11/10/2023 - The fund has backed projects sporting a diverse range of genres, from horror and drama, through coming-of-age “eastern”, to musical comedy and retro-adventure

The Czech Film Fund has supported seven new feature films, disbursing a total of 62.5 million crowns (approximately €2.55 million) among them. Twenty-seven projects were initially submitted. The selection has been lauded for its diverse range of genres, including an eastern-tinged drama, a musical comedy-drama centred on ageing and female camaraderie, and a film adaptation of an acclaimed writer's novel. The largest slice of the funding pie, a notable 15 million CZK (€611,818), went to Wild Hunt, directed by Marek Najbrt and written by Petr Koubek. The horror story, inspired by an ancient German legend and set during the Thirty Years' War, is a metaphor for contemporary global issues. With themes ranging from migration and xenophobia to manipulation and the compromising nature of evil, this ambitious narrative will be produced by Bionaut. The project is part of a bigger, co-produced trilogy, Different (see the news).

Next in line, with equal backing of 10 million CZK (€407,879), are two projects. Swings (Houpačky) by renowned director Bohdan Sláma (Shadow Country [+see also:
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interview: Bartosz Bielenia
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Petr Jandourka's Sugar Candy (Cukrkandl), a retro-adventure film with comedic elements, set in the early 20th century and primarily targeting children, received 7.5 million CZK (€305,909). The movie, produced by Bio Illusion, and co-produced by Heart of Europe, QQ Studio, Attack Film (Slovakia) and BA Production (Hungary), follows 26-year-old Anička, who inherits a house and dental practice in Medov, but faces competition from a popular dentist with ties to the town's sugar industry; inspired by a Peruvian herb, she revolutionises pain-free treatments, gaining the trust of the local children.

Two films were awarded 7 million CZK (€285,515) each. Cowgirl by the creative duo Michal Blaško and Jakub Medvecký, who previously wooed festival audiences with Victim [+see also:
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interview: Michal Blaško
film profile], chronicles the transformative summer of a girl named Barbora, as she discovers her father's involvement in agricultural subsidy frauds, leading her to confront him in a coming-of-age drama. Produced by nutprodukce (Czech Republic) and nutprodukcia (Slovakia), it aligns with Blaško's string of successful films with strong female leads. Similarly funded is City of Fathers (Město otců), helmed by Zdeněk Tyc (Like Never Before [+see also:
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interview: Adam Koloman Rybanský
film profile]). Lastly, Czech mumblecore filmmaker Bohdan Karásek's low-budget The Champion (Mistryně), shot on 16 mm film, received 6 million CZK (€244,727). Produced by Beginner’s Mind, it weaves the tale of a pregnant doctor encountering her infertile ex-husband, offering an intimate relationship narrative. Karásek’s script won the Award for the Best Domestic Unproduced Script from the Film Foundation earlier this year.