You made almost 50 movies. Could you introduce a bit your company and how does it work?

I have very good production team in London which does all the hard work and I go around the festivals and take all credits for that,(ha,ha).I produced over 50 movies with total budget of over 275 million dollars. I tell the sum in dollars because it’s more and sound more impressive(ha, ha).We collaborate with over 40 countries and are one of the few British companies that believe in collaboration, believe in co-production with Europe.We are obviously limited with co-producing in Europe but we have tools for co-producing with Latin America, mainly with Brasil, we work often in Africa and specially with South Africa and we want to spread our co- production to New Zealand late in the year.I personally started in theatre directing and in publishing business so I learnt how to run the business, how to work with budget and deal with media.I started producing very late, at the age pf 40 and set up my Film and Music Entertainment company in 2000 in partnership with German organization.We launched it onto German stock market and stepped back from it in 2003 when funding in that area diminished. With the money we got from stock market we got our starting budget for co-production.We are the only existing working part of that former partnership.The reason why I set up the company at that time was based on taking the model of World music as it was then.The idea of World music till late 90’ s didn’ t exist neither did exist the idea of the World cinema label.So company based in England could make films all over the World, with different voices, different directors, different languages and different partnership.It not only created this idea of World cinema but that would create what I think is a hot house of talents, which can collaborate not only on financial front but also on creative front.So I was working with vast number of talented writers and director.

You made almost 50 movies. Could you introduce a bit your company and how does it work?

I have very good production team in London which does all the hard work and I go around the festivals and take all credits for that,(ha,ha).I produced over 50 movies with total budget of over 275 million dollars. I tell the sum in dollars because it’s more and sound more impressive(ha, ha).We collaborate with over 40 countries and are one of the few British companies that believe in collaboration, believe in co-production with Europe.We are obviously limited with co-producing in Europe but we have tools for co-producing with Latin America, mainly with Brasil, we work often in Africa and specially with South Africa and we want to spread our co- production to New Zealand late in the year.I personally started in theatre directing and in publishing business so I learnt how to run the business, how to work with budget and deal with media.I started producing very late, at the age pf 40 and set up my Film and Music Entertainment company in 2000 in partnership with German organization.We launched it onto German stock market and stepped back from it in 2003 when funding in that area diminished. With the money we got from stock market we got our starting budget for co-production.We are the only existing working part of that former partnership.The reason why I set up the company at that time was based on taking the model of World music as it was then.The idea of World music till late 90’ s didn’ t exist neither did exist the idea of the World cinema label.So company based in England could make films all over the World, with different voices, different directors, different languages and different partnership.It not only created this idea of World cinema but that would create what I think is a hot house of talents, which can collaborate not only on financial front but also on creative front.So I was working with vast number of talented writers and director.

Do you like to be something like a model for somebody who would like to follow your steps so now you are sort of one off, but in the future there would be number of your followers.Do you basicly test water and spread the message now?

I think it can be replicated in number of ways in the future.Either one has a passion for wide range of subjects and broad range of things or one doesn’ t. I have an interest in working in multiple projects that is why I stopped being a theatre director cos I found it bit limiting.And you have to devote big amount of time to one  project.I think it’s natural progression of thing.When I started the company, it was like 50% European company as opposed to 100%

 British company  and it naturally became much more outward looking than standart British outfit.Possibility for film funding in UK are by definition fairly limited, if one compares them to all funds available in Europe.There is a tiny fund of British film institute for European co- production, the tax laws are driven pretty much to support Hollywood business coming to shoot into UK .So there is very limited amount of support that one can get in the UK and if you don’ t get funding from British film institute or by two broadcast companies and you operate outside UK, your project is dead. So if you believe that your ideas are strong you have to take them outside that anglocentered culture to abroad to international culture where there is wider and complex understanding to certain filmmaking ideas.

How big is your company and how does it work?Do you have teams that try to find project say in Latin America and you just supervise it and say “Go for that”?When you set it up, what was the prime target in your mind, to earn the living, becoming as independent as possible or be able to contact and be contacted by various filmmakers who would need your help?

It’ s very much led by myself and by my partner Sam Taylor.There is a permanent staff of 8 people and we obviously have somebody doing law, accountant job, someone doing development.We only make about 5 films a year so it’ s not Earthshaking much really.If two or three of the films are inhouse and two or three are major co-production work to which we are not engaged full time, it can actually work quite well.We always collaborate with other side, we all bring something together.Sometimes we are leading the show, sometimes are only contributing and playing minor role in activity.

The prime idea was making good films of certain quality with certain kind of filmmakers.The drive to make succesfull company comes a)from making quality films  b)use the company as a vehicle to continue to do that.And idea of it being a tool to simply make money was not on our mind at all.When we make film we judge it on it’ s individual basis.It’ s hard to calculate on it’s profitability becuase usually profit goes away in very different directions, in different percentages, you don’ t know what is happening in these territories and it’ s quite hard to define it.

When you either film or support filming, what kind of topic is close to your heart.Must it be something that points at, criticise or reveal some important issues or it also can be entertaining film or crazy comedy?

It can be crazy comedy or entertaining film but for me there must be always some......ideology in it.I am quite big on ideology, I believe there is no point in doing something unless it has a point and something to say.I don’ t say that all things that have to be said must  be important issue.For example the horror which I made in Czech Republic and was called Deathwatch was on one hand horror film and on other hand a message to young kids, not to go to any war of any way, form or shape.I made films against autocratic dictatorship, about nature preservation or about tuberculosis in Africa.For me everything is political.

What is the platform for independent film in England, you said that film industry itself is not very supported?

