The Prague Audiovisual Endowment Fund (PAVF) has decided to support a total of 12 audiovisual projects to be filmed in the territory of the capital city. Altogether, nearly CZK 11 million has been allocated from the city’s budget. Through this support, Prague once again confirms its long-term commitment to presenting itself as a “film-friendly” destination.
On the occasion of PAVF’s tenth anniversary, a record number of applications was submitted – 34 projects in total, four of which were excluded for formal reasons. Thirty projects were therefore evaluated, and 12 ultimately received support: two documentary films, four feature films, two television series, two short films, and two animated films.
“Prague has long supported projects that strengthen its international image while also delivering tangible economic benefits to the city and its residents. Today, audiovisual production is not only culture but also a significant industry that creates jobs, attracts investment, and helps present Prague as a modern and open metropolis. I am pleased that through the Prague Audiovisual Endowment Fund we are able to systematically support high-quality projects while further developing an environment attractive to global film production,” said Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.
“The Prague Audiovisual Fund has long supported projects that use Prague not merely as a backdrop, but actively present it to the world while bringing concrete benefits to the local economy and cultural environment. I am delighted by the high quality and genre diversity of this year’s supported projects, ranging from the continuation of the series Foundation: Galaxy Twilight, to the animated film War of Salamanders, and the historical drama Ležáky. Thanks to these projects, Prague continues to profile itself as an open, creative, and film-friendly city,” said Prague City Councillor for Culture Tomáš Slabihoudek.
“I particularly appreciate the evaluation committee’s selection for its diversity – from major international productions to Czech auteur films and student projects. For the city, this investment represents an excellent opportunity with significant returns: we expect direct spending in the local economy amounting to hundreds of millions of crowns, further strengthening Prague’s position as a film destination and supporting the local film industry. However, the true value of this investment cannot be measured in crowns alone – it lies in the long-term creation of Prague’s image that will endure for generations,” stated Prague City Councillor for Finance Zdeněk Kovářík.
The highest financial support among the evaluated projects – CZK 5 million – was awarded to a series with the working title Trident, to be produced in Prague by the streaming company Netflix. The largest planned spending in Prague, amounting to CZK 1.75 billion, is expected from the Foundation series by Apple TV+, inspired by the globally renowned Foundation book series. Its fourth season will be filmed in Prague. The continuation of the series received support of CZK 1.23 million.
The same amount was granted to the Czech-Slovak-French co-production feature film with animated elements Night Tram, directed by Michaela Pavlátová. Additional support was awarded to the animated film War of Salamanders by director Aurel Klimt, which combines multiple animation techniques and is based on the famous science fiction novel by Karel Čapek.
Unanimous support of CZK 820,000 was granted to the historical drama Ležáky, focusing on uncovering the real informer responsible for the burning of the village of Ležáky. CZK 410,000 was awarded to the TV miniseries Icedown, directed by Jan Hřebejk, which plans to spend approximately CZK 80 million in Prague. The same grant amount was allocated to director Mira Fornay for her film Twist the Rabbit and to director Jaroslav Fuit for his feature film They Call Me Lars. Members of the Administrative board also supported short films, including the FAMU student project Non-Existent Country by director Soldatová and Jewish Prague by director Martin Hořínek.
Among documentary films, the Board selected a Czech-Swiss documentary based on the true story of renowned writer Ingeborg Bachmann, who, as she described, wrote her poem Bohemia Lies by the Sea in one of the most beautiful film locations, as well as the cultural-historical documentary The Invisible Wall, produced by Česká televize.
The full press release is available in Czech HERE and also on the official website of the City of Prague – HERE.