14/04/2005 - A plot focused on jazz music and on the musicians’ struggle for fame, guest-starring the famous saxophone player : this is, in a nutshell, the Slovaquia-born director's new feature film

A plot focused on jazz music and on the musicians’ struggle for fame guest-starring the famous saxophone player Maceo Parker : this is, in a nutshell, Slovaquia-born Tomas Krnac’s new idea for a feature film. European coproducers (Slovaquia, the GB/Ireland, and Austria) have already gathered around this project entitled Jazzus. This script (which, amongst other distinctions, was selected for the Moonstone International Screenwriters’ Lab in November 2004) was written by the director and Biba Bohinska ; it is the story of Viktor, a saxophone player famous in Bratislava but who would like his fame to extend to the whole world. When he meets his idol Maceo Parker, on tour in Slovaquia, the big star’s only comment after a jam session where they play together is, ‘if you don’t live it, it won’t come from your saxophone’. In a failed attempt to go to New-York, Viktor ends up at his sister’s, in Belfast, an eventful trip (especially on the sentimental front) which ends down in the dumps. Depressed Viktor goes back to Slovaquia where he finally decides to face his responsabilities.

The Croatian actor Goran Vinsjic (seen in the famous American series ER) may play the leading part ; Maceo Parker will play his own role and write the music. This €2M project has already found 80% of the money. Jazzus is coproduced by the director’s company, TaO Productions (Slovaquia), by Patrick FitzSymons for Borderline Productions (Great-Britain/Ireland), and Aichholzer Filmproduktion (Austria). The film was also granted €260,000 from the Slovaquian Ministry of Culture. It will start shooting at the end of the year, for six weeks, in Slovaquia and Northern Ireland; it should be ready in October 2006, which would allow to release it, as planned, in February 2007.

(Translated from French)