Guanajuato, Gto., April 29, 2016.- As part of the activities of the European Film Festival in Guanajuato (GUCE for its acronym in Spanish) organized by the Direction of Cultural Extension from the University of Guanajuato, there was a workshop on design and construction of puppets taught by the sculptor Frantisek Skála.

In this sixth edition of GUCE, the guest country is the Czech Republic, reason why, the film lovers have had the opportunity to enjoy the best of the movies and the culture of such country.

Part of the traditions of the Czech Republic is the elaboration of puppets, which, from ancient times until today have been used to make theater representations, and also appearances in films and have made a path of art in puppets in the Czech Republic.

With the objective to spread this tradition in the city of Guanajuato, GUCE summoned all people interested to take a workshop with the Czech sculptor Frantisek Skála, who at the same time, arrive to the city to present a movie for children "Little Man", in which he participated as a puppet designer.

In an interview, Frantisek Skála mentioned that it is the first time he visits our country and he is really excited to participate in the European Film Festival of the University of Guanajuato, because it is a platform that allows him to obtain new experiences for their work. He indicated that even though his initial profession is not puppet designer but sculptor, he could use his knowledge in such calling to participate in the movie.

During the workshops, the attendees could know the arming structure of puppets, to then take theory to practice, having as a base wood carving. Frantisek Skála made a tour through human anatomy, paying special attention to extremities and so, comprehend how a puppet is brought together to have more natural movements. The students knew the process of puppet modeling, supporting in the molds of the characters for the movie "Little Man."

It is worth mentioning that Frantisek Skála was born in 1984 in Prague. His childhood and school years were in the Czech Republic. He began studying woodcarving in the School of Applied Arts in Prague and then in the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design of Prague, where he finished his studies in the sculpting workshop led by the famous professor Jiří Beránek.

During his studies, he made practices in the Workshop of Graphic Design in 2006 and in the Academy of Arts in Zagreb, Croatia in 2008. That same year, he received the Prize of the Department of Art from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design of Prague for his work "Galerie Birdzi".

After finishing his studies, he mainly dedicated to art and the realization of works for films. He participated as a puppet designer for the movie "Little Man" (Malý Pán, Czech Republic, 2015). "A project such as Little Man represented a unique opportunity, since you can influence directly in the visual part of the movie (...), you can not only design but elaborate actors and the ambiance where they move. This kind of work cannot be rejected", mentioned Frantisek Skála.