KVIFF

Karlovy Vary Festival to award Oliver Stone

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:07:00 +0200

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will award the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema to American screenwriter, director and producer, and three-times Oscar winner, Oliver Stone.

In the context of contemporary American and world cinema, Oliver Stone is an individual who utterly defies traditional assessment criteria. He writes, directs and produces films which occupy all corners of the filmmaking spectrum – from traditional stories, to highly provocative movies which often examine pressing social and political issues within his own country and beyond.

The period during which the young filmmaker was endeavouring to find his own place in life, and his own artistic expression, was greatly influenced by the war in Vietnam. As was the case for thousands of Americans, for Oliver Stone as well, serving in Vietnam not only resulted in serious injuries, but it was also, above all, a traumatic experience. After his return from Vietnam, he enrolled at New York University’s Film School, where he was taught by Martin Scorsese. While still a student he addressed the Vietnam theme for the first time in the short film Last Year in Viet Nam (1971), however, the masterpieces through which he would come to terms with his many years of trauma were yet to come. Nevertheless, before Oliver Stone would create the title, which would make him a household name, he received his first awards as a screenwriter, namely a Golden Globe and Oscar for the script for Alan Parker’s film Midnight Express (1978). A succession of other cult films followed – in particular, Scarface (1983), directed by Brian De Palma, which will be presented at Karlovy Vary IFF, and Year of the Dragon (1985), directed by Michael Cimino.

After overcoming various obstacles, where he was forced to make a series of financial and artistic concessions, Stone was finally able to shoot his Central American war story, Salvador (1986) and his first Vietnam opus, Platoon (1986), which earned him huge recognition. The film was nominated for eight Oscars and won in four categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. Dramatic war experiences and, above all, the loss of illusions for the majority of veterans who tried to return to normal civilian life, were also projected into another successful film, Born on the Fourth of July (1989), for which he garnered his second Oscar for Best Director. This loose Vietnam trilogy was then concluded with the film Heaven & Earth (1993).

Oliver Stone sought and found a number of other thought-provoking sources of inspiration for his films beyond the apocalypse of war. He allows his audiences a glimpse of the intransigent laws of the world of finance in the films Wall Street (1987, Oscar for Michael Douglas as Best Actor in a Leading Role) and its sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010); as well as a view of American sport ruled by corporations in Any Given Sunday (1999, with Al Pacino). Stone treats the mystifying life story and ambiguous death of the lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison, in his biographical drama of the same name from 1991, and offers his daring, speculative take on the assassination of President Kennedy in the film JFK (1991, Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing). He portrays the world of brutal crime in the films Natural Born Killers (1994), U-Turn (1997), and Savages (2012). The rise and fall of two other American presidents are held up to scrutiny in the biographical dramas Nixon (1995) and W (2008). The director then maps out the life and legend of a courageous and ruthless conqueror and one of history’s most prominent figures in the spectacular historical saga Alexander (2004), revised in 2007, with a final revised cut in 2014—the latter to be shown for the first time in Europe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Given Oliver Stone’s inclination towards what are often painful contemporary themes, it comes as no surprise that he also decided to capture on film one of the most tragic events in modern American history in World Trade Center (2006).

His most ambitious endeavour yet, 5 years in the making was The Untold History of the United States (2012), a 10-hour documentary series co-written by Peter Kuznick, a professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. The series focuses on human events that at the time went under reported, but crucially shaped America’s unique and complex history over the 20th century. Initially broadcast in the U.S. on Showtime Network, he will present two special chapters to Czech audiences.

Agnieszka Holland appointed president of the jury for the 48th Karlovy Vary IFF

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:06:00 +0200

The international jury of the 48th Karlovy Vary IFF will be headed by Agnieszka Holland, the award-winning screenwriter and director, three of whose films have been nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film; she is also a filmmaker who has cultivated strong ties with Czech culture.

Agnieszka Holland said: „I have always found the very principle of competition in art problematic and it’s why I rarely agree to be a jury member. How can you compare such different movies, especially when watched in different weather, at different times of the day, as the first or last in sequence, or before or after a meal…? However, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to discover (and help) new films at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It is a different selection - more open and unexpected then other big festivals – chosen with a sensibility that is close to my heart. I am sure that it will be real cinematic experience and that we all – the Jury – will have great time. I think it is an honour to lead the Jury here.“

Agnieszka Holland is a native of Warsaw; her decision to study film took her to Prague’s FAMU, which she attended at the turbulent close of the 1960s (she graduated in 1971). In consequence, the filmmaker had the chance to experience the rousing atmosphere of the Prague Spring in 1968 in former Czechoslovakia, and she was also able to make the acquaintance of individuals who would later become symbols of the struggle for Czech freedom and democracy.

