Industry program
We will keep updating the program.
Wednesday, 24 September - Friday, September 26
MIDPOINT Intensive CZ 2025
Hotel Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Pilsen丨Měšťanská beseda
This program was created to support the local audiovisual scene. Its aim is to introduce Czech filmmakers to renowned international script consultants and to provide producers with insights into the production aspects of their projects.
In 2025, the program will be organized in cooperation with the Finále Plzeň festival. MIDPOINT Focus CZ is held in collaboration with the Czech Film Center and its industry program, Czech Film Springboard.
After the program, participants will have the opportunity for follow-up online consultations tailored to the further development and needs of their projects.
Access by invitation only.
Tuesday, September 23 – Saturday, September 27
MIDPOINT Feature Launch
MIDPOINT Feature Launch is a comprehensive international program dedicated to the development of first and second feature films by emerging directors and their creative teams.
The third and final residential workshop of this extensive program, which covers project and script development, as well as financing and co-production opportunities, is now being held in cooperation with the Finále Plzeň festival.
More information about this year’s participants.
Access by invitation only.
Friday, 26 September
Panel discussion: Coproducing with Benelux
14:30 - 15:30 | Dance Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Panelists:
Dries Phlypo (Producer, Belgium)
Fabrizio Maltese (Producer, Luxembourg)
Raymond van de Kaaij (Producer, Netherlands)
Moderator: Katarína Tomková (producer, Kaleidoscope)
Accessible for accredited guests: Host, Press, Film Student.
Language: English
Meeting of the Czech Film Commission with Regional film offices
15:00丨Representative lounge, Mešťanská beseda
For additional information, do not hesitate to contact Pavlína Žipková from the Czech Film Commission. Contact e-mail: pavlina-ZAVINOVADLO:filmcommission.cz.
By invitation only.
Language: Czech
Czech Film Springboard – FUNDING NEWS WITH EURIMAGES
16:00 - 17:15 | Dance Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Moderator: Markéta Šantrochová (Czech Film Center)
Moderated discussion on financing opportunities for film projects and co-productions through the Eurimages program. Iris Cadoux, representative of Eurimages, will present how the Co-production Support and new Film Marketing and Audience Development Support subprograms work.
The event is partnered by the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk.
Accessible for accredited guests: Host, Press, Film Student.
Language: English
Saturday, 27 September
Czech Film Springboard - WHO IS WHO?
CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA News
9:15 - 10:50丨Dancing Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Moderator: Markéta Šantrochová (Czech Film Center)
Informal meeting with the invited foreign film industry experts. The representatives of film festivals (Giornate degli Autori, Riga IFF, Gijon FF, Thessaloniki IFF, Trieste Film Festival, D'a – Barcelona Film Festival, Crossing Europe, Cottbus Film Festival), co-production markets and industry forums (Connecting Cottbus, New Horizons), sales (Films Boutique, Reason8, Film Republic a Pluto Film), training programme (MIDPOINT Institute), as well as the regional fund Hessen Film&Medien and producers from Estonia, the Netherlands, and Slovenia will present their activities.
Vladimíra Chytilová will present the latest news from the Creative Europe MEDIA program.
The partner of the event is the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk.
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Language: English
Czech Film Springboard – PITCHING & ROUND TABLES
11:00 - 17:00丨Dancing Hall, Mešťanská beseda
Czech Film Springboard is an industry programme organised by the Czech Audiovisual Fund/Czech Film Center in cooperation with Finále Plzeň film festival since 2016.
A closed presentation of Czech fiction projects in early development: selected projects are pitched to invited international experts from various areas of film industry by their producers and directors and later discussed individually at round tables with selected professionals. The event is closed for public and accessible only for invited experts and presenters of the selected projects. The ultimate goal is to draw attention of competent international experts to carefully selected Czech projects in various stages of development, and to give the projects a chance to test their viability.
The partner of the event is the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk.
By invitation only (for experts and project holders).
Language: English
Green Storytelling and Sustainable Production
11:00 - 12:30丨JoNáš, Mešťanská beseda
Led by Zsofia Szemeredy and Miroslav Vlcek, this session will guide filmmakers through the integration of environmental themes into script development and the application of sustainable practices across production. Combining practical tools with a broader perspective on eco-conscious storytelling, it offers a clear pathway toward more responsible and environmentally aware filmmaking.
Lecturers: Zsofia Szemeredy (sustainability professional, Leverage Point Entertainment) and Miroslav Vlcek (PUAV)
In collaboration with MIDPOINT Institute and the Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual Industry (PUAV).
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Language: English
Intimacy Coordination
14:00 - 16:00丨JoNáš, Mešťanská beseda
What Is Intimacy Coordination Really About? From Bias to the Reality Behind the Fear of the New
Guests: Janka Neustupová, Alžběta Malá
In this debate, we’ll explore the real-world practice of intimacy coordination through the perspectives of a cast member, a director, and an intimacy coordinator. Together, we’ll take a deep dive into the evolving world of intimacy in the audiovisual industry - not limited to the Czech Republic.
We’ll address common misconceptions, fears of censorship or artistic limitation, and the perceived threat to directorial authority. This discussion will also highlight some of the most frequently debated challenges in the field - such as the lack of standardised training, inconsistencies in implementation across productions and unclear boundaries between creative direction and performer safety.
