Directors

Andrea Sedláčková (b. 1967, Prague) is a Czech movie and television director, screenwriter, and editor.

She studied screenwriting at Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU), continuing her studies of editing and direction after emigrating to France at La Fémis in Paris (1990-93). For Czech Television she has made documentaries (e.g. What Did You Do in November?, 1994) and TV movies (e.g. A Beautiful Time, 2006). During her time in France she has been engaged mainly as an editor: her editing work on Welcome (2008) was nominated for a César, and Joyeux Nol (2005) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Both her previous features Victims and Murderers (2000) and Seducer (2002) were successfully screened in cinemas in Czech Republic, while her latest film, Fair Play, competed for the Crystal Globe at KVIFF and tours the international film festivals.

She resides in both France and the Czech Republic, and at the moment she is preparing an adaptation of Josef Škvorecký’s The Cowards.

Director, screenwriter and actor

Ondřej Sokol (*1971 in Šumperk) is regarded as one of the most significant directors of contemporary Czech scene. In the center of his work is theater, where he reached the greatest succes. He won The Alfred Radok award several times (talent of the year, performance of the year, drama of the year). He is the holder of Sazka and theater newspaper’s award and Thalia award. His precedence is the ability of management of actors; actors of his performances are placed on top of the critical rankings every year.

He is the main director of the Dramatic klub in Prague, where he produced performances such as The Lonesome West, Mr. Cushion, Carnage, Sexual Perversion in Chicago, Hero of the West. He is regarded as discoverer of Martin McDonagh for Czech theatrical creation.

In adition to acting and directing at the Academy of Performing Arts he studied documentary filmmaking at FAMU. Since then directs and works as a television director and proclaimed it as the „training“ on his first feature film. A lot of scenarios which he received he refused and finaly wrote his own screenplay with Peter Vydra – his film debut called Krásno.

The youngest recipient ever of the Crystal Globe for Best Actor at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech actor Jiří Mádl was poised to become a professional ice hockey player, but an elbow injury changed his plans forever. He auditioned for and won the leading role in Karel Janák’s comedy Snowboarders and was the youngest person ever named to the Personalities of the Czech Republic list by the Czech magazine MF DNES.

Following the success of Snowboarders, he took on comic roles in: Taming Crocodiles (2006) and Rock Con Artists (2006). His English language debut film was Bathory. Shortly after, he starred in Night Owls (2008). His role in this film made him the youngest recipient ever of the Crystal Globe for Best Actor at the 2008 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Recently, he has starred in such films as Lousy Bastards (2014), Collette (2013), and The Confidant (2012).

Now 27, Jiri wrote and directed his first feature film To See the Sea. Born: 1986, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

Nursed by 35mm and VHS, as a director/producer Viktor grew to desire to create both, artistically compelling and commercially successful films. The short “Eleanor Rigby from the Lesser Quarter”, (Bronze Knight Moscow IFF 1996, 1st Prize Madrid IFF 1996); full length features “My Detox” - “the most significant debut of post communist decade” by critics, “The Great Thaw” - seen by over 6% of the Czech nation in theaters only; international co-production “Clownwise” - intended to combine the experiences, it represents director’s first reach for the international market.

Proud member of what Cahiers du Cinema calls the do-it-yourself generation Viktor also produces films by filmmakers he admires. The award winning film by Zuzana Liova, „House“ (premiered at Berlinale’s Forum section 2011, winner of Palm Springs Festival 2011, Varie- ty Critics Choice 2011, etc.), „Honeymoon“ directed by the Academy Award nominated director Jan Hrebejk (the Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary IFF 2013, Toronto IFF, Pussan, etc.) Viktor was selected as the “Producer on the Move” representing the Czech Republic at Cannes 2013.

Jan Hřebejk began his career while still a student at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). His directorial path started with two short film productions made in collaboration with fellow classmate Petr Zelenka, who later would become an award-winning Czech playwright and director in his own right. For much of Hřebejk's later career, he worked closely with Petr Jarchovský, a well-known Czech screenwriter.

Hřebejk's first big break was a collaboration with Jarchovský done in the early 1990's, a musical called Big Beat (Šakalí léta, 1993). This duo worked together many times and together they created numerous popular films. They have written and directed Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat, 2000), Up and Down (Horem, pádem, 2004), Kawasaki's Rose (Kawasakiho růže, 2009), Innocence (Nevinnost, 2011), and more.

Hřebejk’s personal list of accomplishments in film is endlessly impressive and includes a 2000 Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film with Divided We Fall. Recently in 2009, his film Kawasaki’s Rose was also selected as the Czech entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. His work has won countless Czech Lion