She began as assistant director to some of the biggest names, working for illustrious figures of Polish cinema Krzysztof Zanussi and Andrzej Wajda. Her feature-length debut Provincial Actors (Aktorzy Prowincjonalni, 1980) became one of the key titles of the so-called “Cinema of Moral Unrest”. This metaphor for the political situation in Poland at the time won the FIPRESCI Award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1980.

After a state of emergency was declared in Poland, when it became clear that Holland would not be able to make any socio-critical films there, she decided to emigrate. Outside her native country she continued to focus on thorny, socio-political themes and important moral issues of the present and recent past. Her film about the lives of Jewish women during the Second World War Angry Harvest (Bittere Ernte, 1985), made in a German coproduction, brought the director her first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. In the film To Kill a Priest (1988) she was inspired by the fate of priest Jerzy Popieluszko, who was tortured to death by the Polish secret police; what is probably her best known film, Europa, Europa (1990), tells the stirring tale of a Jewish boy who manages to survive both Stalinist repression and his drills at an elite Nazi training camp. The story of a hero swept up by the incredible squall of history was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and won a Golden Globe in the same category. Thanks to the international recognition the director has earned for her work, Agnieszka Holland’s films are regularly screened at world festivals, and she collaborates with leading acting names – e.g. Leonardo DiCaprio and David Thewlis in the biographical drama Total Eclipse (1995), and Albert Finney, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Ben Chaplin in the romantic drama Washington Square (1997). She returned to Jewish subject matter, which weaves its way through her entire oeuvre, in the film In Darkness (2011), which was again nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Agnieszka Holland not only works in her native Poland and in the USA, but her film career has also brought her back to the Czech Republic. She returned to the Czech environment to shoot a major three-part series for HBO, Burning Bush (2013). This highly emotive drama portraying the circumstances surrounding the self-immolation of Jan Palach, an event the director witnessed during her student days, is one of this year’s key film events.

During the Karlovy Vary festival, visitors will have the chance to see Burning Bush for the first time in the Czech Republic on the big screen.

The Karlovy Vary Festival will honor Oscar-winner, Theodor Pištěk

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:05:00 +0200

Painter and costume designer Theodor Pištěk will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the 48th Karlovy Vary IFF.

One of director Miloš Forman’s fundamental cooperators, Pištěk has worked on over 100 movies as either costume designer or set designer. Director František Vláčil, another superstar of the Czech film industry, cemented Pištěk’s relationship to film by offering him work on The White Dove (Holubice, 1960). Pištěk subsequently cooperated on Vláčil’s most important films: Markéta Lazarová (1967) and Valley of the Bees (Údolí včel, 1967). But it was working with Forman that brought him the most prestigious of world awards. Theodor Pištěk won an Academy Award for designing the costumes for Amadeus (1984). He then took a French César for costume design for another of Forman’s movies, Valmont (1989), and was nominated for another Oscar.

During his extensive career, Theodor Pištěk “dressed” characters in movies of perhaps every genre, from historical drama to sci-fi, and of arguably the most famous Czech fairytale, Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku, 1973). Concurrent with his film work, he is a lifelong painter who reveals a strong passion for racecar driving, which he actively participated in for a number of years. Theodor Pištěk is also the first post-Velvet Revolution designer of the uniforms sported by Prague’s castle guards.

Industry activities planned for KVIFF 2013

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Various Industry panels and workshops, get-togethers, informal accompanying events, and one-on-one meetings will be organized during the 48th Karlovy Vary IFF 2013 to enable film industry professionals to become acquainted with new movies and promising moviemakers and to meet and make new contacts. This year's activities include:

Industry Days – bringing together world industry professionals
The Industry days program takes inspiration from the Czech Republic’s history and its geopolitical location at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe. It presents upcoming films and talented filmmakers from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc to international sales agents, distributors, coproducers, festival programmers, financial backers, and postproduction service companies from around the world. The ninth Industry Days will take place from June 30 to July 3, 2013.

