26-04-2011

BATHORY SMASHED HOUSTON

    The movie returns to Prague crowned with prizes

    Prague, April 20, 2011 - Top Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko's Bathory was given WorldFest REMI Special Jury Award at Worldfest, the Houston-based international film festival that took place in April 8 - 17, 2011. This award is the highest prize awarded by the festival and is above Gold and Platinum awards. On top of this remarkable award, Bathory also won Gold REMI Award for Best Art Direction. An official festival press release called the movie one of the "Best of Show" in all features.

    Despite the fact the movie had been completed three years ago, it keeps being highly awarded at internetional films festivals, keeps filling movie theatres and winning the hearts of audiences, be it a wide general public or professional jurors. This huge success is driven mainly by the artistic vision of world filmmaker Juraj Jakubisko and his ability to transform his visions on the screen in his special poetic way. Bathory's success also proves that a good movie is able to address viewers anywhere in the world, regardless of their culture, beliefs and living conditions.

    WorldFest is one of the oldest festivals of the independent film in the world. It is radically different from the other film festivals by its monumental extent - it has had ten major categories and more than 3.500 movies took part in the competition this year. This makes an award to Bathory even more remarkable; the movie has already been over the main period of nominations but has still been one of the most successful movies of the Czech and Slovak cinema. Juraj Jakubisko, its director, whose movie language never gets old, has thus joined the group of important movie gurus awarded at this film festival, like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Brian de Palma, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, David Lynch, The Coen Brothers and others.

    Currently, Juraj Jakubisko has started to work on a new project - The Slav Epic, the two-part mega-movie. Again, therefore, he turns to history, this time on a larger scale though. The movie will map the history and significance of hitherto relatively neglected group of nations - the Slavs, and the importance of the Slavonic ideas, Christianity and other history factors. Those who love historical films and the art of Juraj Jakubisko, founder of magical realism, Fellini of the East or, as his American admirers call him, Marquez of the Silver Screen can again start looking forward to a new piece of Jakubisko's art.

    Further information: Robert Nerpas, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , phone +420 602 289 752