Four Polish films in main competition at Venice Film Festival
For the first time, Poland will be represented in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival (www.labiennale.org) by four films, all co-produced by the Polish Film Institute. The festival…
Zwick starts shooting of Defiance in Lithuania
Veteran Hollywood director Edward Zwick began shooting his new film Defiance in Lithuania last week. The film is budgeted at about $50 Million (€36.6 million).
Eurimages finances controversial film Nazis and Blondes
"They were young. They were beautiful. They looked like Germans." A film with a logline like that is bound to raise some eyebrows. But the European Council co-production fund Eurimages…
New Vorel film could be headed for cult status among teens
A new Czech comedy called High School (Gympl), which premiered last weekend at the "Fresh Film Fest" student film festival in Karlovy Vary, could be on its way to achieving…
Czech television to produce 10 films in 2008
Česká televize (Czech television) has unveiled plans to invest more than 100 million crowns (€3.6 million) in about 10 new films in 2008.
Karlovy Vary winner The Class picked up by NonStop Sales
The 2007 Karlovy Vary East of the West jury award winner The Class by Ilmar Raag has been picked up for international distribution by the Scandinavian sales company NonStop Sales…
Barrandov opens new multifunctional area
Barrandov Studios in Prague has opened a new multifunctional area that will expand the existing modern storage and production space available for film projects.
Czech comedy films on the rise
A Catfish Summer, a Czech comedy about a big-city, small-time hustler who finds adventure in a remote village in the middle of nowhere, represents a new trend in the Czech…
Czech student faces piracy charges over Simpsons film (update)
A 19-year-old Czech student was formally charged on Monday with illegally recording The Simpsons Movie and posting it on the Internet, marking the first such prosecution in a country plagued…
Scandinavian Day at Gdynia festival to highlight cooperation
The artistic director of Poland's most important film festival believes Central Europe filmmakers have much to learn from the close cooperation among the film industries of the Nordic countries.
Cinema building boom advances in Central Europe
The number of cinema screens across Central Europe is set to rise to more than 3,000 by 2011, says a report by the U.K.-based film industry analysts Dodona Research.
UPC revenues rise 10% in 1H
UPC Holding B.V., the Netherlands-based media company with cable and telephone holdings in 11 countries, reported revenues rose 10% year-on-year to €827 million in the first half. The increase was…
Latest Jan Hrebejk film to premiere Sept. 6
Leading Czech director Jan Hrebejk will premiere the latest of his tragi-comedies, Teddy Bear (Medvidek), on Sept. 6. The film is co-produced by the Prague-based company Total HelpArt T.H.A., which…
TVN Group 2Q results beat management targets
Private Polish broadcaster TVN Group (www.tvn.pl) said its second-quarter results beat management's own expectations, with revenues up 32% from the same period in 2006 to 407 million zloty (€109 million).…
Multimedia Polska reports 12.3 percent rise in 1H profits
Triple-play operator Multimedia Polska (www.multimedia.pl) reported first-half profits rose 12.3% compared to the same period in 2006 as it continues its acquisition spree. Multimedia recently acquired 15 cable operators in…
Czech authorities plan tax rebate law for films
Authorities are preparing to put the Czech Republic on a par with its Central European neighbors by establishing tax exemptions for foreign films - but not before 2009. The so-called…
Viasat catches handball rights in Hungary and Slovenia
Viasat Broadcasting (www.viasatworld.com), a European satellite broadcaster, has obtained the exclusive rights to air the next five seasons of the EHF Champions League for handball in Hungary and Slovenia.
Defiance filming in Lithuania at end of August
Defiance, a U.S. film directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond), will begin filming in Lithuania at the end August for six weeks. Daniel Craig, hot off his success in Casino…
Baltic countries seeing future box office growth
Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are expected to face serious growth in film admissions, according to U.K.-based cinema business researchers Dodona Research (http://www.dodona.co.uk). They announced the results of their study, titled…
