Six players in the domestic audiovisual industry have signed a Memorandum on the establishment of the Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual.
Six players of the domestic audiovisual industry signed a Memorandum on the establishment of the Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual. The platform, initially an informal discussion forum, will serve as the main centre for issues of sustainability of the AV industry in the Czech Republic. Top representatives of the Audiovisual Producers Association (APA) gathered at the Serial Killer International Festival to sign the memorandum representing a joint commitment to active cooperation to improve environmental standards, Association of Directors, Writers and Dramaturgs (ARAS), Czech Television, the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), the Prima Group and TV Nova.
The signatories of the Memorandum want to unite efforts to promote sustainable production processes in the production of audiovisual works in order to minimise their environmental impact, as well as to work together to reduce the carbon footprint, promote information sharing, education or innovation. The purpose is also to create a database for socially responsible suppliers and to work with other institutions on the systemic decarbonisation and transformation of the creative industries.
"This is not just a global trend, we are trying to raise the standards of filmmaking in the Czech Republic and make the audiovisual industry competitive on a global scale. Big companies like Netflix or Disney+, which film in our country, no longer want to cooperate without adhering to the current principles of sustainability," says Vratislav Šlajer, chairman of APA.
"As a public broadcaster, we have an obligation not only to inform and educate, but also to promote sustainable and responsible practices. Collaborating on this platform will allow us to share best practices and inspire the entire audiovisual industry to be more sustainable," said Jan Souček, CEO of Czech Television.
"TV Nova is a Czech pioneer in the field of sustainable approach to filming. It has not always been easy, but we are all the more pleased that we have not been alone in this and that other major players in the market also perceive the importance of such actions. I am sure that together we will be able to achieve a significant change," says Daniel Grunt, CEO of TV Nova.
"Social responsibility has been firmly embedded in our corporate culture and values since the very beginning of the Prima Group. We are honoured to continue this legacy as the leading media house in the market and to be at the birth of a new initiative. It will enable us to define a single meaningful and clear set of Principles for the Czech audiovisual market and to join the sustainable filming. We firmly believe that by working together we will be able to significantly reduce the carbon footprint and negative environmental impact of production activities," says Marek Singer, CEO of Prima Group.
"We are aware that sustainability aspects need to be thought about from the very first drafts of the scripts, it is too late to address them in production. Our strength lies in the story we tell and, as Adrienne Maree Brown says, climate chaos is a battle with the capacity of our imagination - we are ready to expand that capacity. While we all have good reason to despair in relation to the seriousness of the climate crisis, our films have the capacity to show that a different world is possible," said Marta Nováková, Chair of ARAS.
"FAMU sees its key position in educating film professionals and adapting them to the new challenges posed by climate change and the changing needs of the film industry. As a school, we recognize our contribution to the environmental burden, but we also see opportunity. We now have a unique chance to contribute through educational activities to the formation of a generation of filmmakers who will not only be more environmentally responsible, but also able to help others implement and follow new practices," says David Čeněk, Dean of FAMU.
The Memorandum commits the founding members to work together to achieve their respective goals. Regular meetings of the Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual discussion forum will be held four times a year initially, with detailed planning and implementation of specific initiatives to be handled by individual working groups. The Platform, which may in the future move to a more formal structure depending on the needs and interest of the founding stakeholders, will start its activities in January 2025.
Source: mediaguru.cz
