My Czech Republic Blog » Film & Theatre http://blog.myczechrepublic.com Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:54:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Czech Roundup 31-May-09 http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/05/31/czech-roundup-31-may-09/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/05/31/czech-roundup-31-may-09/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 21:05:38 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/?p=253 Czech student film wins prize at Cannes festival

Congratulations to Zuzana Špidlová!  Her film Bába was awarded the top prize for the best student and youth film at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Slovak, Czech ForMins want youth to better know the other language

Even though the Czech and Slovak languages are similar, Czech and Slovak children are having a more difficult time understanding each other’s language.

New British star Susan Boyle to record her CD in Prague

Susan Boyle, Britain’s Got Talent runner-up and YouTube video star, will record her CD with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, according to idnes.cz.

George Lucas appeals for Czech filming incentives

Tax incentives have been discussed before.  Will a law be passed to help the Czech film industry compete with European countries that have them?

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/05/31/czech-roundup-31-may-09/feed/ 0 Czech Roundup 30-Apr-09 http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/04/30/czech-roundup-30-apr-09/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/04/30/czech-roundup-30-apr-09/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:56:29 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/?p=249 Are tax incentives for the Czech film industry coming soon?
Radio.cz news
Film production competition heats up in Eastern Europe

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival announces some special guests and program highlights
Czech film greats Forman and Švankmajer among special guests at Karlovy Vary festival this year

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2009/04/30/czech-roundup-30-apr-09/feed/ 0 Karlovy Vary – And the winner is … http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/07/13/karlovy-vary-and-the-winner-is/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/07/13/karlovy-vary-and-the-winner-is/#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:02:38 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/07/13/karlovy-vary-and-the-winner-is/ The 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival wrapped up yesterday.  The closing film was the movie Mamma Mia!, which is based on the musical of the same name and features songs from ABBA.  The Danish film Terribly Happy (Frygtelig Lykkelig) won the Crystal Globe for best feature film.

If you are interested in reading more about the festival, I have linked to the official site and some news articles.

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (official website)
Karlovy Vary: the best of the fest
Danish film Terribly Happy wins Karlovy Vary festival
Czech film Karamazovs wins critics’ award in Karlovy Vary

The main venue for screenings is at the Hotel Thermal (see picture below).  On our site, we have a section on the famous spa town of Karlovy Vary.

Hotel Thermal Karlovy Vary
 

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/07/13/karlovy-vary-and-the-winner-is/feed/ 1 Czech Roundup 27-Feb-08 http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/02/27/czech-roundup-27-feb-08/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/02/27/czech-roundup-27-feb-08/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:43:00 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/02/27/czech-roundup-27-feb-08/ Oscar dream comes true for young Czech musician Markéta Irglová
Home town of Markéta Irglová celebrates her Oscar success
- Markéto a Glene, gratulujeme!

Czech police seek missing bridge
- How do you hide a four-ton iron bridge? Most likely it has already been recycled.

Lights dimming on gambler’s paradise
- Herna bars are all over our Prague district with two even next door to each other.

Budvar ups exports to record 587,000 hl of beer in 2007
- For those living in South Korea, Brazil or Albania, Budvar is now being distributed to your country.

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2008/02/27/czech-roundup-27-feb-08/feed/ 0 Vinohrady Theatre Turns 100 http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/09/18/vinohrady-theatre-turns-100/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/09/18/vinohrady-theatre-turns-100/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:05:46 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/09/18/vinohrady-theatre-turns-100/ The Vinohrady Theatre (Divadlo na Vinohradech), which is located in a magnificent Art Nouveau building on Náměstí Míru, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. You can find more information on the theatre’s website (mostly in Czech), which includes a page on its history (in English).