At its heart, this is a conversation about care, power dynamics, and communication behind the scenes - reframing intimacy coordination not as a constraint, but as a tool for enhancing trust, clarity, and creative freedom.
Partner of the program is Association of Czech Film Directors, Screenwriters and Script Editors - ARAS.
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Sunday, 28 September
Presentation of the study “Research on Barriers and Untapped Potential of Cross-Border Distribution of Czech Films and Series from the Perspective of Independent Producers”
10:45 - 11:45 | Small Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Presenters: Petr Szczepanik, Martin Horyna
The project was carried out in collaboration with the Audiovisual Producers’ Association (APA) and built on an extensive previous research into the export of Czech audiovisual works, funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. The aim of that research was to propose a support and measurement system for the State Cinematography Fund. The team from the Faculty of Arts, Charles University focused on analyzing distribution barriers across cinema, TV, and VOD, with an emphasis on how Czech productions are perceived by key international stakeholders – especially sales agents. The research also examined the characteristics of works that succeed in international distribution and the territories where demand for Czech content is the strongest. The outcome is a set of qualitative and quantitative findings and recommendations on how to overcome export obstacles: how to bring Czech content to foreign markets, what resources, contacts, skills, and competences Czech producers lack – and how to acquire them.
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Language: Czech (translation into English)
PITCH Panel Debate: Why Czech Films (Don’t) Travel
12:00 - 13:00 | Small Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Moderator: Martin Jůza
Panelists:
Petr Szczepanik
Martin Horyna
Dagmar Sedláčková, producer
Marek Novák, producer
Vladimír Lhoták, producer
Lada Dobrkovská, Canal+
Pavel Strnad, producer
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Language: Czech
Czech Leonarda
13:00 - 18:00 | Dance Hall, Měšťanská beseda
The first edition of the Czech Leonarda Film Award supports women’s creative work in film, television, animation, and new media. The award was founded by screenwriter and director Zora Cejnková, a recipient of the prestigious EBU Creative Forum Award.
The aim of the award is to give a platform to female creators whose voices have so far been underrepresented in the audiovisual industry, and to help them develop scripts and projects from a female perspective. The winners of the three competition categories will receive a scholarship of CZK 100,000–200,000 to support the creation of their scripts.
The first edition will culminate with the Czech Leonarda Day, held as part of the industry program of the Finále Plzeň festival, where 15 nominated authors will present their projects to the jury.
The award is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Plzeň and Karlovy Vary regions, and other institutions. Already in its inaugural year, it received the Diversity Awards 2024 as a promising innovation.
More at www.ceskaleonarda.cz.
Members of the jury of the 1st edition of Czech Leonarda are:
Irena Pavlásková, screenwriter and director
Milan Šteindler, screenwriter, director, and actor
Daria Kashcheeva, visual artist and director
Martin Vandas, producer of animated films
Steve Lichtag, internationally recognized wildlife filmmaker
Soňa Ticháčková, casting director
Tereza Herz-Pokorná, film actress
Matěj František Preisler, director of live-action films, currently completing his studies at FAMO in Písek
Other jury members include figures nominated by the partners of the award’s competition categories.
Open for the following accreditations: Guest, Press, Film Student.
Language: Czech
Talk with this year’s jury member, American screenwriter Eric Kaplan (Futurama, The Big Bang Theory)
15:30 - 16:00 | Small Hall, Měšťanská beseda
Moderator: Tomáš Baldýnský
Festival visitors will have the chance to meet Eric Linus Kaplan, who serves on the jury for television formats and online projects, in a moderated talk show where he will also present the pilot of his new animated sci-fi series Guys Next Door.
Language: English, with Czech interpretation.
Monday, 29 September
Location Tour – BRDY TRILOGY
7:30 - 17:00 | Prague
8:30 - 16:30 | Pilsen
The Regional Film Office of the Pilsen Region is organizing a Location Tour to the Brdy area on Monday, September 29, as part of the Finále Plzeň program. The route will include a visit to the Museum of Military Technology on the Demarcation Line in Rokycany, the water hammer in Dobřív, and will showcase the hunting lodge Tři Trubky and the Brdy Nature House near Strašice.
Interested participants can already register at radka.samalova-ZAVINOVADLO:filmplzen.cz or by phone at +420 737 190 798.
The Film Office provides transport both from Prague (expected departure from Zličín at 7:30 / return at 17:00) and from Pilsen (departure from Měšťanská beseda at 8:30 / return at 16:30).
When registering, please indicate your boarding location.
The Location Tour is intended for location managers, production designers, producers, directors, and other professionals interested in discovering unique places in the Pilsen region.
Language: Czech
Throughout the Festival | September 26 – October 1
Film Café
daily 9:00 – 19:00 | Měšťanská beseda, Pilsen
Are you curious about how the Pilsen Film Office works? Do you want to shoot in the Pilsen Region and are looking for a specific location? Are you preparing an audiovisual project in our region and seeking financial support? Do you want to connect with local professionals or students and establish collaboration? Broaden your horizons at Finále Plzeň. Arrange a meeting with a representative of the Regional Film Office of the Pilsen Region during the festival week, anytime between 9:00 and 19:00 at Měšťanská beseda in Plzeň. We will be happy to invite you for a coffee.
Café contact: Radka Šámalová, radka.samalova-ZAVINOVADLO:filmplzen.cz, +420 737 190 798
