A new Czech feature exploring family acceptance, identity, and reinvention has secured international distribution ahead of its world premiere next week at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
German sales company Pluto Film has acquired worldwide sales rights to Chica Checa (which translates as ‘Czech Girl’), the fourth feature from Czech filmmaker Šimon Holý. The comedy-drama will debut in the festival’s Crystal Globe Competition, where it joins the lineup of films competing for the event’s top prize.
Family story meets international ambitions
Written and directed by Holý, Chica Checa follows Zdena, a widowed mail carrier living in a small Czech village whose quiet life is disrupted when her son Lukáš returns home from Paris. During his visit, he reveals that he has not been working as a bank employee, as she believed, but instead performs professionally as a drag queen under the stage name Chica Checa.
Initially struggling to accept the revelation, Zdena gradually comes to realize that her relationship with her son matters more than the expectations and prejudices of those around her. The film explores themes of family bonds, generational understanding, and personal reinvention while examining changing social attitudes in contemporary Central Europe.
Holý described the project as an attempt to address serious issues through an accessible and emotionally engaging story.
“In a time when we are witnessing dramatic events all around the world, our team has tried to create a film that communicates challenging themes in a light and warm way, without losing its artistic value,” the director said. He added that the film, dedicated together with producer Alžběta Janáčková to their mothers, explores “intergenerational understanding and the unwavering desire and strength to live life the way we want, without harming anyone in the process.”
Holý also pointed to the broader social context surrounding the film’s release, noting that “when politicians not only in Central and Eastern Europe are seeking to restrict rights, this appears to be absolutely crucial and fundamental.”
The cast is led by Pavla Tomicová as Zdena, alongside Jan Cina as Lukáš and Alexandra Borbély. In addition to writing and directing the film, Holý also composed its musical score.
International sales deal highlights festival momentum
The acquisition by German sales company Pluto Film comes before the film’s festival debut, underscoring growing international interest in Czech-produced features premiering at Karlovy Vary.
Benjamin Cölle, managing director of Pluto Film, said the company was drawn to the balance the film strikes between emotional storytelling and artistic ambition.
“We fell in love with this heartwarming film immediately,” Cölle told Variety. “The film refuses to make a false choice between artistic integrity and emotional truth.” He added that its intimate storytelling, combined with warmth, subtle humor, and its portrayal of the mother-son relationship, has the potential to resonate with international audiences as well as LGBTQ+ communities.
Chica Checa is a Czech-Slovak-French co-production led by producer Alžběta Janáčková’s Silk Films, with Slovakia’s Arina Film and France’s French Connection serving as co-producers alongside Czech Television. The project received financial backing from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Île-de-France Region, the Pilsen Region, and the European Union through the Just Transition Programme 2021-2027 and NextGenerationEU.
For Holý, Chica Checa marks his fourth feature and another collaboration with producer Janáčková. Its selection for Karlovy Vary’s main competition, coupled with an international sales agreement before its premiere, places the film among the Czech productions attracting early attention from global distributors.
The acquisition also reflects the continued role of the Karlovy Vary festival as a launchpad for Central European cinema, providing a platform where regional productions can secure international exposure and distribution. As the festival opens this week, Chica Checa will be one of the Czech titles hoping to translate its festival premiere into wider international recognition.
One Response
Interesting to see a Czech comedy-drama getting international attention. Wonder what the main themes are?