Featured location: Brew your next film in the Černokostelec Brewery

Kostelec nad Černými lesy (Kostelec Above the Black Forests, known until 1920 as “Black Kostelec”), is a small town located in the middle of dense forest about 30 kilometers east of Prague. The dominant feature is the gothic castle rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau, now part of the Czech Agricultural University. The town, known for its pottery and ceramic tradition, also has a history of brewing dating back to the late 15th century. And it is the local brewery that we want to present as our featured location this month.

The brewery buildings and the malt house have been preserved as they were originally built or were renovated at the end of the 19th century. The complex comprises three blocks of buildings in a U-shape with a central courtyard, dominated by the atypical octagonal horse mill, today an important technical monument and probably the largest building of its kind in Europe. The gin, turned at the time with cattle, was 17 meters in diameter.

“The historical brewery buildings are interesting not only for lovers of brewing and tourists, but they can certainly serve filmmakers as well. Over an area of around 4000 m², you will find many pieces of original equipment and furnishings. On display, for example, are a double copper brewing set with transmission, chilling chambers, a functional steam engine, functional ammonia refrigeration compressors, and hundreds of other machines,” said Ing. Milan Starec of Dej Bůh štěstí s.r.o.

The brewery complex is rich in opportunities behind the cameras as well. It provides high quality, extensive support facilities for any film production – from large parking areas and plenty of restrooms to numerous independent hospitality establishments that in total provide several hundred seats. Twenty-five people can be accommodated right in the brewery; the town of Kostelec offers another 200 beds.

“The combination of photogenic places and corners in the brewery complex and its unique technical equipment creates a truly special opportunity for filmmakers. The brewery is exceptional because of its well-preserved state as well as the environment in which it is located,” says Linda Dlouhá of the Central Bohemian Film Office. “The brewery interiors and exteriors can shine both in period films and fairy tales, and even in mysteries or fantasies, thrillers, and detective stories, and we even had an American action blockbuster filmed here,” adds Dlouhá.