Prague hosted its first public film screening in 1896

The first public film screening in Prague took place on October 18, 1896, at the Hotel U Černého koně on Na Příkopě Street. Organized by optician and mechanic Adolf Oppenheimer using a cinematograph supplied by the French branch of Thomas Edison’s company, the event introduced moving pictures to the Bohemian public.

During the presentation, audiences viewed seven short films, including scenes of a spinning wheel, dancers, activity in a Parisian square, and the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Admission was priced at 40 kreutzers, with discounts available for schools. While the screening was a technological milestone, the venue featured a central pillar that occasionally obstructed views for some attendees.

Following this initial event, permanent cinemas began to emerge in the region. The first permanent cinema in the Czech lands opened in Brno in June 1907, followed by Prague's first permanent cinema, opened by Dismas Šlambor (known as Viktor Ponrepo) in September 1907. The popularity of film grew rapidly, with the number of cinemas in Prague increasing from nine in 1911 to 39 by 1914.