KVIFF Works in Progress
Every year, producers and filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe and the states of the Former Soviet Union present their latest feature production at KVIFF's Works in Progress. This one-day presentation, intended for international sales agents, distributors, coproducers, and festival programmers, will offer a selection of roughly 18 quality feature films whose premieres are expected after July 2013. The films must be recently completed or in post-production, and lack an international sales agent. The most promising project selected by the International Jury will receive an award of 10,000 euros in services from Barrandov Studios, the event’s partner.
Various projects proved highly successful amid foreign competition after their presentation at last year’s Works in Progress, in particular :
The Eternal Return of Antonis P (Greece) KVIFF’s Works in Progress Award 2012 – Berlinale 2013
A Month in Thailand (Romania) – Venice IFF 2012
A Fold in my Blanket (Georgia, Russia) – Berlinale 2013
Mom, I Love You (Estonia) – Berlinale 2013
My Dog Killer (Slovakia, Czech Rep.) – the Tiger Award at Rotterdam IFF 2013

“Cooperation with Hollywood” Panel
The goal of the highly regarded panel is to bridge the gap between Hollywood and Europe and bring together the skills, experience and talent from both sides of the Atlantic. For the sixth time prominent representatives of the American film industry will again offer their European counterparts useful insight into the workings of the Hollywood production machine during the discussion and face-to-face meetings.

The European Parliament´s LUX Prize 2013
The announcement of the ten films of the LUX Prize 2013 Official Selection will be combined this year with a distributors’ panel.

Pitch & Feedback
A presentation of Czech and Slovak film projects in development with a potential for international co-productions which will receive professional feedback by experts from the international film industry.

Docu Talents from the East
A presentation of nine upcoming documentaries from Eastern Europe which will be introduced for the 9th time.

Legendary film critic Roger Ebert has died

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:20:00 +0200

We were very sorry to hear the news that one of the most respected American film critics, Roger Ebert, has died at the age of 70 after an extended illness. The Chicago Sun-Times film reviewer and author of 15 books began his career in criticism in 1967 and he continued writing reviews, highly-regarded by professionals and the lay public alike, until the very end of his life. He was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize and the first to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We are very proud that in 2002 Roger Ebert accepted our invitation to sit on the international jury of the 37th Karlovy Vary IFF. During his visit to the festival he captivated his co-jurors and everyone he met with his insightful thoughts on the cinematic arts. We fondly recall his unpretentious manner, graciousness, and sense of humor.

Roger Ebert became a friend of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. He happily reminisced about his stay in the Czech Republic whenever he met festival representatives in the USA, or at Cannes, which he continued to frequent even after contracting an illness he faced with his characteristic courage.
He will be remembered with admiration, esteem, and gratitude.

Jiří Bartoška, president Karlovy Vary IFF, and his team

Karlovy Vary IFF to present exclusive retrospective of Borderline Films

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0100

Karlovy Vary IFF will present the first complete retrospective of the highly admired New York-based production company, Borderline Films during its 48th edition. The trio of friends that make up Borderline; Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin and Josh Mond, are one of the most innovative and respected groups of independent filmmakers and their movies, such as the highly acclaimed MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, have won numerous awards.

“Borderline Films: The First Ten Years” will commence with a screening of the first Borderline production, the short BUY IT NOW (2005), for which Antonio Campos took first prize at the Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival.

His feature debut, AFTERSCHOOL, was presented at the same festival three years later in the prestigious Un certain regard section. The award-winning AFTERSCHOOL was also shown at the New York Film Festival, Berlin and SXSW.

These admirers of European film have had six films premiere in Cannes, including Campos’ ‘follow-up to BUY IT NOW, the short THE LAST 15 (2007), which screened in competition. The Directors’ Fortnight screened the lyrical movie TWO GATES OF SLEEP (2010), which Borderline Films produced for fellow director Alistair Banks Griffin and Durkin’s short MARY LAST SEEN (2010), which was awarded its top prize. A year later his feature debut MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE garnered exceptional success in Un Certain Regard and was awarded the Youth Prize, following up a Best Director award at Sundance six months earlier. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, a film that was gestated through the prestigious Sundance director’s lab, was also shown at the Toronto and New York Film Festival and was released theatrically around the world to critical acclaim and many accolades including the Next Generation award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

During the shooting of MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, Campos wrote the script for his second film, SIMON KILLER, one of the most intriguing movies from 2011, which premiered in competition at Sundance. SIMON KILLER, made in conjunction with FilmHaven, opens theatrically in North American April 5th, distributed by IFC Films.

