29/04/2024 - The Slovak Film and Television Academy has celebrated the best of national cinema, with Jonáš Karásek’s opus snagging seven awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Editing

Invalid producer Maroš Hečko (right) and director Jonáš Karásek (centre) during the ceremony (© SFTA/Zdenko Hanout)

The Slovak Film and Television Academy (SFTA) has held its annual Sun in a Net Awards, honouring the nation's top cinematic contributions for 2023. Leading the victors, the dark comedy Invalid by Jonáš Karásek scooped seven awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Sound, and gongs for both main and supporting actor roles, going to Gregor Hološka and Zdeněk Godla, respectively. The retro action-comedy had excelled at the box office, securing the third spot among the year's highest-grossing films in Slovakia in 2023 (see the news), and unsurprisingly, it also clinched the Audience Award at the ceremony.

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Meanwhile, the period drama The Chambermaid [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mariana Čengel Solčanská an…
film profile] by Mariana Čengel Solčanská was also recognised, receiving four awards. These were Best Actress, Best Production Design, Best Costumes and Best Make-up, thus solidifying its status as the second-most-celebrated domestic film of the year.

The family stop-motion puppet film Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] garnered three awards, specifically Best Animated Film, Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography, the latter presented to Slovak DoP Denisa Buranová (see the news). In the screenwriting category, Miro Šifra, a prolific Slovak screenwriter based in Prague, was honoured for his script for We Have Never Been Modern [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matěj Chlupáček and Miro Ši…
film profile]. Éva Bandor received Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mátyás Prikler’s Power [+see also:
film review
film profile]. The Best Documentary Award was presented to Martin Šulík for Emília, which profiles the life and career of Slovak acting legend Emília Vášáryová (of Eva Nová [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Marko Škop
film profile] fame). In the television category, Peter Bebjak took home the Award for Best TV Film/Miniseries for Mathematics of Crime, winning in the same category for the second year in a row (see the news). Veteran Czechoslovak cinema actress Božidara Turzonovová was honoured with the Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Slovak Audiovisual Culture. In her acceptance speech, Turzonovová paid homage to director Štefan Uher, whose iconic film lends the Sun in a Net Awards their name.

The Slovak Film and Television Academy marked several milestones during this year's Sun in a Net Awards ceremony, which also served as an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s cultural and political landscape. The event celebrated 15 years of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, a pivotal financial supporter of domestic filmmaking, and commemorated the centennial of renowned Slovak actors Jozef Kroner and Ladislav Chudík. Amidst the festivities, the political climate was a recurring theme, with multiple winners addressing current issues. Notably, Peter Bebjak's acceptance speech, which quickly went viral, powerfully invoked the ethos of former Czechoslovak president Václav Havel. Bebjak expressed his aspiration for a future where politics would not be a daily concern, yearning for a well-governed nation characterised by wisdom, tolerance, and respect for democratic principles and artistic freedom. His statement resonated deeply, reinforcing the idea that "truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred". Additionally, the ceremony highlighted the role of Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS), soon to be succeeded by Slovak Television and Radio (STVR) after the government approved a controversial broadcasting law (see the news), in the production landscape. Indeed, RTVS had a hand in co-producing the majority of this year's 34 nominated movies, underlining its crucial role in supporting the Slovak film industry.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Film
Invalid - Jonáš Karásek (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Best Documentary
Emília – Martin Šulík (Slovakia)

Best Animated Film
Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light [+see also:
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Best Director
Jonáš Karásek – Invalid

Best Script
Miro Šifra – We Have Never Been Modern [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Matěj Chlupáček and Miro Ši…
film profile] (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Best Cinematography
Denisa Buranová - Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light

Best Editing
Matej Beneš - Invalid

Best Sound
Viktor Krivosudský - Invalid

Best Music
Matúš Široký, Marcej Buntaj – Invalid

Best Production Design
Tomáš Berka – The Chambermaid [+see also:
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interview: Mariana Čengel Solčanská an…
film profile] (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Best Costumes
Katarína Štrbová Bieliková – The Chambermaid

Best Make-up
Martin Blizniak, Miroslava Krepsová - The Chambermaid

Best Visual Effects
Michal Křeček, Josefína Jiráňová - Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light 

Best Actress
Dana Droppová - The Chambermaid

Best Supporting Actress
Éva Bándor – Power [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Hungary)

Best Actor
Gregor Hološka - Invalid

Best Supporting Actor
Zdeněk Godla - Invalid

Best Television Film/Miniseries/Series
Mathematics of Crime - Peter Bebjak (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Extraordinary Contribution to Slovak Audiovisual Culture
Božidara Turzonovová

Sun in a Net Audience Award
Invalid – Jonáš Karásek