Vinohrady Theatre Turns 100

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/09/18/vinohrady-theatre-turns-100/feed/ 0 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Started Today http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/06/29/karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-started-today/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/06/29/karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-started-today/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:34:55 +0000 Jeff http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/06/29/karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-started-today/ The 42nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival started today and runs through July 7. It is one of the most prestigious international film festivals in Europe and is classified as a “Category A” festival, which puts it in the same class as festivals in cities such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Tokyo. The festival presents over 220 feature films and up to 40 short films from around the world each year.

Danny DeVito will be receiving the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema on the closing day of the festival.

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2007/06/29/karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-started-today/feed/ 0 Summer Shakespeare Festival 2006 http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/09/01/summer-shakespeare-festival-2006/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/09/01/summer-shakespeare-festival-2006/#comments Fri, 01 Sep 2006 19:28:59 +0000 Dana http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/09/01/summer-shakespeare-festival-2006/ The Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Prague Castle is in its tenth year. Three plays alternate in the historic, open-air courtyard of the Burgrave Palace, just off of the Golden Lane. I went to see Othello last week and, surprisingly, had a great time. I say surprisingly because I don’t think of myself as someone who would appreciate, let alone enjoy sitting through two hours of a classical drama – I should add that going to the festival was not my idea.

I didn’t sit through Othello. I spent two hours in a state of utmost concentration with my eyes glued to the stage, trying not to miss a word, forgetting to shiver with cold in the chilly, autumn-like evening air. I fidgeted through the seemingly unending intermission, wishing they had skipped it. I left looking forward to next year’s festival and making mental notes on how to better prepare to make the most out of the experience. 1. Definitely get tickets for the first zone, which means 2. Buy tickets at least a month in advance, 3. Arrive an hour before the start of the show to get good seats, 4. Bring a pillow to put on the seat of the hard metal chair for softness and insulation; if the weather’s similar to that of August 25, 2006: 5. Bring a winter jacket, 6. Wear high boots, 7. Pack a blanket to put over my lap.

The festival started on June 21 and will continue through September 10. Plays start at 8:30 p.m. and end around 11 p.m. More info at www.shakespeare.cz.

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I loved the book. I haven’t seen the movie and am a little reluctant to go see it because a film is rarely as good as the book it’s based on. I’m too curious to see all the characters on the screen though, so I probably won’t resist…

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/06/21/holiday-makers/feed/ 2 Thank You for the Music http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/04/23/thank-you-for-the-music/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/04/23/thank-you-for-the-music/#comments Sun, 23 Apr 2006 10:58:25 +0000 Dana http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/?p=71 Jeff and I finally watched Román pro ženy yesterday, the 2005 Czech movie based on a book by Michal Viewegh and directed by Filip Renč. I was a bit disappointed with the film but I’m glad it made me “discover” the singer Iva Frühlingová whose several songs were used in it. I’ve known about her for a while but didn’t really know her music until I saw the movie. Iva sings mainly in French, which is explained by the fact that she lived in Paris for eight years. She became popular in France and Belgium before she received a Gold and Platinum Album in the Czech Republic for her first release Litvínov (2004).

You can listen to song samples at ivaf.cz.

]]> http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/04/23/thank-you-for-the-music/feed/ 0 Postřižiny or Cutting It Short http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/03/23/postriziny-or-cutting-it-short/ http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/2006/03/23/postriziny-or-cutting-it-short/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:18:19 +0000 Dana http://blog.myczechrepublic.com/?p=62 TV Nova showed Bohumil Hrabal’s Postřižiny last night and I couldn’t help but watch it, for the umpteenth time. It’s a wonderful Czech classic that can be seen over and over. In my opinion, the film is best understood if you are a native Czech, appreciate Czech humor and like Hrabal’s “tender barbarian” style of writing.

This gentle comedy is a lovely view of Hrabal’s parents, the brewery his father ran in Nymburk, Hrabal’s unique uncle Pepin, and the times of “cutting it short” at the beginning of last century. It is one of those pleasant films that bring a smile to your face and just make you feel good. Something else the film can do is give you an irresistible craving for jitrnice and beer. Both of which I had for lunch today. :)

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