The Golden Prague Festival is drawing near. The 61st Golden Prague International Television Festival will be hosted for the first time in Prague's Art Nouveau landmark – the Municipal House. Viewers and visitors can look forward to a showcase of ninety films about dance, music, and theatre as well as star-studded appearances. For the very first time, the festival will be accompanied by the Golden Dance Floor. The event will take place from September 25th to 28th. Competition films can be viewed both at the Municipal House and on our website. The Awards Ceremony and Closing Concert will be broadcast on CT art.
"As Golden Prague Festival enters its seventh decade, it introduces a new space where it will present the best of current music, dance, and theatrical productions on screen. One of the oldest festivals in Europe has built a respected name, making it a relevant event for film professionals who want to showcase their work. This year, films from twenty-one countries are competing, and a large number of representatives from producers, broadcasters, and television stations from around the world will arrive in Prague. I wish them an enjoyable time at the Municipal House, at Golden Prague, and in the company of Czech Television," says Jan Souček, Director General of Czech Television.
The Wednesday opening ceremony will feature two premieres, both produced by Czech Television. The first, titled Krausberry Day, tells the impressive story of the eponymous blues-rock band, directed by Michal Rákosník. The second, a dance documentary, will allow viewers to enter the world of dance. The director of Speaking Through Dance, Martin Kubala, attempts to uncover the meaning and essence of this oldest art form, in co-production with the National Theatre.
The second day of the festival will be marked by the Awards Ceremony, which will also be broadcast on ČT art on September 26. During the third festival day, the Sladkovský Hall will again offer two premieres: Hapka & Horáček: Mischievous Guests directed by Patrik Ulrich, and Ondřej Havelka - Work of All Kinds directed by Břetislav Rychlík. Please note that all evening screenings will be presented in the Czech language.
The versatile artist Ondřej Havelka will also close the entire festival on Saturday, September 28. During the concert with his Melody Makers orchestra, he will invite great guests to the stage, including singers Martina Barta and Rozálie Havelková, and vocalists Adam Plachetka and Aleš Briscein.
"The change of venue is a significant milestone for Golden Prague. However, the new spaces will also bring new experiences and opportunities. I'm particularly looking forward to the documentary premieres in the Sladkovský Hall, including portraits of Ondřej Havelka and the Hapka-Horáček duo, the Golden Dance Floor of Golden Prague where people can dance with StarDance stars, and even the visit of the excellent Canadian director Larry Weinstein, who will personally receive the EBU and IMZ Award for Outstanding Work from international colleagues at the awards ceremony. Incidentally, the fact that both organizations chose Golden Prague as the place where they want to present this award speaks to the prestige the festival has in the world," says Tomáš Motl, Director of the Golden Prague Festival and Executive Director of the cultural channel CT art.
Rich Programme for Industry Visitors
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the International Music + Media Centre (IMZ) have prepared an extensive programme for industry visitors. This programme offers unique networking opportunities, expert panels, and insider insights into the world of music and dance in media. For a detailed schedule of industry events, please visit our website.
Awards for the Best
The best films in the field of music, dance, and theatre production will be honored by a five-member jury with a total of five awards. The Czech Crystal will be awarded in three categories, and the jury will also select the winner of the main Grand Prix Golden Prague award and give special recognition to the author of an extraordinary artistic achievement. Two additional awards will be presented by Czech Television and the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97. The jury is chaired by Arild Erikstad, a Norwegian producer, IMZ Vice-Chairman, and music journalist. The jury also includes professionals from Austria, Finland, Germany, and of course the Czech Republic, represented by moderator and publicist Jiří Vejvoda.
Golden Prague Will Dance on the Golden Dance Floor
The festival will offer its traditional rich accompanying programme. For the first time, viewers will have the opportunity to dance on the Golden Dance Floor in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House. The evening will be hosted by dancer and StarDance juror Jan Tománek, with South American exuberance brought to the dance floor during the first half of the evening by star dancers Jakub Mazůch, Adriana Mašková, Kateřina Bartuněk Hrstková, and Lukáš Bartuněk. The second half of the evening will swing to the rhythm of swing melodies. The performance of the Zig-Zag tap & swing dance group will be followed by workshops in dances such as Lindy Hop and Balboa.
The programme will also include a meet-and-greet with StarDance dancers Jakub Mazůch, Tereza Prucková, Dominik Vodička, and Lenka Nora Návorková, an autograph session with celebrities from this year's dance competition, and a dress exhibition. In cooperation with the National Theatre, six partner performances will be available to viewers. The last day of the festival will offer a total of four guided tours of the Municipal House.
Television enthusiasts can register for free for all film evenings, visit the video library in the Municipal House, or watch festival films online.
The 61st Golden Prague in numbers:
Number of competitive films: 88
Documentary programmes category: 32
Concert recordings category: 29
Performing arts recordings category: 27
Longest competitive film: Dialogues des Carmélites (190 minutes, Italy)
Shortest competitive film: Soundtrack of Arts 2: Goya – Mondrian – Madonna (27 minutes, Germany)
Total length of competitive films: 8,076 minutes
Average length of competitive films: 92 minutes
Most distant country from which a film arrived: Japan (8,918 km)
Number of television and film productions that submitted films: 49
Country that submitted the most films: Germany (23)
Total number of countries that submitted films: 21