The Czech Republic film industry refers to films made in the Czech Republic or the former Chechoslovakia or by filmmakers from there. The first Czech film director and cinematographer was Jan Kříženecký, who since the second half 19th century filmed short documentaries called "Newsreels". The first permanent cinema house was founded by Viktor Ponrepo in 1907 in Prague. Sound was first used in Czechoslovakia in the film Když struny lkají (1930). Then the Czech movie industry experienced a boom period which lasted until WWII. Barrandov Studios were launched in 1933, it is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. At present the studios are often called the "European Hollywood" or "Hollywood of the East" due to increasing interest of western productions. The Czechoslovak New Wave, the golden age of Czech cinema, is most frequently associated with the early works of directors such as Miloš Forman, Věra Chytilová, Jiří Menzel and others, although works by older, more established Czechoslovak directors such as Karel Kachyňa and Vojtěch Jasný are also placed in this category. Encompassing a broad range of fresh and original works in the early to mid-1960s, the Czechoslovak New Wave cannot be pinned down to any one style or approach to filmmaking. Examples range from highly stylised, even avant-garde, literary adaptions using historical themes to semi-improvised comedies with contemporary subjects and amateur actors. However, a frequent feature of films from this period were their absurd, black humour and an interest in the concerns of ordinary people, particularly when faced with larger historical or political changes. The acid western comedy film Lemonade Joe was a famous parody of old-time westerns. Cinematic influences included Italian neorealism and the French New Wave, although the Czechoslovak New Wave also builds organically on developments in Czechoslovak cinema in the late 1950s when directors broke free from the influence of Stalinism in the film industry.
Best International Feature Film Wins[]
- 38th Academy Awards, 1965
- The Shop on Main Street — Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos (under Czechoslovakia)
- 40th Academy Awards, 1967
- Closely Watched Trains — Jiří Menzel (under Czechoslovakia)
- 69th Academy Awards, 1996
- Kolya — Jan Svěrák
Best International Feature Film Nominations[]
- 38th Academy Awards, 1965
- The Shop on Main Street — Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos (under Czechoslovakia)
- 39th Academy Awards, 1966
- Loves of a Blonde — Miloš Forman (under Czechoslovakia)
- 40th Academy Awards, 1967
- Closely Watched Trains — Jiří Menzel (under Czechoslovakia)
- 41st Academy Awards, 1968
- The Fireman's Ball — Miloš Forman (under Czechoslovakia)
- 59th Academy Awards, 1986
- My Sweet Little Village — Jiří Menzel (under Czechoslovakia)
- 64th Academy Awards, 1991
- The Elementary School — Jan Svěrák (under Czechoslovakia)
- 69th Academy Awards, 1996
- Kolya — Jan Svěrák
- 73rd Academy Awards, 2000
- Divided We Fall — Jan Hŕebejk
- 76th Academy Awards, 2003
- Želary — Ondřej Trojan