Born in Czechoslovakia on February 6, 1965
Jan Sverak, one of the most successful Czech filmmakers, the son of screenwriter and actor Zdenek Sverak.
He studied at Prague Film University. Already in student works, he showed a penchant for parodying cult objects, intellectual irony and witty hoaxes, the short film “Oilmen” (1988), received a student Oscar, and the full-length debut comedy “Elementary School” (1991) was nominated for an Oscar. One of the most expensive Czech paintings “Battery” (1993),
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Born in Czechoslovakia on February 6, 1965
Jan Sverak, one of the most successful Czech filmmakers, the son of screenwriter and actor Zdenek Sverak.
He studied at Prague Film University. Already in student works, he showed a penchant for parodying cult objects, intellectual irony and witty hoaxes, the short film “Oilmen” (1988), received a student Oscar, and the full-length debut comedy “Elementary School” (1991) was nominated for an Oscar. One of the most expensive Czech paintings “Battery” (1993), parodying some common motifs of fantastic cinema, as well as, on the contrary, very cheap in cost “Ezda” (1994) in the style of road-movie, also won prizes at international festivals, and the social melodrama “Kolya” (1995) was awarded the Golden Globe and “Oscar” (1997), as the best film in a foreign language. After the film Kolya, Sverach directed a large-scale co-production film “The Shining Blue” (2002), describing the fate of Czech pilots who served in the British Air Force during World War II. In 2007, Zdenek Sverak again gave his son, this time an almost autobiographical script “Return Bottles”, about an old man who could not reconcile with senile pastime, sitting on a bench in the park.
Awards:
1987 - "Silver Dragon" - "Space Odyssey II" (Cracow Film Festival)
1988 - Special Jury Prize - "Nefteedy" (Krakiv Film Festival); Jury Award - "Nefteeds" (Munich IFF Film School)
1989 - Best foreign student film - "Oscar" (Oscar)
1990 - Film Audience Award - "Nefteeds" (K/m) (IFF short films in Clermont-Ferrand)
1991 - "Golden Winterbird" - "Elementary School" (Pilsen Film Festival)
1994 - Promotional Award - "Battery 1" (Festival of young Eastern European cinema in Cottbus); Special mention of the directors in the week - "Elementary School" (Fantasporto); Audience Award – Battery 1 (Pilsen Film Festival); UCCA Venticittà Award – Battery 1 (Venice Film Festival)
1995 - "Golden Raven" - "Battery 1" (Brussels MK of phantasmagoric films); Critics Award and Special Mention - "Battery 1" (Cinema Festival in Gerardmer); "Crystal Ball" - "Trip" (MFF in Karlovy Vary); Audience Award - "Trip" (Pilsen Film Festival)
1996 - Grand Prix and Best Screenplay - Kolya (Tokyo IFF); Audience Award – “Battery 1” (IFF in Tromso); Honorary Diploma - "Kola" (Venice Film Festival)
1997 – Best Film – Kolya (Czech Critics Award) Best Film, Best Director (Czech Lion) Audience Award – “Kola” (Pilsen Film Festival)
2007 - Award of moviegoers - "Empty Tara" (Festival of young East European cinema in Cottbus; IFF in Karlovy Vary).