Culture Minister Klempíř proposes sweeping cuts and restructuring of Czech audiovisual fund

During a recent interview, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř outlined a comprehensive reform of the Czech audiovisual sector, targeting a budget reduction of one billion crowns. His plan calls for a complete turnover of the twenty members serving on the four advisory councils of the State Fund of Audiovision, a fresh election of the fund’s board, and the abolition of external evaluators who currently assess projects. The minister’s proposals were unexpected, according to Vratislav Šlajer, chairman of the Association of Producers in Audiovision, who said the association learned of the changes only through the press and had not received any prior signals from the government. Šlajer warned that dismantling the existing system, which was established when Andrej Babiš was finance minister, could destabilize the industry and jeopardize the production of Czech films. He emphasized that the fund’s support, which currently covers about twenty percent of project budgets, is crucial for attracting both domestic and foreign investment in audiovisual projects.