTOLL
Plamínkové 11, 140 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/425759
Statutory representative: Martin Štoll, MA

MARTIN VADAS, PRODUKCE AUDIOVIZUÁLNÍCH DÌL
MARTIN VADAS, PRODUCTION OF AUDIO VISUAL PROGRAMMES
Øíèanova 34, 169 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/351370, 534554, tel/fax 534554, 536106
Statutory representative: Martin Vadas, MA

MEDIA GROUP BOHEMIA
Rozšíøená 11, 182 00 Praha 8, tel/fax 02/6890950
Statutory representative: Martin Chlupáè, MA

NIKÉ TV PRODUCTION
Ceské družiny 35, 160 00 Praha 6, tel/fax 02/3163563, 24319632
Statutory representative: Martin Sluneèko

OK VISION
Lucemburská 36, 130 00 Praha 3, tel/fax 02/270501
Statutory representative: Jindøich Honzík, PhD

PLUTO FILM & VIDEO
Jabloòová 2929, 106 00 Praha 10, tel/fax 02/758540
Statutory representative: Mária Dufková, MA

SKYFILM
Mozartova 25, 796 01 Prostìjov, tel. 0508/26537
Statutory representative: Ivan Støíteský, MSc

SKYTVILM
Vondroušova 1170, 163 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/3019189
Statutory representative: Martin Skyba

SYNERGIA FILM
Konšelská 12, 180 00 Praha 8, tel/fax 02/8219765
Statutory representative: Aleš Hudský, MSc

VOLWOCOM
Byšická 1, 180 00 Praha 8, tel/fax 02/8540603
Statutory representative: Martin Nìmec

VYDAVATELSTVÍ CVUT - AUDIOVIZUÁLNÍ A TECHNICKÉ CENTRUM / CVUT PUBLISHERS - AUDIO VISUAL AND TECHNICAL CENTRE
Trojanova 13, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/296637, fax 296836
Head: Jiøí Všeteèka, MSc

 Animated Films

AAA - ART AND ANIMATION STUDIO
Zdíkovská 49, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/57211934, tel/fax 524503
Statutory representatives: Dagmar Doubková, Jan Tománek

AIF
Na Doubkové 8, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/539820, fax 536086
Statutory representatives: Michal Podhradský, MA, Ivan Vít

ANIFILM
Valdštejnské nám. 2, 118 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/734624, tel/fax 531090
Statutory representative: Milan Rychecký

ANIMA
Vyšehradská 27, 128 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/299144, tel/fax 526515
Statutory representative: Marcela Halousková

CINE ANIMA
Rooseveltova 49, 160 00 Praha 6, tel/fax 02/3120265
Statutory representative: Jiøí Vojta

DURAN ANIMACE / DURAN ANIMATION
Gotthardská 8, 160 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/24318002, tel/fax 24322003, fax 24318069
Director: Pavel Hermoch

FOR FILM
Sokolská 36, 702 00 Ostrava, tel. 069/213895, tel/fax 069/6711422
Statutory representatives: Vladimír Baroš, Miroslav Kaèor

HAFAN FILM
Jugoslávských partyzánù 21, 160 00 Praha 6, tel. 02/539665, tel/fax 3119302
Statutory representatives: Jan Balej, Miloslav Špála

KRÁTKÝ FILM - STUDIO BRATØI V TRIKU / KRÁTKÝ FILM - BROTHERS IN TRICK STUDIOS
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/5819871, fax 67091212
Head: Jiøí Kubíèek

KRÁTKÝ FILM - STUDIO JIØÍHO TRNKY / KRÁTKÝ FILM - JIØÍ TRNKA STUDIOS
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67091309, fax 5819896
Head: Michal Havlík PAJ-TASH
Mariánské nám. 4, 709 00 Ostrava - Mariánské Hory, tel. 069/6633220
Statutory representative: Ilja Novák

STUDIO PROMÉTHEUS / PROMETHEUS STUDIOS
øíjna 124, 709 00 Ostrava 1, tel. 069/6624211, fax 6624213
Head: Pavel Mièunek

 DISTRIBUTORS

ASTRA CINEMA
Vaníèkova 2, 160 17 Praha 6, tel/fax 02/350 255
Director: Marcela Vondrová

ATLANTIS ENTERTAINMENT
Celetná 19, 116 22 Praha 1, tel. 02/2319687, tel/fax 2321705
President: David Matouš

BONTONFILM
Národní 28, 111 21 Praha 1, tel. 02/24947343, 21105236, fax 24948823
Director: Aleš Danielis, MA

CINEMART
Národní 28, 111 21 Praha 1, tel. 02/24949110, fax 21105220
Director: Jan Jíra