The retrospective will also include a "carte blanche" screening where Campos, Durkin and Mond will each select one of their favorite non-Borderline produced films to be screened at the Festival. The trio will also teach a master class at the festival and be accompanied by a number of actors and fixed members of their crew.

KVIFF’s Artistic Director Karel Och said: "We are very excited to share our deep appreciation of the work of Antonio, Sean and Josh with our festival audience. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival thrives on screening the best of unique,independent filmmaking from around the world and we’re honoured to welcome these true auteurs to our 48th Edition.“

Campos, Durkin and Mond said in a joint statement: "We are truly humbled by this honor. As a company, we have spent the past 10 years making films we believe in and working with the people we love. We never stop creating and moving forward, but we are excited to take this week in Karlovy Vary to look back on the work with many of our collaborators/ extended family and to share the films with a new audience."

Press Release to download

High decoration for Eva Zaoralová

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:30:00 +0100

On 28 November 2012, the French Ambassador in Prague, Mr Pierre Lévy, conferred upon her the second grade of the Order of Arts and Letters, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the propagation of French culture abroad. Eva Zaoralová was awarded the first grade of this high state distinction – knight – back in 2002; she has now been honoured with the second grade – officer.

Galina Kopanyeva

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:08:00 +0200

After an extended illness, Prof. Galina Kopanyeva died in mid-October at the age of 80. She was a longtime consultant to the Karlovy Vary IFF.

Galina Kopanyeva (November 26, 1931 - October 16, 2012) was a foremost Czech film critic, theorist, and educator who focused primarily on Russian and Eastern European film. Well-acquainted with her name, professionals in these countries highly valued her work and expertise. As a journalist she sat on the FIPRESCI juries of many international festivals (Moscow, Sochi, Sofia, Varna, Gdynia), and she was personal friends with numerous Czech and international filmmakers and critics.

After graduating from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU) at the end of the 1950s, she worked as an editor for Film a doba magazine, later teaching film history in the Film Sciences Department of the School of Humanities at Charles University in Prague.

As a columnist and organizer she cooperated with the Summer Film School (Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic) and took part in other film club events. She also lectured on film at seminars at home and abroad and published several books. In addition, she appeared onscreen in Karel Kachyňa’s The Ear (Ucho); although shot in 1968, the movie was banned by the authorities until 1989.

Eva Zaoralová Awarded Polish Presidential Citations

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0200

KVIFF’s Artistic Consultant Eva Zaoralova received the Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland today in Prague awarded by the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the development of Polish and Czech cultural dialogue.

Eva Zaoralova accepted the presidential awards from Chargé d’Affaires Marek Minarczuk, who praised mainly her lasting and close interest in Polish cinematography, ties with Polish filmmakers and her role in popularizing Polish cinematography in the Czech Republic. As the former Artistic Director of the Karlovy Vary IFF, Eva Zaoralova was instrumental in introducing the Czech and international public to classic Polish films and talented young filmmakers. Polish films have been regularly included in the competition and non-competition sections of the Karlovy Vary IFF and have won numerous awards at this prestigious event.

The entire team of Karlovy Vary IFF is very proud. Congratulations!

47th Karlovy Vary IFF Awards

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:20:00 +0200

#zaver2012#

In Rome with Woody Allen

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 14:30:00 +0200

Last year’s festival closed with Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. This year, the director will take the audience of the festival’s Closing Ceremony on a trip to another European metropolis – Rome. The film’s four stories follow the romantic and personal mishaps of a couple of locals and American tourists, one of whom is played by the director himself. The rest of the cast is star-studded as usual, including Jesse Eisenberg, Roberto Benigni, Ellen Page, Penélope Cruz and Alec Baldwin.

To Rome with Love opens in Czech movie theaters on July 19, 2012.

The Very Best of Vary

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0200

As every year, this year’s closing of the 47^th Karlovy Vary IFF will also mark the beginning of its Official Echoes in Prague.

