A special award went to director Miroslav Janek's documentary Andrej Krob on the Move (www.ceskatelevize.cz).
The FINALE festival (the name is an acronym for Films of Our Times) opened with the world premiere of Czech Made Man (www.czechmademan.cz ) starring Jan Budar. Festival director Ivan Jachym told FNE that the film was finished only on the Thursday prior to the Sunday night screening. Reaction to the newest film at the festival was decidedly mixed. Unlike some past years, the festival moved back to an all-Czech line-up, eliminating any international sections or special country focuses.
Many of the names in Czech film showed up for the annual event, but the competition was judged as uneven - with some new Czech films thought to be awaiting their chances at larger international festivals. However, a look at the awards handed out proves the strength and range of Czech filmmakers, from lauded auteurs like Jan Svankmajer to rising young directors. A presentation of upcoming films in various stages of production showed a similar diversity, with one-third of the projects from debuting directors and one-third of the projects already positioned at international coproductions.
The festival guest list remained stable, with a number of mid-size and smaller festivals sending programmers, and the occasional distributor also in attendance.
As a sign perhaps of the rising tide of Czech documentary filmmaking, many of the awards were handed out in this category. Two prizes for young documentary directors were awarded, going to Erika Hnikova for Berlinale hit Matchmaking Mayor (endorfilm.cz) and controversial filmmaker Vit Klusak for All for the Good of the World and Nosovice (www.hypermarketfilm.cz). The student jury best documentary award went to Heaven Hell (www.hbo.cz) directed by David Calek, with a special award granted to When a Stone Talks (www.maitrea.cz) by Viliam Poltikovic. The ACFK professional's best documentary award went to the leading Czech documentary filmmaker, Helena Trestikova for her decades-long study of a drug addict, Katka (www.negativ.cz).
Feature film prizes were similarly spread across the field. ACFK gave its award to Radim Spacek's Bonds (aka Walking Too Fast www.bionaut.cz), while the audience awards went to Ondrej Trojan's 1970's film Identity Card (www.tha.cz) and best performer to international star Karel Roden in Juraj Herz's WWII film Habermann's Mill (www.habermannuvmlyn.cz). The student jury gave its best film award to Kooky and a special award to Svankmajer's Surviving Life (Theory and Practice) (www.athanor.cz).