FALCON
Stroupežnického 6, 150 00 Praha 5, tel. 02/538085, 534051, fax 533194
Director: Jan Bradáè

GEMINI FILM
Tusarova 55, 170 00 Praha 7, tel. 02/800477, 800320, fax 83871498
Director: Jitka Jeøábková, LLD

INTERSONIC TAUNUS PRODUCTIONS
Palackého 15, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24948651, tel/fax 24947601, 96238623
Head, Prague Centre: Alena Tocháèková

NÁRODNÍ FILMOVÝ ARCHIV / NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVES
Malešická 12, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/894689, 894300, fax 6973057
Distribution: Milan Líèka, MSc

NOVÝ OCEÁN / NEW OCEAN
P.O.Box 142, 100 31 Praha 10, tel. 02/81914173, fax 81913659
Statutory representative: Jaroslav Soukup

SPACE FILMS
Karlovo nám. 19, 120 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/24913043, 24913045, 24912937, fax 24911370
Head, Distribution: Petr Zenkl, MSc

SUNFILM
Havelská 3, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/24216368, tel/fax 24215503
Statutory representative: Zuzana Dražilová

WARNER BROS.
Na poøíèí 30, 111 21 Praha 1, tel. 02/2822403, fax 2822501
Production Manager: Aleš Navrátil

DISTRIBUTORS - VIDEO

BARRANDOV BIOGRAFIA
Køíženeckého nám. 322, 152 53 Praha 5, tel. 02/67072340, fax 5816256
Video Distribution: Dagmar Bratrychová

BONTON HOME VIDEO
Konviktská 5, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/22092214, fax 22092300
Director: Ladislav Hrabì

CENTRUM CESKÉHO VIDEA -CZECH VIDEO CENTRE
Konviktská 5, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/22092400, fax 22092402
Director: Vlastimil Král

DAVAY
Magistrù 13, 140 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/426111, fax 61222716
Director: Pavel Hlaváè

FILMEXPORT HOME VIDEO
Husinecká 11a, 130 00 Praha 3, tel. 02/6284339, tel/fax 6284332
Director: Karel Kabát

HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Mezivrší 28, 147 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/44464135, fax 44464395
Director: Petr Hájek

INTERSONIC TAUNUS PRODUCTION
Palackého 15, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 96238624, tel/fax 96238625
Manager, Video Distribution: Anna Randlíková, PhD

KRÁTKÝ FILM PRAHA
Jindøišská 37, 112 07 Praha 1, tel. 02/24211331, fax 24212053
Head, Video Distribution: Olga Kováøová

WARNER HOME VIDEO
Na poøíèí 30, 110 00 Praha 1, tel. 02/2822402-3, fax 2822501
Director: Ladislav Šastný, LLD

 COMMERCIAL COMPANIES  

FILMEXPORT PRAGUE DISTRIBUTION
Na Moráni 5, 128 00 Praha 2, tel. 02/293275, 295820, fax 293312
Statutory representatives: Marta Körnerová, MSc, Jitka Slavíková

 TELEVISIONS  

CESKÁ TELEVIZE - CZECH TELEVISION
Kavèí hory, 140 70 Praha 4, tel 02/61131111, 61212914, fax 421562, 61212885
General Manager: Jakub Puchalský, MA
Programming: Bezouška tel. 61211621, fax 425484
Chief Producer, Artistic Programmes: Cestmír Kopecký, tel. 61137014-5, fax 61137124
Chief Producer, Publicity and Documentaries: Alena Müllerová, tel. 61137000, fax 61137200
Chief Producer, Imported Programmes: Jan Rubeš, tel. 61137043, fax 61137308  CNTS - TV NOVA
Vladislavova 20, 113 13 Praha 1, tel. 02/21100111, fax 21100112
General Manager: Vladimír Železný, PhD
Programming: Libuše Šmuclerová, PhD  

KABEL PLUS
Závišova 5, 140 00 Praha 4, tel. 02/61107111, fax 61107100
General Manager: David D. Dea
Programming: Václav Kvasnièka, PhD, tel. 61107107, fax 61107100

TELEVIZE PRIMA - PRIMA TELEVISION
Na žertvách 24, 180 00 Praha 8, tel. 83098111, fax 83098309
General Manager: Kateøina Frièová
Programming: Petr Koliha tel. 83098337, fax 6831052

14. OTHER INTERNET RESSOURCES ON THE FILM INDUSTRY IN CZECH REPUBLIC
(compiled by the European Audiovisual Observatory)

Czech Republic (Official site)
Ceska Filmova a televizini Akademie
Ceske Filmove nebe (Data base on film in Czech Republic - Czech filmography)
Czech Film Web Ring
Czech Statistical Office
Do Kina (General information on film news - In Czech)
Summer Film School