Written by Kianna Best on May 18, 2024. Posted in Awards and Festivals

Czech Republic highlight non-stop industry at Variety Global Conversations

Today, backdropped by the blue waters of Cannes, Variety hosted their Global conversations panel with industry leaders from three countries of focus. Starting off the session was the Czech Republic represented by 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. touching on their slate of projects on the horizon for the country, infrastructural developments and continued investment into the local industry.

Image courtesy of AMC

“The incentive is open and it is not closing down,” Pavlina Zipkova made clear to all in attendance at the Variety Global Conversations event today. The Czech Republic are on a fortuitous route following some hiccups with their incentive programme, which after some changes to the Audiovisual Law reopened in January 2024. With a rewrite of the current law and the hope to start the legislative process next month, the film commission are anticipating even more opportunities that can be taken by local and international productions taking advantage of the industry on offer in the country.

The international production presence has been at high in the country with Interview with the Vampire, 2019 Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne historical drama Carnival Row, the upcoming Nosferatu remake and Blade Runner 2099, and Franz about the renowned novelist and writerFranzKafka which began filming just 2 weeks ago . The latter was welcomed by studio superpower Baranov Studios situated in Prague, where their stages and backlot space were transformed for the fantasy drama. Joining the infrastructural team were local production service company Film United.

Barandov is currently in the process of reinventing their space to cater to influx of incoming productions, including a USD 5 million investment into their set department and a USD 10 million investment into 2 new soundstages, hoping to be opened by 2026. Czech Republic is definitely an attractor of the vampire genre from AMC’s Interview with the Vampire and the planned Disney shoot that will reside in the country for 110 days. Another upcoming project is the Joan Colins starrer based on the Agatha Christie novel Murder Between Friends.