Czech Senators to visit California

Transcription

1 JUNE, 2014 Czech The NEWS Los Angeles Czech Senators to visit California In late June, four Czech senators will arrive to Los Angeles to meet with local Czech comunities. All the visiting senators are members of the Senate Commission for Relations with the Czech Expatriate Community and are coming to the US to discuss various issues that may be on your mind or may have been bothering you for some time. The delegation consists of Tomáš Grulich (ODS), Chairman of the Commission, Stanislav Juranek (KDU-CSL), former Governor of Southern Moravia region, Jaroslav Kubera (ODS), the Mayor of Teplice, and Hassan Mezian (ČSSD). Dear Friends in California, As the school year comes to an end, summer time is knocking on our door. However, it does not mean that the activities of the Consulate are going to a sleep mode. Quite the opposite! Summer is our busy season with many tourists arriving from the Czech Republic needing our assistance at times. In addition, many American students and green-card holders are applying for visas prior to their summer travel to the Czech Republic. We are also in the midst of preparation for a special visit to California. Four Czech senators, members of the Commission for Relations with the Czech Expatriate Community will travel to Los Angeles and San Diego in the last week of June. I am already looking forward to hosting their discussion with many of you at my residence on June 22, The senators will also be meeting with the Czech community at the Czech and Slovak International House and with the Czech School in San Diego on June 24, Cont d on page 2 Michal Sedláček, Consul General INDEX Cont d on page 2 Introduction by the Consul General...1,3 Czech senators to visit California...1,2 Consul General Met with the Senator Berryhill...2 The Exhibition Operation Israel in Los Angeles...4 Franz Kafka Honored during Mutual Inspirations Festival...4 Petrof Concert Series continue with Kociánová & Svěcený in Fall Famous Pavel Šporcl Performed in California...5 Czech Children s Day Annenberg Beach...6 Major Changes in Czech Private Law years of importing Lev Lion beers from the Czech Republic!...6 Page 1

2 Czech Senators to visit California Cont d from page 1 On June 22, 2014, the senators are scheduled to hold an open panel discussion at the Residence of the Consul General in Los Angeles. In addition to a hopefully interesting debate, a small reception will be offered. Invitations will be distributed in the near future, the event is free to public, however, you must RSVP to the Consulate before attending at ext. 230 or sylvie_trnkova@mzv.cz. The delegation will also meet with the Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti, visit the Getty Villa and take part in a special tour at the Warner Brothers film studio in Burbank. After their stay in Los Angeles, the group will travel to San Diego to attend the Biotechnology International Convention (BIO) and to meet with Czech expatriates there. The Czech Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Petr Gandalovič will also come to San Diego to participate in all activities. There are two meetings planned in San Diego on June 24, First, the delegation and the Ambassador will visit the Czech and Slovak House in Balboa Park at 3pm, and then at 6:30pm, the group will meet with students and their parents of the Czech School at Rancho Santa Fe Village Church (6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067). Both events are open to public, but please reserve seat at ext. 230 or Sylvie_Trnkova@mzv.cz. After their stay in California, the delegation will travel to Dallas, Texas. Consul General Met with the Senator Berryhill On March 18, 2014 the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles Michal Sedláček met with the Senator of California State Senate Tom Berryhill (R- District 14), who was elected to the California Senate in In January 2014, he has been appointed the Chairman to the Select Senate Committee on California-European Trade. Senator Berryhill represents the citizens of Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties. It is a large district that includes the foothills of California, agricultural areas that contribute billions to the state s economy, and a multitude of scenic locations that are a significant part of California s rich natural beauty and storied grandeur. The meeting between the Consul General and the senator focused on enhancing economic cooperation and trade between the Czech Republic, the European Union and California. They discussed how to increase ties between Czech and California companies and how events such as the film series Czech That Film contribute to Czech-US relations and promote cultural exchange and economic activity. During his stay in Sacramento, the Consul General Sedláček also held discussion with the representatives of Jerry Brown s Governor's office, such as the director of external relations and international trade Alexis Podesta. They explored possibilities how to improve trade relations between the Czech Republic and California. The Consul General also met with Mr. Abdullah Lababidim, co-founder of the Czech Company Braci, with whom he talked about how to increase presence of Braci in California. The company has developed a wireless Braci, a unique smartphone application that recognizes sounds of our daily lives. Petr Gandalovič Czech Ambassador to the United States Michal Sedláček, Consul General with the Senator Tom Berryhill Page 2

