PLZEN: The second part of Jan Hřebejk´s trilogy Garden Store / Zahradnictví: Deserter / Dezertér will screen at the 31st edition of Finále Plzeň Film Festival. The most important Czech national film festival, presenting contemporary Czech and Slovak audiovisual production, will be held from 19 to 24 April 2018. The film is a Czech/Slovak/Polish coproduction.

PLZEN: The Czech/French coproduction Skokan directed by Petr Václav will screen at the 31st edition of Finále Plzeň Film Festival. The most important Czech national film festival, presenting contemporary Czech and Slovak audiovisual production, will be held from 19 to 24 April 2018.

PRAGUE: Juraj Herz, one of the most acclaimed Czech directors, known for his horror flavoured film style and specific humour within the Czech New Wave, died in Prague on 8 April 2018. He was 83 years old.

PLZEN: The 31st edition of Finále Plzeň Film Festival, the most important Czech national film festival, presenting contemporary Czech and Slovak audiovisual production, will be held from 19 to 24 April 2018. The festival will open with the long awaited directorial debut of the famous Czech musician Ondřej Havelka, Hastrman.

PRAGUE: The Czech Film Fund will distribute 511,710 EUR / 13 m CZK to the production of 14 documentaries with Czech major participation. New projects by Helena Třeštíková, Tomáš Bojar, Eva Tomanová and David Sís are among the winners.

PRAGUE: The French film Custody directed by Xavier Legrand was awarded best film in the New Europe competition of the 25th Prague International Film Festival Febiofest.

PRAGUE: The futuristic series Carnival Row, produced by Amazon Studios and Legendary Television, and starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, wrapped shooting in the Czech Republic on 14 March 2018. Serviced by Stillking Films, Carnival Row is among the most expensive international productions filmed in the Czech Republic since the introduction of film incentives in 2010.

PRAGUE: The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has lost its general partner just four months before the beginning of the 53rd edition of the festival. The energy company ČEZ decided to end the cooperation with the festival citing poor financial results as the reason for pulling out of its role as the festival’s biggest sponsor after 16 years.

PRAGUE: Director/producer/screenwriter Petr Jákl signed with the Hollywood producer Cassian Elwes for his epic biopic Jan Žižka, about Bohemia’s greatest warrior Jan Žižka of Trocnov. Jan Žižka is expected to be the biggest budget Czech film ever and to star a famous foreign actor.

PRAGUE: Ice Mother, directed by Bohdan Sláma, won six Czech Lions including best film and best director at the 25th Czech Film and Television Academy Awards. Jan Svěrák’s Barefoot won in three categories.