Czech film critics have been celebrating domestic cinema and audiovisual production from 2020 at the annual ceremony of the Czech Film Critics’ Awards. The critics voted the black-and-white period drama Shadow Country [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Agnieszka Holland
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A story of political activism veering into terrorism, Droneman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Petr Zelenka
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The cinematography by Viera Čákanyová and Tomáš Klein in the Czech-Slovak experimental doc FREM [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Viera Čakányová
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For the first time, the official category of Best Short Film was added to the roster of awardees this year. The film critics were reacting to the increase in local production of short films, which have also been racking up considerable success on the festival circuit. Daria Kaschcheeva’s The Daughter (last year’s Beyond Cinema winner – see the news) made it as the nominee for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Meanwhile, the inaugural gong went to young director Adam Martinec for Anatomy of a Czech Afternoon, a parent’s nightmare on a summer’s day, set by a lake and exacerbated by the bystander effect (and inspired by a real-life accident).

Here is the complete list of winners at the Czech Film Critics’ Awards:

Best Film
Shadow Country [+leggi anche:
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Best Documentary
Caught in the Net [+leggi anche:
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Best Director
Agnieszka Holland – Charlatan [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Agnieszka Holland
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Best Screenplay
Droneman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Petr Zelenka
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Best Actress
Magdaléna Borová - Shadow Country

Best Actor
Ivan Trojan - Charlatan

Best Audiovisual Achievement
Viera Čákanyová, Tomáš Klein (cinematographers) – FREM [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Viera Čakányová
scheda film] (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Innogy Award for Discovery of the Year
Jindřich Andrš – A New Shift [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]

Beyond Cinema Award
Rats – Viktor Tauš, Matěj Chlupáček, Miro Šifra

Best Short Film
Anatomy of a Czech Afternoon – Adam Martinec