3 Cont d from page 1 Dear friends in California, I am proud to invite you to visit the Hillel Center at UCLA campus where we opened a great exhibit last week. Our Consulate, together with the Consulate General of Israel, and in cooperation with American Jewish Committee Los Angeles and Hillel at UCLA organized a unique exhibit about the military assistance by Czechoslovakia to Israel in during Israel s struggle and its war for independence. The exhibit is on display just until June 13, so please do not hesitate to visit it. The President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso visited California in early May. While meeting with Governor Brown, speaking publicly at Stanford University and Pacific Council in downtown Los Angeles, he promoted the trade between EU countries and California and the free trade agreement TTIP that is currently being negotiated between the United States and the EU. During his visit, President Barroso also met with the leadership of Google and other tech companies in Silicon Valley, with architect Frank Gehry, and attended dinner at the Getty Museum hosted by its Director Timothy Potts. I hope everybody enjoyed the third edition of the Czech That Film festival. Many of you came out to watch the newest Czech films presented here in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities on the West coast. More than 300 film enthusiasts attended the Opening Night Party and screening of Honeymoon and listened to the renowned director Jan Hřebejk at the USC near downtown LA and at the Roxie in Mission district in San Francisco. Almost 200 fans of Czech cinema showed up at the Closing Night Gala in both, Los Angeles and San Francisco, which featured the world premiere of Lousy Bastards directed by Roman Kašparovský. This fantastic cooperation with the USC Film School as well as with Roxie Theater brought great results and the attendance numbers were terrific. I hope that we will be able to offer the festival and continue these successful partnerships also next year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors and partners for their generous support, especially Czech Tourism, Milk n Honey, Shipito, Elma, Prague Studios, Pilsner Urquell, BayCzech, SVU LA and Sokol. Believe me, without them, the Czech That Film festival would not have happened. A special thank belongs to Alex Ago of USC, Mike Keegan from the Roxie, and Richard Pivnicka, the Czech Honorary Consul in San Francisco. I am also happy that the third edition of our popular Petrof Concert Series had such a fantastic spring this year when famous Czech violinist Pavel Šporcl came to Califonia all the way from Prague and together with his talented pianist Petr Jiříkovský brought the audience to its feet in both our cities. I am already looking forward to a concert of the exceptional Czech soprano signer Martina Kociánová, who will perform with her colleagues from the Czech National Theater in San Francisco on October 3, 2014 and in Los Angeles on October 5, This year, the annual Mutual Inspiration festival will be dedicated to the famous Czech-Jewish writer Franz Kafka. The official kick-off will take place on Sunday, September 14, 2013 at the Villa Aurora in Malibu. Besides a small reception, we will be listening to a reading from Kafka s works and to a short lecture on Kafka as person and writer. We will also present several screenings of films based on Kafka s books at the Consulate in October. I am also excited that the Czech schools in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and San Diego are growing and will successfully continue into a fall semester of Please, appreciate the efforts that the school organizers all over California devote to teaching children the difficult Czech language and into organizing activities outside of regular classes, such as celebrating the International Children s Day. In Los Angeles, the next event will take place at the Anneberg Beach of Santa Monica on June 8, 2014 at 2:30pm. To get more information about our events, please visit our website and Facebook page. Michal Sedláček, Consul General Jose Manuel Barroso, President of European Commision with Los Angeles Consular Corps Page 3

