Leading Czech director JanHrebejk has begun shooting his new feature, Beauty in Trouble, at Barrandov Studios.

The film is produced byTotal HelpArt and Czech Television in cooperation with Barrandov Studios andHBO.

Beauty in Trouble is expected to be another in a string of criticaland commercial successes for Hrebejk and Total HelpArt. Up and Down last year took home four Czech Lions, the localequivalent of the Oscars, and led local productions at the box office.

The new film sees thedirector again joining up with producer Ondrej Trojan and DOP Jan Malir, bothof whom worked with him on Divided We Fall, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2000. Trojan's Zelary was nominated for an Academy Award last year.

Beauty in Trouble is based loosely on Robert Graves' poem of the samename. Ana Geislerova (Zelary)stars in the comic tale of a woman who flees her family and meets a guardianangel.

Hrebejk told the Praguedaily Mlada fronta Dnes that hebegan working on the idea with his screenwriter Petr Jarchovsk two years ago,and began work on scenes last year, just as the team finished Up and Down.

Other talent on the cast areUp and Down star Jiri Machacek,rising Czech singer-songwriter Raduza, and Glen Hansard, frontman for the Irishrock band The Frames.

The crew will shoot in theCzech Republic until September, after which they go briefly to Tuscany. Therelease is planned for September 2006.