Broken Voices was named Best Film at the 16th Czech Film Critics’ Awards, held Feb. 7 at the ARCHA+ cultural space in Prague. The ceremony celebrated achievements in directing, acting, screenwriting, and technical work, highlighting both established and emerging voices in Czech cinema.
The film’s producers, Jiří Konečný and Ivan Ostrochovský, accepted the award, noting that the story was intended to highlight the experiences of victims depicted in the film. Sixteen-year-old Kateřina Falbrová won Best Actress for her lead role, with critics praising her performance as “disarming” and emotionally powerful.
Broken Voices follows a teenage girl navigating life in a prestigious girls’ choir under the guidance of an admired conductor, confronting themes of manipulation and sexual abuse. The film has drawn controversy due to its connection to real-life events, though its producers stress that it is a fictional, artistic work.
Major award winners
Broken Voices led the headline categories, including Best Film and Best Actress for Kateřina Falbrová. Father (Otec), directed by Tereza Nvotová, earned Best Director and Best Actor for Milan Ondríik, portraying a man grappling with the aftermath of a personal tragedy.
The Vietnamese-Czech drama Summer School, 2001 won Best Screenplay, shared by director Dužan Duong, Jan Smutný, and Lukáš Kokeš, while Duong also received the Innogy Discovery of the Year award. Critics highlighted the film’s sensitive storytelling and the director’s skillful debut.
Tomáš Hlaváček’s documentary The Impossibility (Dům bez východu) was recognized as Best Documentary for its examination of poverty-driven exploitation in so-called predatory housing. Audiovisual innovation was acknowledged for Promise, I’ll Be Fine (Nahoře nebe, v dolině já), with Tomáš Kotas’s cinematography singled out.
The Mimo kino category, which honors productions outside traditional cinema, went to the crime miniseries The Well (Studna), created by Tereza Kopáčová, Miro Šifra, and Kristina Májová. Among short films, Anastasia Falileieva’s diary-style animation I Died in Irpin captured the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
The evening, moderated by YouTuber and former political commentator Jan Špaček, featured a sports-themed atmosphere, with awards presented by former athletes including Dominik Hašek, Ludmila Formanová, and Vavřinec Hradilek. The ceremony was broadcast live on ČT art and showcased the diversity and vitality of Czech filmmaking, from feature-length dramas to documentaries, shorts, and innovative audiovisual projects.
