Prague, February 1, 2011 – At the end of January, Czech Film Center will release the second edition of its DVD of short films. The DVD, titled Czech Short Films Vol. 2, presents 12 short films created by students from Czech film schools (namely: FAMU, FAMO – Film Academy of Miroslav Ondříček, Film School Zlín). The main aim is to highlight Czech short films, promote them abroad and to establish closer cooperation with film schools and new filmmakers.
The DVD follows up on the edition from 2010, when the Czech Film Center published the first selection of short films on DVD, launching its systematic attention to Czech short films. The DVD was presented to more than one hundred international film festivals in 2010, and blocks of short films were presented at festivals or screenings in France, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark and Estonia.
The second DVD, which is out now, offers a collection of the most interesting short films from 2010, and includes German and French subtitles in addition to English.
The shorts are selected by jury, which this year consisted of Prague Short Film Festival program director Karel Spěšný, Kateřina Fričová, who long worked in television and now focuses on media consultancy and educational activities, film publicist Vojtěch Rynda, Petr Horák, author of the iShorts film nights project, and Markéta Šantrochová of CFC.
The jury's task was by no means easy, as it had 148 films to choose from.
"When I saw the list of titles that I'd have to watch and assess, I almost panicked – there really were just so many. Ultimately, however, I spent those 14 days at my computer with pleasure. Sure, at times I found myself clenching my teeth, sometimes my eyes just hurt, sometimes I was rolling my eyes ... but that was all offset by some really well-made works. I am confident that together we chose the best of the best for the collection. And the pleasure I experienced I will be able to share even more," says Kateřina Fričová.
Karel Spěšný adds: "It is extremely important for young filmmakers to have the opportunity to reach larger audiences and the competition in the bigger pond one finds at film festivals rather than at their schools or with a group of friends. That is why this CFC initiative, which seeks to help young filmmakers get their films to international film festivals, is incredibly important. After all, it is the custom of countries that are devoted to developing their culture and self-promotion. Thanks to this project, we have come one step closer to a world we probably would like to belong to."
The DVD will be presented for the first time at the Clermont-Ferrand festival and and short film market, where Czech Film Center will be representing Czech film for the second year running.
Czech Short Films Vol. 2 presents the following films:
Lucas – Curse of the Drawned Cat / Jaromír Císař / VŠUP / CZ 2010 / animation / 9´
The tale of a gang of village kitties' dramatic attempt to rescue their feline friends being kept in the local pond under a spell by the evil Sorcerer's tomcat.
The tomcat, named Drowner, on the prowl for local kitty-cats, uses spells to hold them in some sort of trance at the bottom of the pond. Fortunately, a city cat called Lucas and two of his tomcat friends devises a plan that extracts revenge while rescuing the spellbound felines. Evil is ultimately punished, and good wins – the village is full of cats again!
Spirit of Talking Books / David Havas / FAMU / CZ 2010 / documentary / 21´
Pavel records plays in the theater I enjoy going to. We became friends and teamed up to make a simple film about well-earned love and talent that, ideally, will remind man that he has choices in life.
Dominoes / Žofie Zajíčková / Film School Zlín / CZ 2010 / animation / 9´
A world that stands on dominoes. Unfortunately, it is divided into two parts. What one country lacks, the other has too much of, and vice-versa. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a pear flies into town. It "perches" itself atop one of the houses and does nothing else. A boy doll, which tries to get to sort it all out, walks right up to the very edge of his world. Here starts a new new, colorful world full of plants and what's more – with different laws of gravity... The film tells the story of the efforts of two beings, a girl doll and a boy doll, to fix a broken country, thereby creating a new, more valuable, whole one.
Father / Viktoria Dzurenková / FAMU / CZ 2010 / feature / 26´
A live-action, documentary-like film that attempts to authentically depict a complicated father-son relationship. The two are Slovaks living in Prague, each for a different reason. The son is studying and focusing on his career, while his lonely father moved there in hopes of building what he had failed to in the past. His tragicomedic efforts miss the mark, however. The protagonists are non-actors – a real-life father and son who are living this drama in real life.
Graffitiger / Libro Pixa / FAMU / CZ 2010 / animation / 10´
A funny and slightly melancholy story of a lonely graffiti tiger whose home consists in the walls and facades of Prague's buildings. The city of graffiti-covered dirty streets and alleys is a wild jungle where the tiger is seeking the path to his long-lost love. This exciting and hilarious story emerges from the attractive combination of 2D cartoon animation and live action shots.
People Involved / Jan Těšitel / FAMU / CZ 2010 / feature / 26´
The story begins and ends at Brighton in Ústí nad Labem. Emily's English, Petr's Czech. He dies and she goes to meet his parents. Her journey is a quest for forgiveness and the language barrier is not the only thing that must be overcome.
Swimming Pool / Alexandra Hetmerová / FAMU / CZ 2010 / animation / 7´
An erotic love story of two outsiders in an indoor pool in the middle of a big city.
Departure: On Time / Tomáš Pavlíček / FAMU / CZ 2010 / feature / 21´
A deeply motivated film about an unmotivated friendship between two outcasts – twenty-year-old Ondřej, who is still confounded by his future, and fifty-year-old Karel, who is just confounded.
Elevator / Jan Drozda / VŠUP / CZ 2010 / animovaný / 6´
A symbolic rendering of human life. The hero of the film passes through various floors of a building as one passes through various stages of life, and the problems, questions, doubts and temptations that come with it, until arriving at the end of his journey.
Rousek / Tomáš Klein / FAMU / CZ 2010 / feature / 14´
Mr. Rousek is rambling, lamenting, making calls. As only he can do. What all must happen so the windows can be opened...
At Command / František Bárta / FAMU / CZ 2010 / animation / 4´
A parable about the aggression of commercialism and society's willingness to succumb to its influence. Find out for yourself what happens when you try moving out of lockstep with the crowd.
Automatic for the People / Jan Vejnar / FAMO / CZ 2010 / feature / 29´
Adam's got a thankless job. He runs a machine which the public is convinced operates automatically. Isolated from human contact, desperate for any relationship more personal than the one through the machine's metal wall. All of his desires eventually fix on one of the vending machine's many users. Can Adam escape from his loneliness and establish contact with her?
Contact:
Markéta Šantrochová, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., mobile: +420 724 329 948
Lenka Šindelářová
Czech Film Center - Film Promotion
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