Fichtelberg, a new Czech adventure film set in the 16th century, will make its world premiere at the 2025 Zlín Film Festival later this month before heading to domestic cinemas this October. The visually distinctive production combines live action with layered animation and stylized digital environments to create a richly textured world inspired by historical illustrations.
The film’s hybrid visual approach draws clear influence from the work of celebrated Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman, whose mid-20th-century films combined actors with animated backdrops to evoke the aesthetics of early cinema and classical engravings.
Set in the year 1547, Fichtelberg follows the story of Petr Pětipeský, a young knight in Bohemia who is dispatched to a remote village in the Jizera Mountains to oversee the construction of a wooden bridge across a treacherous gorge.
But what begins as a seemingly straightforward task soon becomes more complicated. The local population is wary and suspicious, strange disappearances are reported in the area, and the forested landscape hides secrets that challenge Petr’s sense of duty and reality. The film is structured as a flashback, narrated by Petr in his old age as he reflects on the formative events of his youth.
According to the filmmakers, Fichtelberg was conceived as a family-oriented period adventure that explores timeless themes through a deliberately stylized visual lens. The film’s aesthetic blends physical sets, live-action performances, and animated matte backgrounds to create a world that looks both illustrated and lived-in—a technique that pays tribute to Zeman’s legacy while using contemporary digital tools.
Writer-director Šimon Koudela, making his feature debut, previously directed short films and television projects. The film’s script was developed with support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, and the production involved extensive preliminary work to integrate animated elements with live-action footage.
“I saw the entire long process—from writing the script to post-production—as an adventurous journey during which I learned a lot and met many interesting people,” says Koudela.
“While writing, I didn’t set many limitations for myself, which later meant shooting under difficult conditions—on dangerously steep cliffs, in a raging mountain river, and literally in fire. The crew and the actors had to push themselves to the limit and even take risks, and I thank them for that.”
The title Fichtelberg refers to both the mountainous region along the Czech-German border and the fictional village at the film’s center. Production took place at a variety of locations across Czechia, including Prague’s Divoká Šárka nature reserve, the sandstone landscapes of Kokořín and the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, and the Doksany Monastery near Litoměřice. Many of the film’s interiors and set pieces were enhanced with animation to heighten the stylized, storybook feel.
The cast is led by Jan Dlouhý as Petr, with Viktória Jurištová, Ivan Franěk, Karel Dobrý, Jiří Štěpnička, and Jaroslav Plesl in supporting roles. Production was handled by Viktor Schwarcz of Cineart TV Prague in co-production with Czech Television and Slovak company Arina SK. The project received financial support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, Slovak Audiovisual Fund, and regional funding bodies.
Fichtelberg will be released in Czech cinemas on Oct. 9 by distributor CinemArt. Its Zlín Film Festival premiere marks one of the major domestic debuts at this year’s edition of the fest, which focuses on films for children and young audiences.
