Czech Film Center - Film Commission 2007/2008

Press Release

For five years running, the office of Czech Film Commission has served as an information and consulting center for foreign filmmakers and television crews interested in filming in the Czech Republic. Among Czech Film Commission's most recent activities are its participation in the Locations Trade Show in the USA and its membership in the newly founded European Film Commissions Network.

In 2007, Czech Film Commission became a founding member of the European Film Commissions Network (EuFCN). The EuFCN's first general assembly, including the election of the Network's board members and president, was held in Prague in November, 2007, and saw the election of Czech Film Commission's representative, Ludmila Claussová, to the Network's board of directors for a two-year term. The EuFCN currently has some 60 members - film commissions - from 20 European countries. For the first time ever, it had its own stand at the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival. In addition to representation at markets and festivals, the EuFCN's marketing and information activities include collaborative communications with the press and operation of the web site www.eufcn.net, providing information on filming in Europe. Besides that, the Network's members want to collaborate more closely and actively on inter-regional film projects.

Czech Film Commission presented the Czech film industry at the markets at the international film festivals in Berlin and Cannes. In April, the Commission also participated in the Locations Trade Show (LTA) in Santa Monica, California, the 23^rd such show organized by the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). The LTA is aimed at industry professionals, and its exhibitors are chiefly film commissions presenting their countries, regions or cities. This year's event boasted 200 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors. Czech Film Commission's stand was supported by the City of Prague, the Czech Ministry of Culture and the Czech Consulate in Los Angeles.

Another form of cooperation with the City of Prague, namely its Culture, Monument Care and Tourism Department, constituted the production of a "film map" of Prague for tourists with descriptions of locations where foreign films have been shot in the city. 

A number of films - both big-budget and low-budget projects - were shot in the Czech Republic in 2007. Of those, we have to mention the shooting of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, one of the biggest and most expensive movies ever shot in the Czech Republic, and the action film Wanted, which brought to Prague A-list stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and thereby arranged a huge amount of advertising for the Czech Republic in media around the world.

So far this year there has been no shortage of big names linked with Prague. Worth mentioning are two movies shot in the Czech Republic in the first half of 2008: the European co-production Solomon Kane and the American action film G.I.Joe.  At present, there are no known foreign projects scheduled to shoot in the country during the second half of the year. Unfortunately, Czech filmmakers still can not lure producers with tax incentives or other forms of support as can their counterparts in competing countries.

Czech Film Commission, above all in close cooperation with the Audiovisual Producers Association (APA) and the Czech Film Council, continues to participate in negotiations with national and local administration officials aimed at improving the conditions for film production in the Czech Republic, and has also helped to draft the source materials for introducing financial incentives for film production in the Czech Republic.