From July 7 to July 15, 2012 Prague cinemas Světozor and Aero will offer a selection of films screened at the 2012 Karlovy Vary IFF, giving a second chance to anyone that could not go to the festival or did not get to see the films they wanted. The selection will include 34 films from more than 180 feature films on the festival program.

Film fans can look forward to works by famous and up and coming directors. The famous names will include David Cronenberg and his newest film Cosmopolis, exploring the dark side of the economic crisis through the eyes of a Wall Street rising star. After Barcelona and Paris, Woody Allen turned his eyes to another European metropolis in his To Rome with Love, while Wes Anderson’s star-filled Moonrise Kingdom will show what happens in a small American town when two kids run away together into the wilderness.

Tickets can be reserved or purchased on-line at http://www.kinoaero.cz and www.kinosvetozor.cz, or at tel. 608 33 00 88 (workdays from 10.00 to 17.00). All films will be either in Czech or with Czech subtitles.

Click here here for Official Echoes program.

Numbers, figures, statistics

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 11:10:00 +0200

As of Saturday morning, the 47^th Karlovy Vary IFF welcomed 11 459 visitors including 9 584 Festival Pass holders, 405 filmmakers, 803 film professionals and 667 journalists. Film fans bought 121 022 single tickets and saw 218 films including 34 short films and 56 documentaries. Twenty three films had their world, 35 international and 8 European premiere at this year’s festival. The fact the festival screened 56 debuts shows it is determined to support beginning filmmakers. The festival also included 61 films looking for international sales agents.

Seventy two films were screened from 35 mm copies, 82 from DCP, 35 from HDcam, 26 from DigiBety and 3 from blue ray. Several films that were screened more than once were screened in various formats.

As of Friday morning, festival visitors rented 3 945 bikes, but you will have to wait for the day record of rented Specialized bikes until 20:00, because the number is the subject of a guessing game.

The information booth at Thermal registered about 50 lost items.

On Saturday morning the festival Facebook page had 18 327 fans and the official Czech Twitter account was followed by 1 027 people and the English account by 218 fans.

Susan Sarandon at Open-Air Cinema

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0200

While the Closing Ceremony audience will be enjoying the pre-premiere of Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love, everyone else with or without a Festival Pass will be treated to a free-of-charge screening of American independent comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home at 23:00 at the open-air cinema. The film was introduced at the festival by one of its main stars, actress Susan Sarandon, who might also come tonight to the open-air cinema to greet the viewers.

In the film by the Duplass brothers she plays a mom whose son Jeff (Jason Segel), an immature thirty-year-old, keeps looking for signs what to do with his life like a character from M. Night Saymalan’s film Signs.

Things to do at the Festival on July 7, 2012

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

The festival ends today and with it all festival events. The last premiere of the festival will be the festival magazine “From Dusk till Dawn,” the answer of Reflex’s Luděk „Rodriguez“ Staněk to Marek Eben’s Festival Seconds, projected on a smoke screen. You have the last chance to leave your pictures and videos on Reflexor’s interactive screen at Lazne III starting today at 8:00.

The Sony Tent at Dvorakovy Dady wraps up its daily screenings today at 15:00 with The Worst Films of All Times, which most certainly does not include Woody Allen’s newest comedy To Rome with Love, the film that will screen after the Closing Ceremony at Thermal’s Grand Hall. Do not miss the arrival of stars at Thermal’s red carpet and the award ceremony at the festival’s Official Closing traditionally presented by Marek Eben. Festival visitors can watch it live on the festival TV channel in hotel Thermal or Czech national TV channel CT1. One of the festival’s most popular film’s in 35 mm copy will be screened free-of-charge at the open-air theater and the closing film will come to Czech movie theaters on July 19, 2012.

You can bid farewell to the 47^th KVIFF at one of the closing night concerts including one of the most famous African bands Sauti Sol that will play for the first time in the Czech Republic at 20:00 in front of Thermal. The open-air theater under the bridge will offer Karlovy Vary’s own Fish Flesh Field & Henry Dollar that will celebrate its 20^th anniversary. Another local band, the punk Neparkovat vjezd will play at Music Club Fifty Fifty. The Jameson Festival Lounge will have its own closing party and so will the popular Aeroport Divadelni square that closes after five years.

For complete program of festival events click here.

