Ivan Fíla
Encyclopedia
Ivan Fíla, alternate name Ivan Fila, is a Czech
film director
, screenwriter
and producer
.
, Czechoslovakia
. He moved to Germany
in 1977 where he received a directing and scriptwriting degree at the Film Department of the University in Cologne
. Fíla shot documentaries and shorts before making his feature debut with Lea
. The feature premiered at the Venice Film Festival
in 1996 and won the OCIC-Award. Lea was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes
and for best young film at the European Film Awards. At the Brussels International Film Festival, Lea won both the Audience Award and the Crystal Star for Best European Feature. Lea also won the Satyajit Ray Award for best film at the London Film Festival and many others including two Czech Lion
s. Lea brought Fíla to Hollywood where he was hired by Steven Spielberg
to rewrite and direct The Betty Schimmel Story.
Fíla's follow-up King of thieves
premiered at the Moscow Filmfestival in 2004. King of Thieves won the Prix d'Or for Best European Screenplay and won four Czech Lions including Best Actor. Other credits include documentaries as Vaclav Havel – A bohemian fairy tale, Hitler's blackmail, Steps in a Labyrinth, Fog, Tales from another world, Joschka Fischer and others. Fíla is currently working on his English language project Bella Luna.
He lives in Frankfurt, Los Angeles
and Prague
.
For King of Thieves
For Hitler's blackmail
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
Life and work
Fíla was born in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. He moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1977 where he received a directing and scriptwriting degree at the Film Department of the University in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. Fíla shot documentaries and shorts before making his feature debut with Lea
Lea (film)
Lea is a Czech drama film. It was released in 1997.-Plot:Lea witnesses her mother's rape and murder by her father as a child and because of it speaks very little and writes poems to her mother. Lea then grows up with foster parents in a different part of Slovakia...
. The feature premiered at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
in 1996 and won the OCIC-Award. Lea was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and for best young film at the European Film Awards. At the Brussels International Film Festival, Lea won both the Audience Award and the Crystal Star for Best European Feature. Lea also won the Satyajit Ray Award for best film at the London Film Festival and many others including two Czech Lion
Czech Lion
The Czech Lion awards are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is the highest award of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic...
s. Lea brought Fíla to Hollywood where he was hired by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
to rewrite and direct The Betty Schimmel Story.
Fíla's follow-up King of thieves
King of Thieves (film)
King of Thieves is a 2004 movie directed by Ivan Fíla, starring Lazar Ristovski, Jakov Kultiasov, Katharina Thalbach, Paulus Manker, Birol Ünel and Werner Daehn.-Plot:...
premiered at the Moscow Filmfestival in 2004. King of Thieves won the Prix d'Or for Best European Screenplay and won four Czech Lions including Best Actor. Other credits include documentaries as Vaclav Havel – A bohemian fairy tale, Hitler's blackmail, Steps in a Labyrinth, Fog, Tales from another world, Joschka Fischer and others. Fíla is currently working on his English language project Bella Luna.
He lives in Frankfurt, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Feature films
- 1996: LeaLea (film)Lea is a Czech drama film. It was released in 1997.-Plot:Lea witnesses her mother's rape and murder by her father as a child and because of it speaks very little and writes poems to her mother. Lea then grows up with foster parents in a different part of Slovakia...
- 2004: King of thievesKing of Thieves (film)King of Thieves is a 2004 movie directed by Ivan Fíla, starring Lazar Ristovski, Jakov Kultiasov, Katharina Thalbach, Paulus Manker, Birol Ünel and Werner Daehn.-Plot:...
- 2012: Bella Luna (in preparation)
Documentary Films
- 1982: Harley Heaven
- 1985: Salty dreams
- 1987: Margarete Buber-Neumann - A German destiny
- 1988: The Pauls's church
- 1989: In the name of the revolution
- 1990: Through a labyrinth
- 1991: Tales from another world
- 1993: Vaclav Havel - A bohemian fairytale
- 1994: Fog
- 1995: Hitler's blackmail
- 2007: Joschka Fischer
Short films (all 1986)
- Story of hope
- Encounter
- The last witch
- Two brothers
- The black man
Awards
For Lea- 1996: OCIC Award at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- 1996: European Film Awards - Best Young European Film of the Year- nominee
- 1997: Satyajit Ray Award at the London Film FestivalLondon Film FestivalThe BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
- 1997: Two Czech LionCzech LionThe Czech Lion awards are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is the highest award of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic...
s and 9 nominees at the Czech Film Awards - 1997: Audience Award, Prix C.I.C.A.E and Prix du Jury etudiant - Best Film, Premiers Plans Festival D´Angers, France
- 1997: Opera Prima Award - Best Film, International Film Festival Montevideo, Uruguay
- 1997: Audience award at the Brussels Film Festival, Belgium
- 1997: Nominee - Best Film at Deutscher FilmpreisDeutscher FilmpreisThe Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
, Germany - 1997: Crystal Star at the Brussels Film Festival, Belgium
- 1997: Grand Prix VESUVIO AWARD at the Napoli Filmfestival, Italy
- 1997: Grand Prix - Best Film at the International Film Festival, Film Forum Bratislava, Slovakia
- 1997: FIPRECI-Award - Best Film at the International Film Festival Sotschi, Russia
- 1997: Opera Prima Award - Best Feature Film at Puerto Rico International Film Festival
- 1998: Golden Globe Awards - Best Foreign Film - nominee
- 1998: Best Dramatic Feature at the San Jose Film Festival, USA
For King of Thieves
- 2004: SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
s Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film - 2004: Four Czech LionCzech LionThe Czech Lion awards are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is the highest award of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic...
s and 10 nominees (including Best Film, Best Direcror and Best Screenplay) at the Czech Film Awards - 2004: "Silver Griphon" - Audience Award for Best Film at the Festival of Festivals St. Petersburg, Russia
- 2004: TRILOBIT - Best Director and Best Screenplay, Czech film and TV Association Annual Award
- 2005: Audience Award - Best Film - World Cinema at the Phoenix Film Festival
- 2005: Best Film - nomination at the Adolf Adolf Grimme AwardsAdolf Grimme AwardsThe Adolf Grimme Award is a television award and one of the most prestigious awards for German television, which is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme . It is also called the "German TV Oscar".The awards ceremony takes place annually at Theater Marl...
, Germany
For Hitler's blackmail
- 1995: German TV-Award - Best Film
- 1995: Best Film at the Festival international du film d´histoire, France