Ivan Fila

Background

Fíla was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Career

He moved to Germany in 1977 where he received a directing and scriptwriting degree at the Film Department of the University in Cologne. Fíla shot documentaries and shorts before making his feature debut with Lea. Lea brought Fíla to Hollywood where he was hired by Steven Spielberg to rewrite and direct The Betty Schimmel Story.

Fíla"s follow-up King of thieves premiered at the Moscow Filmfestival in 2004.

Other credits include documentaries as Vaclav Havel – A bohemian fairy tale, Hitler"s blackmail, Steps in a Labyrinth, Fog, Tales from another world, Joschka Fischer and others Fíla is currently working on his English language project Bella Luna.

He lives in Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Prague.

Achievements

• Foreign Lea 1996: OCIC Award at the Venice Film Festival 1996: European Film - Best Young European Film of the Yearnominee 1997: Satyajit Ray Award at the London Film Festival 1997: Two Czechoslovakian Lions and 9 nominees at the Czechoslovakian Film 1997: Audience Award, Prix C.I.C.A.E and Prix du Jury etudiant - Best Film, Premiers Plans Festival Doctorate´Angers, France 1997: Opera Prima Award - Best Film, International Film Festival Montevideo, Uruguay 1997: Audience award at the Brussels Film Festival, Belgium 1997: Nominee - Best Film at Deutscher Filmpreis, Germany 1997: Crystal Star at the Brussels Film Festival, Belgium 1997: Grand Prix VESUVIO AWARD at the Napoli Filmfestival, Italy 1997: Grand Prix - Best Film at the International Film Festival, Film Forum Bratislava, Slovakia 1997: FIPRECI-Award - Best Film at the International Film Festival Sotschi, Russia 1997: Opera Prima Award - Best Feature Film at Puerto Rico International Film Festival 1998: Golden Globe - Best Foreign Film - nominee 1998: Best Dramatic Feature at the San Jose Film Festival, United States of America Foreign King of Thieves 2004: Slovakias Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film 2004: Four Czechoslovakian Lions and 10 nominees (including Best Film, Best Direcror and Best Screenplay) at the Czechoslovakian Film 2004: "Silver Griphon" - Audience Award for Best Film at the Festival of Festivals Saint St. Petersburg, Russia 2004: TRILOBIT - Best Director and Best Screenplay, Czechoslovakian film and television Association Annual Award 2005: Audience Award - Best Film - World Cinema at the Phoenix Film Festival 2005: Best Film - nomination at the Adolf Adolf Grimme, Germany Foreign Hitler"s blackmail 1995: German television-Award - Best Film 1995: Best Film at the Festival international du film d´histoire, France.