A sense of humor is vital

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Actress Susan Sarandon will be awarded a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema at today’s Official Closing Ceremony of the 47th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Yesterday she introduced the screening of Jeff, Who Lives at Home (directed by Jay and Mark Duplass), in which she plays Jeff’s mother.

In Jeff, Who Lives at Home your character has a life; there’s an independent storyline evolving next to the one about her two sons. Were you surprised when you read the script?
I was very moved by the whole script when I read it because family is so important and I liked the fact that they talked about how easy it is to get stuck in your life. Here are people who all think they’re doing the right thing and none of them are happy. There is this very important day in all of their lives and this woman is wondering “Where did I go wrong? I don’t like my children any more. I’m stuck in a job I don’t like. I’ve given up all my dreams.” Yet, family is very important to her. The kid that seems to be doing everything right is even more unhappy than the stoner. His marriage is falling apart. And I think that they’re very close to their parents and they’re very close to each other – the Duplass brothers. Mark has a wife who makes movies and is an actress and a director. I think they’re very open. Jay’s wife is also very independent and a really great gal and I think they’re just indicative of a new generation of people who see female characters as multidimensional.

You play a woman who doesn’t feel attractive any more. Was that a challenge for you?
No, I have plenty of days when I don’t feel attractive. I think that one of the most tragic things that can happen is when you lose your sense of humor, and she’s just gotten herself to the point where she feels so taken advantage of by the son who is at home. I understand how that happens because the way that parenting is set up anyway, usually the woman is Wendy and the father is Peter Pan. He’s the one that represents all the fun and it’s up to the mother to nag about coming in for dinner and doing your homework... And after a while you just turn into this grouch that you don’t want to be but if you’re a serious mom that can become your job. I totally understood...how that happens.

You will find the complete interview of Veronika Bednářová in today´s edition of Festival Daily.

Scout Camping with Wes Anderson

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:00:00 +0200

The newest film of Wes Anderson, the popular American director of melancholic comedies including The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or The Darjeeling Limited, was one of the last films to make its bid for the festival Audience Award. Moonrise Kingdom is about two twelve-year-old children. One runs away from home, the other from a scout camp. It was clear from the long and enthusiastic ovations at Thermal’s Grand Hall that the festival audience liked Wes Anderson’s poetic style.

The opening film of this year’s Cannes was introduced by the lead actress, thirteen years old Kara Hayward and producer Jeremy Dawson, who immediately paid a complimented to the festival, “Karlovy Vary is a beautiful place, with excellent films, stunning countryside and amazing Becherovka.”

Moonrise Kingdom comes to Czech movie theaters in mid-July.

Tribute to World’s Oldest Director

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:00:00 +0200

Spanish director Luis Miñarro came to Karlovy Vary for the fifth time and this year in a double role of producer of competition film La Lapidation of St. Etienne and director of 20-minute documentary 101: Manoel de Oliveira as Seen by Luis Miñarro, paying tribute to the world’s oldest active director, with whom he has made two movies.

“I took advantage of him being in Barcelona because of the post-production of The Strange Case of Angelica,” said Miñarro at the post-screening discussion and last of the festival’s KVIFF Talks. But it was actually his admiration for Oliveira that inspired him to make the documentary. “He is a modern filmmaker and in far better shape than many thirty-something directors. He’s a machine, his age doesn’t show,” Miñarro said about the filmmaker who will celebrate his 104^th birthday this year.

I messed up everything I could

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Actress Susan Sarandon will be awarded Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema at tomorrow’s Official Closing Ceremony of the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF.

I actually messed up everything I could. I took roles others told me not to take and today I’m here with you because I did everything I shouldn’t,” said the actress, whose career was launched by The Witches of Eastwick, at today’s press conference when asked what was her recipe for success. She went on to play many roles, win a number of nominations to various prestigious awards and an Oscar for her role in Dead Man Walking.

From recent films she loved Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011), adding “surprisingly, I didn’t find it at all depressing.”

Susan Sarandon introduced the screening of American comedy Jeff, who Lives at Home, where she plays the mother of a thirty-year-old slacker that refuses to live on his own. After the screening, she delighted her fans by coming back and answering questions not only about marihuana and her children. “As an actress that makes a lot of films and doesn’t see some of them, I miss contact with the audience. That’s why I wanted to have this discussion,” Susan Sarandon said after the film. The viewers found out that she considers Dead Man Walking to be her most important film, her best talent to change directions when she encounters something unexpected in her life or that Jason Segel is really nice and funny. “Like an overgrown four-year-old, but a very professional four-year-old.” In turn she found out how many of the viewers still live with their parents.