4 The Exhibition Operation Israel in Los Angeles The Consulates General of the Czech Republic and Israel in Los Angeles, in partnership with American Jewish Committee of Los Angeles and in cooperation with the Hillel at UCLA, organized a special exhibition commemorating the Czech assistance in Israel s struggle for independence. The opening of the exhibit took place on May 27, 2014 at the Hillel at UCLA (574 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024). The welcoming remarks were delivered by Michal Sedláček, Consul General of the Czech Republic, David Siegel, Consul General of Israel, Rabbi Mark S. Diamond, Regional Director of AJC Los Angeles, and Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Executive Director of Hillel at UCLA. Several witnesses to the events of also attended the opening. Please, do not miss this unique opportunity to visit the exhibit at Hillel before June 13, 2014 when the exhibit concludes. The nearest parking structure is located at the corner of Hilgard Avenue & Westholme Avenue at the Parking Lot #2 (Hourly parking). The exhibit will also be displayed at the residence of the Czech Consul General Michal Sedláček on June 22, This event is organized for the Czech compatriots on the special occasion of the visit of the Czech Senators. The event is upon invitations only. The exhibition focuses on key events of the Czech military assistance to Israel in that made the establishment of the State of Israel possible. The exhibit also ilustrates values both countries share such as love for freedom and democracy and commemorates the long lasting alliance between the Czech Republic and Israel, starting with the visit of the Czech President Masaryk to Palestine in 1927 and concluding with the official trip of President Havel to Israel in Franz Kafka Franz Kafka Honored during Mutual Inspirations Festival The Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles announces the launch of the 2014 Mutual Inspirations Festival. The festival will honor the legendary Czech-German writer Franz Kafka this year and will consist of many events taking place throughout the United States. From September to the end of October, multiple events will be dedicated to one of the most remarkable writers of 20th century Franz Kafka, commemorating the 90th anniversary of his passing. The annual initiative focuses on the mutual inspirations between Czech and American cultures. In Los Angeles, the festival will officially kick-off on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 4 PM at Villa Aurora. A reading from Kafka s celebrated masterpieces will be presented by a local actor at the event. Program will be replenished with a lecture devoted to Kafka and his literature. The event will be jointly organized by Czech Consulate and Villa Aurora. During the month of October, the Consulate General will screen on its premises several films inspired by Kafka s books such as the Czech feature Amerika, directed by Vladimír Michálek and starring a popular Czech actor Martin Dejdar, and Steven Soderbergh s biopic Kafka with Jeremy Irons in the leading role. The Czech Consulate will further present David Jones film The Trail, shot in Prague. In addition to many Czech actors, a celebrated Anthony Hopkins appears in the movie. An exhibition titled Journeys of Franz Kafka will also be a part of the 2014 Mutual Inspirations Festival. A Czech photographer Jan Jindra follows in the footsteps of the literary giant, taking black and white pictures of many of the places Kafka visited. The Czech Consulate will host the exhibit at its Front Gallery (10990 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90024) in fall of Mr. and Mrs. Gluck, Rabbi Mark S. Diamond, AJC, Consul General of Israel David Siegel and Consul General Michal Sedláček Page 4

