"Barrandov studio is providing not only the space for shooting, but also the decorations and costumes for the historical movie, which is set in 16th century," said Dušana Chreneková from Barrandov Studios Company (www.barrandov.cz) .
The movie is being produced in three studios at Barrandov (Ateliers 4, 5 and 7), and on the backlot. The Barrandov decorations division built a 16th century manor and a farm-house, and an exterior part of the castle with a water jump. Castle interiors are built at the studios in collaboration with French film architect Jean-Jacques Gernolle. The Barrandov decorations division also built a big wooden ship, a 14 meter-long slave galleon.
The big-budget movie is coproduced by French production film company Mandarin Cinéma (www.mandarincinema.com) and Czech Okko Production Ldt. (www.okko.cz), which was founded in 1998 as an independent movie production company with the main office situated at Barrandov Studios in Prague. The producer of the movie Philibert is Marc Jenny, who owns Okko Production with Olda Mach. Producers declined to comment on the budget.
Philibert´s cast includes popular French actor Alexandre Astier and Jérémie Renier, known for his roles in Brotherhood of the Wolf, Lorna´s Silence and British Oscar movie Atonement.
However, Sylvain Fusée´s movie is not the only foreign production that‘s coming to the Czech Republic. According to Pavel Strnad, head of czech Audiovisual Producers' Association APA (www.asociaceproducentu.cz), numerous foreign producers, both European and American, are contacting Czech production companies.
"For example, my company Negativ is already negotiating with well-known French director Christophe Honoré, who would like to shoot his upcoming project, a movie with Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier and Chiara Mastroianni, here in the Czech Republic and cooperate with our company. He contacted us right after he got information on Czech film tax incentive approval," said Strnad, who is also head of Czech production company Negativ (www.negativ.cz). Strnad declined to comment on the production details as the pre-production is still in negotiation.
The European Union approved a Czech film tax incentive on June 18. The proposal, which was approved in October 2009 by the Czech government, allows foreign productions to get a rebate of up to 20% of the amount spent in the country. The Czech Ministry of Culture (www.mkcr.cz) has budgeted CZK 400 million (16 million Euros) for rebates in 2010 and has been awaiting the EU decision since January.
"With the planned budget of CZK 400 million, the Czech Ministry of Culture has already prepared film incentives for the amount of CZK 2 billion in foreign investments spent in the Czech Republic. It's more than triple the amount spent by foreign productions in the Czech Republic in 2009," said Petr Mošna, head of the Czech Film Chamber (www.filmovakomora.cz).
In 2003, Hollywood and European filmmakers spent more than CZK 5 billion in the Czech Republic. In 2008, the amount of the foreign investments dropped to only CZK 700 million as Hollywood productions moved to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine, driven away by the Czech Republic's lack of tax incentives. In 2009, the amount was only CZK 500 million.
Contacts:
Philibert movie - Okko Production
Producer: Marc Jenny
Kříženeckého nám. 322
152 53 Praha 5
Czech Republic
+420 267 073 551
Fax: +420 267 073 552
zc.okko@okko
VAT registration:
CZ25661795
Audiovisual Producers' Association
Národní 28
110 00 - Praha 1
Czech republic
Managing Director
Helena Uldrichová
(420) 221 105 310
(420) 602 346 690
Fax (420) 221 105 303
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.asociaceproducentu.cz
Negativ Company
Producer Pavel Strnad
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address:
Ostrovní 30
110 00 Praha 1
Czech Republic
+420 224 933 755
Fax +420 224 933 472
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