Czech film sees success at prestigious US festival

A 21-minute Czech film Strach (Little Secret in English) has won one of the main categories at the prestigious LA Shorts Fest 2013. The result automatically pushes the film onto a list of contenders for an Academy Award nomination. Directed by Martin Krejčí, the film was inspired by a highly-publicised incident last year in which a 15-year-old boy claimed he was severely beaten by a group of Romanies after he refused them a cigarette. The incident sparked a wave of anti-Roma sentiment and saw benefits concerts organised to help the alleged victim. Under police questioning, however, it became apparent the boy made up the whole story. In truth, he fell badly on a landing, and made up the story to avoid being punished at home.