5 Petrof Concert Series continue with Kociánová & Svěcený in Fall 2014 In the fall, the 2014 Petrof Concert Series, a cultural program celebrating Czech music in California, will continue with a series of concerts by Martina Kociánová, a Czech concert soprano singer. Ms. Kociánová will launch the Fall Petrof Concert Series with a performance in San Francisco on October 3, Two days later, she will perform at the residence of the Czech Consul General in Los Angeles. Concerts titled Flowers of Czech Music in Prague will consist of famous arias for soprano solo. Ms. Kociánová, together with the violin virtuoso and conductor Oldřich Vlček and pianist Miroslav Sekyra, will introduce the works of various famous Czech composers and commemorate great Czech music tradition by playing numerous Czech and Moravian folk songs. Jaroslav Svěcený, a prominent Czech violin virtuoso returns to the United States with his talented daughter Julia and they will perform together in several American cities. Their first performance will take place in Chicago, followed by concerts in Seattle on October 21, 2014 and in Las Vegas on October 23, The venues will be announced later. Several shows will be presented in California as well, starting with their performance at the Annual Heritage Event of American Sokol Los Angeles on October 26, 2014 and followed by their concert in San Diego a day later. Their participation in the celebration of the Czech National Day will highlight the festive reception on this occassion at the residence of the Czech Consul General on October 28, Please, save the dates for these extraordinary performances. The Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles would like to thank presenting partners Petrof Pianos USA, the Society of Arts & Sciences (SVU), BayCzech, the Czech School of California, Olga and Ezekiel Martin, the American Sokol of Los Angeles and San Francisco for their gracious support in helping to host the 2014 Petrof Concert Series. Pavel Šporcl and Petr Jiříkovský Famous Pavel Šporcl Performed in California After the 2014 Petrof Concert Series opened its season in Februry with a concert of a Czech-Argentinian pianist Fabio Banegas, Pavel Šporcl, the most distinctive member of the young generation of Czech violinists, performed in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, accompanied by talented Czech pianist Petr Jiříkovský. In Los Angeles, Mr. Šporcl presented Czech music at two separate events. The first concert was a part of the ipalpiti Series at Leo Frankel Hall on Saturday, April 19, 2014 and the second was held at the Residence of the Czech Consul General a day later. Mr. Šporcl s concerts became one of the highlights of the 2014 Petrof Concert Series, organized by The Czechoslovak Society of Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles in cooperation with the Czech Consulate and sponsored by Petrof US. In Silicon Valley, Mr. Šporcl performed at the JCC Palo Alto Cultural Arts Hall on Wednesday, April 23, This concert, organized by the Czech School of California and expatriot organizations BayCzech and Sokol San Francisco, was also very well received by both the Czech community and American guests. Pavel Šporcl and Petr Jiříkovský introduced their newest album My Violin Legends and presented works of famous Czech composer Antonín Dvořák and gifted Czech violinists of the past such as R. Kubelík, J. Kocián, F. Ondříček, F. Drdla and F. Laub. Their fantastic performances brought the audiences to their feet everywhere they went! Martina Kociánová Page 5

6 Czech Children s Day Annenberg Beach The Czech School of Los Angeles cordially invites you to a Czech Children s Day. Celebration of the International Children s Day will take place on Sunday, June 8th, 2014 at 2:30 pm at the Annenberg Beach in Santa Monica. Festivity will include activities such as sand castle building competition or ball games. If you would like to join the Czech community at its picnic celebration, please, contribute to the common refreshments either by bringing sweet snacks (fruits or cookies) in case your last name starts with letters A - L or salty snack (veggies, crackers) if your last name starts with letters M - Z. Beverages will be provided. Parking fee: 3 USD/hour or 12 USD per day. The event is organized by the Czech School of Los Angeles and American Sokol in Los Angeles. Major Changes in Czech Private Law The re-codification of Czech private law entered into force on January 1, 2014, and has introduced changes that have considerable impact on businesses operating in the Czech Republic, including for example requiring a mandatory review of their constitutional corporate documents, contracts or general business terms and conditions. The new regulations of Czech private law have also introduced new legal institutes such as right of construction, or trust fund enabling new asset management opportunities. 19 years of importing Lev Lion beers from the Czech Republic! Harvey Imports, a wine & beer distribution company, was founded by Milena Harvey Svobodová. Ms. Harvey moved to the United States in 1993, and has been importing Czech beers LEV (Lion) to the United States since There are three award winning labels imported to the US by Harvey Imports - Lev Lion Pilsener (světlá dvanáctka), Lev Black Lion Dark Lager (tmavá dvanáctka) and Lev Pale Double Bock (světlá čtrnáctka). All are brewed and bottled by Měšťanský pivovar in Havlíčkův Brod. Since the arrival of the first container in 1995, almost 3 million bottles have been sold. The customers in Utah have been able to purchase LEV in their state liquor stores as well as in selected restaurants and bars since Since last month, lovers of LEV in California can find their beloved beverage in BevMo (Beverage and more) stores all over the state. LEV is being shipped also to distributors in Illinois, Idaho and Washington. Harvey Imports is also importing four wines (Muller Thurgau, Frankovka, Rulandské a Vavřinecké) from Vinné sklepy Lechovice in Znojmo region. Their Muller Thurgau won the Top 10 under $10 award in The World Value Wine Challenge 2013 and the Blaufrankisch (Frankovka) was rated as Highly Recommended by the Beverage Tasting Institute. Harvey Imports is always looking for new distributors for their wines, which are presently being offered at Bistro Bohem in Washington, DC, at La Trattoria Bohemia in Sacramento, at Little Prague Restaurant in Davis, CA, at the Barrel Room and at Cafe Prague in San Francisco, and at other various restaurants in Illinois. Please check their website at for more information. Whether you have a business in the Czech Republic or you are just thinking about setting up a business there, we would recommend that you learn more about these changes because they will have an impact on your activities. As the Consulate cannot provide the full legal expertise in this area, we would suggest that you seek out services of some of the reputable law offices in the Czech Republic. For example, the Schoenherr law firm based in Prague and other cities within the whole Central European region has recently published its annual legal publication Roadmap that covers many of the changes brought by the new legal framework and is freely available online at: Page 6