You know, the gatekeepers to money have very similiar taste, so it’s not very eclectic.BBC is looking for same things as Channel 4 and we have our classic filmmakers as Ken Loach or Mike Leigh and many more who are always sure of certain backing and there is very little money for new radical filmmakers and new voices.There are number of film festivals like London Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival which are proving a good platform for it.

You have many projects, are jury member of many festivals, are president of festivals in Croatia and Zagreb etc.How do you choose priorities and where do you find time for filming itself?

It’s always work in progress.I manage to make it work somehow and I don’ t think about that very much.All I know is that I am constantly working man.With my films I try to be create better world and give people some kind of dignity.It’s fundamental principle of my work, how one should be working and how he should provide support and give backing to.

You communicate with various people from all over the world.Do you think film can be an example how the world should be, where people could talk and cooperate together which is the field where politicians fail badly?

The reason I make films in such big way is that I believe it can contribute to a way how people think about things, how people communicate.I think if one’s ambition is modest in this area, you can achieve small things very slowly.Film is one of the media where quite complicated things can be showed visually and it requires less linguistic expression or visual aspect of a way of shaping ideas and for shifting new ideas and politicians can learn a huge amount from it.

You have special liking to Balkan or states of former Yugoslavia, where does it come from?

When I was a young theatre director I had an offer to come and work in avantgarde theare in Belgrade.It was in early 80’ s so I did that for over a year, then fell in love with language, people and several girls( ha, ha).So that was my first time I visited Istria and that part of country.In last 15 years I have been partly resident there. So from this social- sexual aspect of the situation I made number of films in that region collaborating with several famous local directors.

As a matter of fact, I was spending between 6-8 months of my life working between Prague and Benešov on a horror called Deathwatch and I also had rollercoaster working relationship with Juraj Jakubisko on Bathory movie.

Are small festivals in say Croatia, Bulgaria or Romania according to you more important for film industry than those in Cannes, Berlin or Venezia where people basicly come to show off?

I think that festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venezia, Toronto, Sundance or Tribeca are very important for whole film industry.Marketing opportunity there are second to none.Having said that, the small festivals in small countries are very very important not just for regional marketing but also for countries where distribution system is not really functioning.In some countries that festival is taking over role as an alternative distribution system for independent film so sometimes it’s only small festival in small countries where you get a chance to see these films so there is a room for both and both are important.

How do you take Hollywood production and Academy awards?Do you take it only as factory for money whose artistic ambitions are minimal? If given a chance would you film there?

I think there is a lot about American way of making films.Huge amount of quality in a number of films which are made there.Academy Awards ....I don’t really pay much attention to it and they are very much influenced by whatever the advertising budget is bigger.If the subject was right and the control was there I would work in environment but there would have to be right script, right director and right conditions.

What do you do in USAID programme and how does it work?

It s something I did a while ago.USAID is Americal government backed project and in certain countries they choose areas where they can come to, invest and develop.In Serbia they chose textile industry, automotive and film industry.I wrote a business plan for USAID for Serbian film commission and it succeeded.It’s not a regular thing they do, getting involved in a film and culture.... that happens if you are at right time at right place and there is possibility in support something.

You are very active in Oleg Sensov case, aren’t you?

Oleg Sensov is an Ukrayinian film director who was arested by Russions when he distributed the food for Ukrayinian soldiers.He was accused of terrorism and is held  in Moscow prison for over a year without trial.We believe he will be freed from all changers he was accused of.Numbers of activities were taking place in USA in order to support Oleg and draw attention to his case.One of them is called “ Empty chair campaign” which went through film festivals in Venice, Warsaw, Toronto and will be also here in Prague on FebioFest, where will be screened his film “ Gamer”.

Regarding Oleg Sensov, do you think it may be the first of many cases in current monitored and censored world, where outspoken and active acrtists will be hunted and become endangered species?

I think there are still many parts of the world where artists are hunted and prosecuted but it’s becoming less and less.However I believe that is it our duty where ever it is possible, to draw attention to these things.Fortunately in Europe we are quite lucky.It’s duty of our organisation to allow artists to work in freedom.At the moment we see that there is bit of a movement to the right in whole Europe and that move always brings political restrictions in artistic freedom.

Do you think with the current stage of technology, film will become more and more independent and big studios will have less and less control above what is made?

I think there is a very strong argument to say that vast majority of filmmakers have possibilities that they never had before.With complete integration of digital now pretty much across most countries it puts much more power to the hands of cinema owners and exhibitors to independently programmed films outside studios and more from independemt sources because there isn’ t such stranglehold of their facilities because of the nature of studio system.So I am optimistic that there will be wide scope of independent movies to increasing number of independent movies that are already available.I don’ t think that big studios like Warner Bros or 20^th Century Fox will ever break up because nature of capitalism doesn’ t work like that.

What should be the utmost satisfaction for independent filmmaker?That his film was made or that he found ditributor and it was showed to lots of people?

Making film is very difficult, tricky and long process and simply getting in final production process is important and one should feel satisfied that he physically made the film.There is huge amount of time, sweat and tears, however as it ended itself, just finishing film isn’ t enough because film isn’ t film until it’s connected with the audience.So one of the things about producing is that it doesn’t end at the day you closed your editing room door or you left a sound studio.Your job then is marketing and positioning the film. You don’t have to be an expert in it but you must know people who are. You need to get the film into those hands.This is the process that should start few weeks before you start actual shooting, you have to market your film into international distribution and industry.So when you finish your film, you hopefully already have someone who will market your film.

This interview was realized at Febio Fest.

Photo: Febiofest 2015