The Czech Film Fund has allocated 60 million Czech crowns (approximately €2,373,600) in support of the production of eight feature-length films. Among these, Comenius, the latest work by acclaimed arthouse director, screenwriter and producer Václav Kadrnka, has secured 12 million crowns (€474,883). This movie comes on the heels of Kadrnka's distinguished film trilogy comprising Eighty Letters, Little Crusader [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Václav Kadrnka
scheda film] and Saving One Who Was Dead [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Václav Kadrnka
scheda film]. Set amidst the religious conflicts and the downfall of Protestant forces during the Battle of White Mountain, Comenius explores the life of Moravian thinker and educational reformer John Amos Comenius, often hailed as the father of modern education. Caught in a maelstrom of historical upheaval, Comenius faces a pivotal decision in his life while forming a connection with a young girl plagued by illness and mystical visions. This Czech (via Sirius Films), Slovak (Silverart) and French (Taiweg) co-production has been chosen for the 21st Sofia Meetings (see the news).

Beata Parkanová (Moments [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Beata Parkanová
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intervista: Beata Parkanová
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A Czech collaboration with Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway and Hungary on the children's sci-fi title GamerGirl by Marina Andree Škop (My Grandpa Is an Alien [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Marina Andree Škop e Draže…
scheda film]), facilitated through 8Heads Productions, has been bolstered with 13 million crowns’ (€514,456) worth of funding. The story centres on a 12-year-old girl who, after a car accident, finds herself in a realm mirroring her beloved video game. She then embarks on a quest to beat the game and return home. Following the success of The Teacher [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jan Hřebejk
scheda film] and after wrapping the Garden Store [+leggi anche:
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Additional projects receiving support include Timemasters by Jan Haluza, awarded 8.9 million crowns (€352,205), a time-travel adventure seen through the eyes of a young man who stumbles upon a murder during a live stream; Jakub Červenka's biopic Nepela, depicting the iconic Czechoslovak figure skater Ondrej Nepela during the 1973 World Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava, which received 5 million crowns (€197,867); and Milan Klepikov’s Spikes, inspired by poet Petr Král’s work. This project, which fuses cinema verité with actor improvisation to examine youths’ perspectives on the challenges of civilisation, was bolstered with 1.1 million crowns (€43,530).