7 Big Success of the 3rd Edition of Czech That Film festival Czech That Film festival in 2014 has exceeded all expectations. It has had an incredible turnout in all participating cities each day so far. In Los Angeles, the series was organized by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic and the School of Cinematic Arts of University of Southern California (USC). The festival officially kicked-off on Thursday, March 27 at the Ray Stark Theater at USC, where as a special treat to Los Angeles, the well-known Czech director Jan Hřebejk presented in person his latest film Honeymoon. In order to accommodate all attendees on the opening night of the festival, an additional screening room had to be opened. The famous Czech director also launched the festival at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on March 30, Director Jan Hřebejk with Producer Tomáš Krejčí During the following Q&A sessions, Mr. Hřebejk explained development of his characters and his creative process during the shooting. The popular receptions, well attended by local VIPs as well as film lovers of all ages, offered a great opportunity to taste delicious Czech Pilsner Urquell and Moravian wine and discuss the masterpiece with Jan Hřebejk. Large crowds were also attracted by the latest film of popular director Jiří Menzel Don Juans, the Czech entry for the 86th Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film category. Festival continued with a psychological drama by Zdeněk Tyc Like Never Before and Colette, a love story based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize nominee Arnošt Lustig inspired by the author s personal experience in Auschwitz. This screening was co-sponsored by AJC Los Angeles and San Francisco. Director Jan Hřebejk with Consul General Michal Sedláček A world premiere of modern Czech feature Lousy Bastard directed by a promising Czech director Roman Kašparovský, who in person introduced his film to the audience at USC, successfully concluded the festival in Los Angeles and in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 2, International cinema fans and Czech compatriots were pleased with all showcased features and the festival as a whole. The popular touring series has already reached most of its destinations, heading now to New York City, Portland, Seattle and Chicago. CZECH THAT FILM 2014 would like to thank the invaluable contributions of all partners involved especially Alex Ago of the USC and Mike Keegan from Roxie Theater. The festival was sponsored by Milk & Honey Films, ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America), Prague Studios, Czech Tourism and Pilsner Urquell with a local contribution from the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) in Los Angeles and BayCzech in San Francisco. Director Roman Kašparovský Page 7

8 June 2014 July, August 2014 June 8, 2014 at 2:30 pm - Celebration of the International Children s Day at the Annenberg Beach in Santa Monica Parking fee: 3 USD/hour or 12 USD per day. July 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm Reflections of the Czech That Film festival - Screening of the Czech film Honeymoon directed by Jan Hřebejk at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles June 11, 2014 at 7:00 pm Screening of the Czech film Protektor at the Consulate General of the Czech Reoublic in Los Angeles July 23, 2014 at 7:00 pm Reflections of the Czech That Film - festival Screening of the Czech film Don Juans directed by iří Menzel at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles May 27 through June 13, 2014 Exhibition Operation Israel at the Hillel at UCLA Open to the public. Hourly parking at parking lot 2 (corner of Hilgard & Westholme) August 6, 2014 at 7:00 pm Screening of the Czech film Dreamers (Zoufalci) directed by Jitka Rudolfová at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles June 22, 2014 Czech senators, members of the Commission for Relations with the Czech Expatriate Community at the Residence of the Consul General RSVP required at or Sylvie_Trnkova@mzv.cz August 20, 2014 at 7:00 pm Reflections of the Czech That Film festival - Screening of the Czech film (Film TBA) at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles June 24, The senators meeting with the Czech community at the Czech and Slovak International House and with the Czech School in San Diego For more information, please see page 1 and 2