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06-05-2009

Production: Czech-Slovak-Irish debut in post-production

By Radovan Holub

    Foxes (Lištičky) (www.listicky.cz), a co-production from Slovakia, Ireland and the Czech Republic written and directed by first time director Mira Fornay, has completed a half year shoot on locations in all three countries and is currently in post-production.

    Film tells the story of a Slovak au pair who comes to live in Dublin with her sister, who has married an Irishman, and the secret the two young women carry with them. "I was inspired by the East European au pair community in Dublin and in London," Fornay told FNE.

    The film stars Aaron Monaghan (Ella Enchanted) and Jonathan Byrne (Fair City) together with less known Slovak actresses Reka Derzsi and Rita Banczi and Czech actress Jitka Josková. The film was shot with a Czech crew headed by DOP Tomáš Sysel and set designer Jan Vlček.

    Foxes was originally co-developed by the leading Czech production company Negativ (www.negativ.cz). Producers on the film are Viktor Schwarcz from the Czech production company Cineart Tv Prague, Emil Fornay and Juraj Buzalka from Slovak based small company Miras s.r.o. and Brian Willis and David Collins from Dublin based Samson Films. Samson Films (www.samsonfilms.com) are known for production of quality independent films as Oscar winning film Once (2005), Steve Hudson´s North (2006) and Robert Dornhelm A Further Gesture (1997).

    The 27 million CZK budget (1.1 million Euro) was covered by the Irish Film Board (www.irishfilmboard.ie), Eurimages (www.coe.int/eurimages), Czech TV (www.ceskatelevize.cz), the Czech Film Fund (www.mkcr.cz) and Slovak Ministry of Culture (www.culture.gov.sk).

    Fornay attended the film academy FAMU in Prague and the National Film and Television School in the UK. She was selected for the workshop of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami in 2005, and her shorts have been screened at numerous international film festivals.

    "Co-production with Ireland is not very common for Czechs," Viktor Schwarz told FNE. "But we convinced Samson Films, after having developed the script in Ireland with their help."

    The film will open September 17, 2009, in the Czech Republic, released by Bontonfim (www.bontonfilm.cz) and in Slovakia at the end of October, 2009, distributed by Continental Film (www.continental-film.sk). In Ireland it will be distributed by Samson Films, dates to be confirmed.

    Contact information:


    Cineart Tv Prague

    CEO Viktor Schwarcz, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    phone +420 261 711 044 or cell +420 777 220 364


    Samson Films

    CEO David Collins, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    phone +353 1 667 0533


    Miras s.r.o.

    CEO Juraj Buzalka, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Mira Fornay, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

    phone +420 603 745 519