Press conference:

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Award-winner Josef Somr

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Another highlight of the 47^th Karlovy Vary IFF was the Festival President’s award to famous Czech actor Josef Somr.

Jiří Bartoška handed over the Famous Czech actor receives Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to Czech Cinema before the screening of The Joke. The Municipal Theater was filled to capacity with movie goers, festival guests, photographers and cinematographers that showed appreciation for the actor by long standing ovations. “I’d like to thank the festival president for this award. You may not believe me because I’m an actor, but this time I really mean it,” said the actor bets know for the Oscar-winning film by Jiri Menzel Closely Watched Trains (1966). “You have no idea what I would give to have The Joke’s director Jaromil Jires, cinematographer Jan Čuřík and actress Jana Dítětová here with me. It’s sad they’re no longer with us, because they deserve this award too,” said Somr remembering his colleagues.

The award ceremony was followed by the screening of The Joke based on Milan Kundera’s novel. “Milan Kundera was actually the first person to congratulate me on this award a couple of days ago,” the award-winner told the audiences at the end of the ceremony, “and I send my thanks to him in France.”

Secret screening, secret location

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0200

Cinema Royal returns to Karlovy Vary with a secret screening of a secret film at an undisclosed location promising a multi-course film feast that will surely satisfy even the most starved film fans. The event with a strict dress code will include acting performances and a screening of a cult film.

The only disclosed information about the event is the time of the screening and the dress code. Cinema Royal will start tonight under code name Omega Point. All wishing to attend should come in single color clothing, please note that clothes in shades of gray are not considered single color, to the Sony Tent at Mlynska nabrezi at the corner of Dvorakovy Sady and Sadovy Pramen spa at 21:00.

Tickets to the secret screening can be purchased only at the main festival box office in Hotel Thermal for CZK 300.

KVIFF in Numbers for July 6, 2012

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

As of today morning, 11 017 visitors accredited themselves at the festival including 390 filmmakers, 797 professionals and 665 journalists.

Film fans have bought 9 165 Festival Passes, 117 539 single tickets and have seen 271 film screenings.

Stars Arrival Ceremony

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 09:00:00 +0200

Josef Somr will receive the Festival President’s Award for contribution to Czech cinema at the Municipal Theater at 14:00 before the screening of The Joke.

Susan Sarandon will walk the red carpet at 17:00 to introduce Jeff, who Lives at Home at Thermal’s Grand Hall.

At 20:00 actress Kara Hayward and producer Jeremy Dawson will arrive to introduce Moonrise Kingdom also at Thermal’s Grand Hall.

Things to do at the Festival on July 6, 2012

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Stretch your legs after hours of movie watching at 11:00 at Mlynska colonnade and Pedal for a Good Cause! with CEZ Foundation. The value of the power generated during the event will be donated to Jedlicka Institute and Paraple Center.

At 14:00 sit down again in the Municipal Theater and watch the Czech New Wave classic The Joke. The film is part of Tribute to Josef Somr, who will attend the screening personally to accept the Festival President’s Award. At the same time the Czech National Film Archive will present the September release of Alain Resnais’ classic My American Oncle and a collection of films from this year’s Cannes Semain de La Critique at Becher's Villa.

The program at Becher’s Villa will continue with a Master Class with famous Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi, whose film handwriting has been shaping the Polish cinematography since the 60s. The event is organized by the Barrandov Studios.

If you prefer watching movies, do not miss the world premiere of documentary 101: Manoel de Oliveira as Seen by Luis Miñarra at Thermal’s Cinema B. The twenty-minute film is a portrait of the legendary and oldest Portuguese filmmaker. Luis Miñarro, winner of the 2010 Crystal Globe for The Mosquito Net will introduce the screening personally and discuss it with the viewers afterwards. The discussion will be in English.

Fans of mysteries should look forward to this year’s secret screening of Cinema Royal titled Omega Point, which will include a film, accompanying program and a party. The dress-coded secret screening will take place tonight – location and film are a still a secret. For more information click here or see the project’s Facebook page.

