BRATISLAVA: Film incentives and online screenings are the newest measures taken by the Slovak film industry in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The Slovak Film Commision is highlighting the country’s impressively low rate of COVID-19 infections and calling on film professionals to register for the 33% cash rebate now available, rather than wait for the re-opening of the borders. Slovakia increased its cash rebate as of 1 January 2020, up from the previous 20%. In another move, the Slovak distributor Filmtopia has begun online distribution.

BRATISLAVA: The Slovak Union of Film Distributors has published an analysis quantifying the losses already suffered by the closure of cinemas due to the COVID-19 crisis, following an especially strong start of the year.

BRATISLAVA: Slovak documentary director Zuzana Piussi has finished the development on the social tragicomedy The Unbalanced / Zošalieť. The film is a Czech/Slovak coproduction between D1film production and the Slovak company Virus film. It was part of the Torino Film Lab Extended and the 2020 Czech Works in Progress online presentation

KOŠICE: The 28th edition of the Art Film Fest, which was scheduled to take place 19–27 June 2020 in Košice, has been postponed.

BRATISLAVA: A drop in TV ad revenues due to COVID-19, with a large part so far due to the cancellation of sporting events, is hitting the Slovak production sector as television has less money to commission independent productions. The same crisis is hitting production all over Europe.

BRATISLAVA: The Czech/Slovak historical drama Shadow Land / Krajina ve stínu directed by Bohdan Sláma has completed postproduction. The coproduction was shot in black and white on celluloid with classic film cameras to achieve great image quality and visual experience.

BRATISLAVA: The Slovak Film and Television Academy, together with film organisations and associations, are asking the government for urgent and concrete proposals to address the growing problems of thousands of people working in the Slovak audiovisual industry, who have been left without an income.

PRAGUE: Shooting for Marvel’s miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier directed by Kari Skogland halted in Prague when the Czech government restricted mass events due to the spread of Coronavirus on 10 March 2020. The production had started filming in Prague on 6 March 2020.

BRATISLAVA: The 27th edition of Febiofest Bratislava, which was due 11-17 March 2020, has been postponed to a date that will be announced in the coming weeks. The decision has been taken in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Bratislava region and Slovakia.

BRATISLAVA: The political thriller Amnesty / Amnestie by Jonáš Karásek leads the 10th Sun in a Net awards nominations with 12 nods, followed by Marko Škop´s Let There Be Light / Nech je svetlo with 11 nods. The awards organised by the Slovak Film and Television Academy will be announced on 17 April 2020.