The Slovak Film and Television Academy (SFTA) announced on Thursday in Bratislava the winners of the national film award Sun in the Network for the year 2025. For the second year in a row, this extraordinary event was done without television cameras. TV STVR has once again decided not to include the gala evening in its broadcast. Viewers could still watch the live stream on YouTube.
In the TV movie, miniseries or series category, TV JOJ had two hot candidates, namely the crime drama Neuer and the miniseries MIKI ČERNÁK. He concluded the three nominees three-part Czech political thriller Molochwho finally turned the nomination into a victory. She recently commented on the results Jana Kluková, producer of the series Neuerwho first congratulated all nominated colleagues and winners.
In her contribution, she spoke openly about the fact that the award went to a project with a strong Czech background. “There is a lot of talk about the fact that the original Slovak series NEUER did not win the prize in the end. The reason is also mentioned, which is the Czech series MOLOCH. As a producer of the original Slovak television series Neuer, as a member of the Slovak artistic community and, last but not least, as a citizen of this country, who is one of the few who still lives and works here, although she has the opportunity for a more dignified life abroad, I want to say that I do not understand the motives and motivations of SFTA members in their selection and even when considering the basic attributes,” she stated bitterly on Friday, April 10, on the social network.
At the same time, she pointed to the practice in the neighboring Czech Republic, where the rules for national prices are significantly stricter. “I know that in the neighboring Czech Republic, the academic community protects the selection of projects that it allows to compete for a national award. Those whom he thinks are not sufficiently Czech, that they have a minimal, formal or perhaps speculative domestic element, won’t even allow the primary vote for the nomination,” she explained.
Subsequently, she also added specific examples. “In 2023, our series ULTIMATE was like thatalthough it was Czechoslovak in content and was created in co-production with the public Czech Television. This year, Czech academics even eliminated the film Otec from voting for the Czech Lion.” she noted.
According to her, such a decision by the academy can have a negative impact on the entire domestic production. “And last but not least, I wonder if you are SFTA members are aware of how demotivating it is for aspiring home builders to watch their actions. To create a demanding audiovisual work with an emphasis on European quality in our small Slovak market with zero language reach, minimum economic capital and maximum bureaucracy and often with specific human resources is an Olympic performance,” she complained about the current conditions in our country.
At the end, she did not hide her disappointment from the atmosphere that accompanied the award ceremony itself. “Last night I heard passionate speeches about the fact that there is no need to worry about the future of Slovak culture. Well… I am worried about the future of Slovak culture. The difference is perhaps in what I imagine the culture of the nation to be.” she concluded.
