How Czech Republic Has Become a Top Filming Destination for International Productions
As part of this year’s Variety Global Conversations at the Cannes Film Festival, representatives from the Czech Republic engaged in a lively discussion about the industry’s state of affairs and celebrated 20 years of involvement at the Marché du Film.
Markéta Šantrochová, head of the Czech Film Center at the Czech Film Fund; Pavlína Žipková, head of the Czech Film Commission at the Czech Film Fund; and Petr Tichý, CEO of Barrandov Studio, participated in the talk, moderated by Variety’s Leo Barraclough.
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According to Zipkova, the Czech delegation wanted to make one key point clear to everyone in attendance: “If there is only one thing you need to remember from this session, it is that the Czech Film Fund production incentives scheme is open. It’ll never close again. Let me repeat. It is opened; it’s not closing down,” she insisted.
Her confidence in making such a definitive statement is grounded in the fact that last December, President Petr Pavel signed an amendment into law that ensures the fund’s permanence. She also explained that the government is currently voting on improving financial incentives even further, with changes that could come into effect as early as January 2025.
Thanks to substantial financial incentives, the Czech Republic is an appealing shoot destination for global partners, and international co-production was another of the day’s big talking points. One upcoming example provided by Šantrochová was “Franz,” an ambitious “mosaic, multi-layered film” about iconic novelist Franz Kafka directed by Aniška Holland. Shooting on the Czech-German-Polish co-production began earlier this month.
Beyond the financial incentives, the Czech Republic boasts some of Europe’s most cinematic shooting locations. In the past few years, the country has hosted shoots for acclaimed international TV series like Prime Video’s “Wheel of Time,” Netflix’s “The Empress,” and AMC’s “Interview with a Vampire.”
Panelists also dedicated time to recognizing the Czech Republic’s legendary animation industry. Filmmakers Diana Cam Van Nguyen (“Love, Dad”) and Daria Kascheeva (“Electra”) each discussed upcoming projects. The Czech Republic’s animation production history is legendary and groundbreaking. Works from 20th-century artists such as Jiří Trnka, Karel Zeman, Břetislav Pojar, and Jan Švankmajer were revolutionary and still impact the art form today.
Watch the full conversation above.
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