The films Choir Master, Father and Summer School, 2001 won two prizes each. The organizers said that the voting for the best film was very close. In the end, the members of the jury sided with the Chorus Master of the production duo of Jiří Konečný and Ivan Ostrochovský, directed by Ondřej Provazník. “We made the film to draw attention to the situation of the victims, to dedicate the film to them as a kind of tribute,” said Konečný.
The story of a teenage girl seeking her place in a prestigious girls’ choir led by a man she admires explores themes of manipulation and sexual abuse of teenagers. The judges described Falbrová’s performance in the title role as disarming.
Summer School, 2001 won its author Dužan Duong the prize for the screenplay as well as the prize for the discovery of the year. Jan Smutný and Lukáš Kokeš share the screenwriting award with him.
Hlaváček Gramatová also succeeded
The best documentary was The House with No Exit directed by Tomáš Hlaváček. His film traces the consequences of the trade in poverty, the focus of which is the so-called slave houses.
From the drama entitled Nahoře nebe, v dolina já, which was largely cast by non-actors by filmmaker Katarína Gramatová, critics singled out Tomáš Kotas’ camera as an audiovisual achievement.
In the Out of Cinema category, the criminal mini-series Studna, produced by the Oneplay platform, won. Its creators, screenwriters Miro Šifra and Kristina Májová and director Tereza Kopáčová, were inspired by a real family tragedy from Vonoklas in Central Bohemia and also a well-known episode from the series 30 cases of Major Zeman.
The award goes to the “animated” about the Russian invasion
Among the short films, the diary-style animated film I Died in Irpin scored points, in which director Anastasija Falileevová documents the first days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Controversy surrounds the winning film Choir Master, due to the fact that one of his victims was recognized in the story inspired by the case of the convicted Bohumil Kulínský, also due to the use of the same first name. The producers are now facing a lawsuit from her side. Ropesman has previously expressed his regret that his film affected some of the real victims psychologically. Falbrová praised all the victims who had the courage to contact her.
Endorfilm, as the main producer of the film, insists that the film is a fictional work of art. In a statement, she stated that she had sought reconciliation, but the opposing party made unacceptable demands, including ten million in compensation and a ban on televising the film in the Czech Republic.
The evening was in the spirit of sport, prizes were presented by, among others, former athlete Ludmila Formanová, kayaker Vavřinec Hradilek and hockey legend Dominik Hašek. The moderator was YouTuber Jan Špaček.
date:2026-02-07 21:54:00
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