REP ORT ON THE SL OVAK AUDI OVIS UAL SIT UATION IN 2019 REPORT ON THE S LOVAK AUDIOVISUAL SITU A TION IN 2019 > CONTENT – Introduction ...................................................................... 03 – This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. – Legislation ....................................................................... 04 – This publication reflects the views only of the author, – Film Education ................................................................. 05 and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. – Film Production ................................................................ 07 – Audiovisual Fund .............................................................. 10 – Literary Fund ................................................................... 15 – MEDIA Sub-programme ..................................................... 15 – Eurimages ........................................................................ 17 – Cinema Distribution ......................................................... 17 – Videodistribution ............................................................. 25 – Cinemas ........................................................................... 27 – Film Clubs ....................................................................... 31 – Domestic Festivals and Reviews .......................................... 31 – Awards for Slovak Films and Filmmakers in Slovakia ........... 34 – Awards for Slovak Films and Filmmakers Abroad ................. 38 – Slovak Film Institute ......................................................... 41 – Television ......................................................................... 44 – In Memoriam 2019 ........................................................... 49 – Contact Points – Institutions, Companies and Other Organisations Operating in the Slovak Audiovisual Industry .......................................................... 50 REPORT ON THE S LOVAK AUDIOVISUAL SITU A TION IN 2019 > INTRODUCTION – 2019 was again extremely successful for Slovak audiovision as, in many re - only by 0.67 % compared with the record year of 2018 (196,468 screenings in spects, we observed record data. total). However, the average attendance increased (by 10.2 % to 33.23 viewers – In particular, in two key areas – in film production and cinema distribution. In per screening). We have also recorded the highest figure for box office takings, i.e. 2019, a record 44 full-length cinema films were made (of these 27 were feature a record EUR 37,258,401; the higher average ticket price – EUR 5.71, also con - films, 16 documentaries and one bloc of animated films). At the same time, as tributed to this. many as 24 films were majority films (14 feature, 9 documentaries and one bloc – The results achieved by Slovak films are also positive: there were 43 Slovak of animated films were either 100% Slovak, majority or parity films). Of the total feature-length films and blocs among the 248 releases. All Slovak films (including number of films, 12 were débuts; that is the same number as in 2018. The full- minority co-productions) were watched by 1,075,129 viewers in cinemas in length films offer a colourful range of genres: from thrillers ( Amnesty /Amnestie) 2019; the share in the total attendance was a magnificent 16.47 %. Two Slovak through a horror ( The Rift /Trhlina) to romantic comedies ( Loli Paradicka /Loli films which were in the TOP 10 best-attended films ( The Rift – 262,588 viewers paradička, The New Year’s Kiss /Šťastný nový rok), but also classical, ambitious and The New Year’s Kiss – 201,858 viewers) can indeed be designated as Slo - dramas in artistic terms ( By a Sharp Knife /Ostrým nožom, Let There Be vak blockbusters. Light /Nech je svetlo). The relatively high number of non-traditional genre forms – Of course, this text was written in March 2020 amidst a pandemic caused (the omnibus film Who’s Next? /Kto je ďalší?, the stylised drama from the World by COVID-19 and, as we are now direct witnesses of the drastic quarantine mea - War II period Little Kingdom /Malá ríša or the trick film about M. R. Štefánik The sures and dramatic drops in film production and distribution, we can only hope Impossible Voyage /Cesta do nemožna) is also remarkable. Documentaries were that the Slovak audiovisual industry emerges from the crisis as soon as possible also varied in terms of theme and genre: from a road movie ( Africa by Pionier: and the losses do not cause the extinction of its entire branches. But, so as not 15,000 Kilometres on the Smallest Motorbikes /Afrika na Pionieri), by way of to conclude this text on a negative note – I am convinced that the magical power a thriller ( Never Happened /Skutok sa stal), a creative political documentary of cinema will win out, new and artistically high-quality films with high-quality (The State Capture /Ukradnutý štát) to classical documentaries ( Silent stories will be made (at the moment filmmakers have an infinite amount of time Days /Hluché dni, Paradise on Earth /Raj na zemi or Lost Home /Stratený to write and improve screenplays) and viewers will return to cinemas sooner or domov). later. – As for cinema distribution, we have recorded the second highest attendance since Slovakia became independent; all in all, 6,529,320 viewers came to ci - Vladimír Štric nemas (9.46 % more than in 2018). The number of screenings dropped, albeit Head of Creative Europe Desk Slovakia 3 REPORT ON THE S LOVAK AUDIOVISUAL SITU A TION IN 2019 > LEGISLATION proceed in compliance with the Act on Public Procurement who is not regis - tered in the list of persons active in audiovision . This list is kept by the Slovak – By Resolution No. 113 of 13 March 2019, the Slovak Government adopted Film Institute pursuant to Section 6 of Act No. 40/2015 on Audiovision and on the draft update of the Systematic Restoration of the Slovak Audiovisual He - Amendments and Supplements to some other Acts as amended. ritage Project for 2019 – 2021 . The main objective of the Project is the syste - – Accordingly, the obligation of the beneficiary of the grant to apply public matic protection and gradual restoration of the audiovisual heritage, as well as procurement procedures still does not apply to projects supported by the Au - rendering it subsequently accessible to the public. The restoration systematics in - diovisual Fund by a total amount of up to 50 % of the project budget. clude several phases (stock-taking, diagnostics, preservation/treatment, resto - – However, at the same time, if the total grant provided by the Audiovisual ration, digitisation of film materials and rendering them accessible) which gra - Fund for some of the listed activities represents over 50 % of the supported dually overlap for the individual audiovisual works and the accompanying project’s total budget, with effect from 1 January 2019 public procurement documents related to the production, distribution or presentation of audiovisual procedures do not have to be applied even by that beneficiary who is entered works in public. Ensuring its institutional, staffing, technological, technical and fi - in the list of persons active in audiovision (kept by the SFI), such as nancial demands is also an essential part of the Project. With regard to the on - a) a producer of a Slovak audiovisual work; going development of the audiovisual heritage, the need to financially ensure the b) a distributor of audiovisual works; related activities performed by the Slovak Film Institute (SFI), as well as the fact c) a person providing technological and professional services related to the that the Project update approved by the Slovak Government in 2016 contained production of audiovisual works; specific tasks for the entities involved only up to 2018, it was necessary to pre - d) an operator of an audiovisual technical facility (cinema); or pare an update of the Project also for the following period, i.e. for 2019 – 2021. e) a mediatheque operator; – Act No. 345/2018 amending and supplementing Act No. 343/2015 on Pu - f) a person providing for public cultural events, educational or presenta- blic Procurement and on the Amendments and Supplements to some other Acts tion activities in audiovisual culture and industry. as amended, which amends and supplements certain Acts, became effective on – However, the above exception concerns only those beneficiaries of a grant 1 January 2019. This amendment to the Act on Public Procurement also intro - who are not public procurers or procurers pursuant to the Act on Public Procure - duces a positive change for audiovision. The Audiovisual Fund took part in the ment. That means that, for instance, a public university, a municipality or parti - preparation of the amendment in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, ally state-funded organisation have to proceed in accordance with the Act on Pu - the Office for Public Procurement and professional organisations in audiovision blic Procurement even if they purchase goods or services related to the above (Slovak Film Institute, Association of Independent Producers and Slovak Audio - activities in audiovision. visual Producers’ Association). – At the same time, the given exception does not apply to those supported pro - – Pursuant to Section 8 par. 1 of the Act on Public Procurement, if the Audio - jects that are not directly the creation, production, distribution, presentation, pro - visual Fund (or any other