Václav Marhoul has worked in the film industry for decades, mainly as a unit production manager and later as a film producer. Since 1990, he has managed the Barrandov Film Studio as CEO for seven years. But in 2003 he has embarked on a creative path and made his debut as a director with the feature film "Smart Philip", based on Raymond Chandler's books and it´s main character - private eye Phil Marlowe. In 2008 he directed the II. World War drama about Czechoslovak soldiers in the Libyan desert called "Tobruk", inspired by a novel of another American author Stephen Crane - "The Red Badge of Courage." His next film, based on the world bestseller of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński "The Painted Bird" was running for the prestigious Golden Lion award in the main competition at the 76th Venice International Film Festival 2019. The Painted Bird has been also shortlisted for 92nd Oscar - International Feature Film (2020) and nominated for European Film Academy best feature film (2020).