Waves enter the 2024 Oscar race

12-09-2024

Waves enter the 2024 Oscar race

Waves by Jiří Mádl source: Czech Film Center

Members of the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) selected Waves by Jiří Mádl as the Czech entry for the Oscars. In his third feature film, a former Czech Film Springboard project, the actor-turned-director Jiří Mádl (To See the Sea, On the Roof) delves into the dramatic events of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia from the point of view of journalists working in the International Editorial Office of Czechoslovak Radio. The Czech Film Fund supported the film with EUR 628,000. Additional support came from the Prague Audiovisual Fund and the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. The film will represent the Czech Republic as the official submission for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

The International Editorial Office of Czechoslovak Radio is staffed by courageous journalists, celebrities of their time. Young Tomáš works amongst them, though it is his brother's dream job. Tomáš's main concern is keeping them both safe with no idea that the editors are being targeted by the Secret Service. When a recording is discovered and broadcasting it could change the fate of many, the Secret Service focuses even more intensely on the newsroom. Will Tomas go down in history alongside the journalists or will he protect his younger brother, the last remaining member of his family?

The film is a co-production between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Monika Kristlová of the Czech production outfit Dawson Films is the main producer and the co-producers include Slovak Wandal Production and Czech Television. The film premiered at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) as a part of the Special Screenings section, where it garnered the Právo Audience Award and also the Blue Cube Award awarded by the energy company innogy (learn more about the awarded films here). Currently, Waves is the most attended film in Czech cinemas – since its opening on 15 August, it has been seen by over 350,000 viewers.

The Czech Film Fund supported the film with EUR 628,000. Additional support came from the Prague Audiovisual Fund and the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Urban Sales is handling the international sales.

The voting for the Oscar nominee took place from 30 August to 8 September and the members of the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) chose from 13 Czech feature films submitted by their producers. Following Waves in the voting count were Girl America by Viktor Tauš and Our Lovely Pig Slaughter by Adam Martinec (in alphabetical order).

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 2 March 2025 in Los Angeles. The Academy will publish the Oscar shortlist of 15 foreign films on 17 December this year. The nominations will then be announced on 17 January 2025.

In 2023, the Czech Republic sent the Oscar race Brothers by Tomáš Mašín, another film thematizing the Communist era in Czechoslovakia, and Il Boemo by Petr Václav the year before. To this date only two Czechoslovak and one Czech film have managed to get the award for the Best International Feature Film: The Shop on Main Street by Ján Kádár and Elmar Klos in 1966, Closely Watched Trains by Jiří Menzel in 1968 and Kolya by Jan Svěrák in 1997. Six more films received the nomination: The Loves of a Blonde (in 1967) and The Firemen’s Ball (in 1969) by Miloš Forman, My Sweet Little Village by Jiří Menzel (in 1987), The Elementary School by Jan Svěrák (in 1992), Divided We Fall by Jan Hřebejk (in 2001) and Zelary by Ondřej Trojan (in 2004).