All articles by Theodore Schwinke – Page 15
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Czech president rejects boost to state film fund
Czech President Vaclav Klaushas vetoed an amendment that would have tripled the size of his country's statefilm fund. The bill now returns to the lower house, which is likely to overridethe president's veto with a simple majority later this month. Klaus returned the amendmentto the lower house of parliament May ...
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Czech study calls for 12.5% tax rebate on film productions
A 2005 study released May 9 by the Czech Ministry of Culture calls forthe creation of a 12.5% tax rebate for productions filmed in the Czech Republic and the creationof a national body to oversee a comprehensive strategy to promote domesticfilms abroad and boost the country as a destination for ...
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Ulrich Thomsen hooked on Szasz's Opium
Ulrich Thomsen, who hasstarred in Festen,Kingdom Of Heaven, and The World Is Not Enough, has signed on to star in Hungarian director Janos Szasz's Opium. Szasz, who previously directed Woyzeck and The Witman Boys, is currently filming onlocation in Komarom, northern Hungary, at the Monostorifortress, which once served as a ...
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Transylvania festival to open with A Fost, Sau N-A Fost'
Cannes Directors Fortnighttitle Corneliu Porumboiu's A Fost, Sau N-A Fost' will open the fifth Transylvania International Film Festival(TIFF) on June 2.The film is one of twoRomanian titles which will rush home from Cannes to compete for the grand prize at the ten-dayfestival in Cluj Napoca, Romania.Catalin Mitulescu's debut film Cum ...
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Van Damme thriller Til Death wraps in Bulgaria
Director Simon Fellows hasconcluded principal photography on thriller Til Death in Sofia, Bulgaria. After 33 days on location on the outskirts of Sofia, the $15m project now moves to New Orleans for five days of shooting. The thriller stars Jean ClaudeVan Damme as a dirty cop who is nearly killed ...
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Warner Bros ends home entertainment distribution in Czech Republic
Warner Bros' European homeoffice has decided to cease home video distribution in the Czech market, WarnerBros Czech Republic managing director Ladislav Stastny told ScreenDaily.com.Stastny cited an increase in piracy which, combined with adecrease in pricing, resulted in dramatic decline in revenues from 2004 to2005. According to a report broadcast on ...
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Czech parliament approves big boost to state film fund
Film-makers have welcomed the decision of the lower house ofthe Czech parliament to approve an amendment to film law which would morethan triple the size of the State Fund for the Support and Development of CzechCinematography. But the decision has upset exhibitors, broadcasters andrental shops who will be expected to ...
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Baranski and Runge compete for Karlovy Vary grand prize
Andrzej Baranski'sSeveral People, Little Time and BjornRunge's Mouth To Mouth will compete for the grand prize at the 41stKarlovy Vary International Film Festival. Several People, LittleTime, an intimate psychological drama inspired by the relationship betweenthe Polish poet Miron Bialoszewskiand a blind woman. It stars Krystyna Janda who won the best ...
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Casino Royale to wrap in Czech Republic in late May
Director Martin Campbell is scheduled toconclude principal photography on Casino Royalein the Czech Republic at the end of May. The final shots will take place in Czech spa town Karlovy Vary, which will double as Montenegro. Bond franchise holders EON Productions are workingwith MGM and Columbia Pictures on the ...
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Khrzhanovsky's 4 takes top prize at Budapest's Titanic festival
Russian director Ilya Khrzhanovsky received theBreaking Waves Award, the grand prize at the 13th Titanic BudapestInternational Film Festival, for his film 4.Khrzhanovsky received the award from AndrasBozoki, Hungarian minister for culture, at a gala ceremonyApril 8 that concluded with a screening of French director Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My ...
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Hrebejk's Beauty In Trouble to premiere in Karlovy Vary
Jan Hrebejk's newfilm Beauty InTrouble has been announced as the first competition film inthe Official Selection of the 41st Karlovy VaryInternational Film Festival. Thefilm is produced by Ondrej Trojan, who also produced Hrebejk's 2001 Oscar nominee, Divided We Fall. "Whenwe were writing the script for Beauty in Trouble, we were ...
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Czechs await Prague spring for production
After a busy second half of 2005, Praguestudios are experiencing a slow period. No major international productions haveyet been announced to shoot in the Czech territory, which is not unusual. A similar production gap opened in mid-2005before Young Hannibal: Behind the Mask, Omen 666 and Casino Royale filled localstages. Rumours ...
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Budapest festival opens with Three Burials
Budapest deputylord mayor János Schiffer isscheduled to open the 13th Titanic Budapest International FilmFestival on March 29 with a gala screening of Tommy Lee Jones' The Three Burials of MelquiadesEstrada.For the firsttime in the festival's history, an international jury will choose a competitionwinner from among nine contenders which have already ...
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Director Jan Sverak commences shooting Vratne lahve
Oscar-winning Czech director and producer Jan Sverak has begun filming Vratne lahve on location in Prague.Zdenek Sverak, thedirector's father and long-time collaborator, wrote the script and plays thelead role in the film about a reluctantly retired teacher who takes a job in asupermarket. In addition to Zdenek Sverak,the cast features ...
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Krisztina Goda begins shooting Children of Glory
Hungariandirector Krisztina Goda beganprincipal photography March 5 on Childrenof Glory, a Hungarian-UK co-production based on a script by Joe Eszterhas and produced by Andy Vajna."Thisis an epic movie portraying the heroic efforts of the Hungarian people to tryto break the chains of their Communist occupiers and thereby influence thehistory of ...
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Something Like Happiness claims seven Czech Lions
Bohdan Slama's Something Like Happiness took home seven Czech Lions, including best picture,at the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) annual awards. Slama was named best director and best screenwriter for his involving,humanistic drama about working-class life in a small Czech city. Produced by Negativ, the film won the Golden ...
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Menzel ready to shoot on long-awaited King of England
Jiri Menzelwill begin filming his long-awaited film IServed the King of England on March 9th. German actress Julia Jentsch, who won numerous awards for her performance in thetitle role in Sophie Scholl, which isup for an Oscar, is starring along with Czech actor OldrichKaiser. The film is based on the ...
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Hungarian admissions at lowest level in 11 years
In contrast to Hungary'sbooming production industry, theatrical business looks quite grim. Local boxoffices saw 10.8 million admissions in 2005 - just over three million feweradmissions than in the previous year. Sales fell to $43.2m (HUF9.1bn)Indeed 2005 saw the lowest admissions in 11 years. In thepast five years, admissions have dropped ...
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Mads Mikkelsen cast as villain in Casino Royale
MartinCampbell told reporters on the set of CasinoRoyale February 15 that Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen would play the villain Le Chiffre. Campbelldescribed Mikkelsen as a 'terrific actor'. The director was less forthcoming as to who would play Bondlove interest Vesper Lynd. "We have two or threeactresses in mind," Campbellsaid. "You'll ...
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Tarr to resume work on The Man From London
Hungarian director Bela Tarr spoke to journalists at the 37th Hungarian Film Weekin Budapest about the revival ofhis project, The Man FromLondon, which was stalled last winter after the death of French producer Humbert Balsan. The film, which is to begin shooting in March, is now aFrench-German-Hungarian co-production featuring an ...