At 15:00 at Sony Tent, Dvorakovy Sady, find out all you need to know about Guerilla Marketing, a type of advertising where you have no idea you have been advertised to until you see and hear the punch line. Finish the day with a brand new music night at the Unstoppable Rap & Dance Music Party with DJs from western Bohemia starting at 22:00 at Irish Clubu Racek.

For complete program of festival events click here.

Our film is now more varied

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Leila Hatami, the Iranian actress who starred in Iran’s first Oscar-winning film, A Separation (which screened last year at KVIFF) is here with Crystal Globe contender The Last Step, directed and written by her husband, Ali Mosaffa. Now her country’s most iconic face, Hatami grew up in a family that had cinema in its blood and appeared as a child in films by her father. Despite international stardom, the former electrical engineering student says her work as an actress when at home hasn’t changed all that much – and she seems content to keep it that way.

Your husband made a quip that having you as his leading lady meant that, for the first time, he could count on his actress to actually do what he wanted.
(Laughs) I’m always like that. When I play, I listen to the director. Probably, I’m under his command.

You often play a Leila in your films – what is the difference between the Leila we see on screen and the one sitting here now?
In fact, in this film, this is Leili. I played a lot of Leilas, this is true. But this time it’s Leili. And the difference between Leila and Leili in our culture is a bit subtle because Leila is a common name. But Leili is much more sophisticated. It is reserved for well-to-do families. Not necessarily rich, but with a good background. And it is one of the characters in our poems, a love story from the sixth century. So Leili is the symbol of a nice, young woman whom somebody’s in love with.

You can read the whole interview of Will Tizard in today´s Festival Daily (6. 7.)

Michalek’s Messenger

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:50:00 +0200

At today’s press conference, Vladimír Michálek introduced his new film The Messenger that screens tonight at Pupp. The film with Matěj Hádek in the lead will come to Czech cinemas this October.

“It was supposed to be a TV film, but thanks to its determined director The Messenger got distributed,” said producer Igor Chvála. It all started with a great script written by Marek Epstein. The first version was actually finished ten years ago. At first it was difficult to find a producer, which Epstein said was because the main protagonist was a villain. In the end, it was the Czech Television that saved the project and when the entire picture was finished, it was decided The Messenger deserved the big screen.

The stunts that required a lot of courage from the actors got a great deal of attention. “Matej was ideal for this role not only because he’s one of the best actors of his generation, but also because he has no sense of self-preservation and low pain threshold,” said the happy director.

Screening:
July 5, 2012, 19:00, Pupp

In the Tent with Todd Solondz

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Today’s KVIFF Talks belonged to director Todd Solondz, a remarkable representative of the American independent scene. The great filmmaker answered questions of Tomáš Baldýnsky and his fans for an entire hour at the Jameson Fesitval Lounge. He summed up his early career and how he became a filmmaker. “I wanted to be a musician, but didn’t have the talent. I wrote a bunch of plays in college, all remarkably awful. At film school, people actually liked what I did, that’s how I knew I was good at it. I’ve got very weak will, when someone discourages me from something, I just quit.”

And how did the author of depressing comedies including Happiness, Storytelling or Dark Horse even got the idea to apply to a film school? “One day in L.A. I went to see a screening of student films. They were so horrible, I thought even I could do better than that.” He was right and ever since the success of his debut Welcome to the Doll House everyone knows that.

Best Poster Award Goes to The Last Step

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0200

From the beginning of June until July 4, 2012 film fans voted on-line for their favorite poster of films in the Main and East of the West competitions. From the 23 posters, voters liked this year’s Crystal Globe competitor, the slightly ironic thriller The Last Step, the best.

“Iranian films usually feature a head-shot of the main protagonist. We wanted to do something else and I had this idea to use a painting. I asked my friend and painter Shahidi, showed him some stills and this is what he came up with. Then we just adjusted it a little,” said the director and one of the film’s protagonists, Ali Mosaffa, about the poster, adding he will give the award to his friend “it belongs to him.”

Socially Awkward Eater of Bird Food

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0200

The eagerly anticipated debut of one of the most promising Greek talens, Boy Eating the Bird’s Food, closes the festival’s Main Competition today. The film follows a young Athenian without a job, girlfriend and things to eat. “It’s not that hard to make films in Greece, because one can always get help from friends interested in filmmaking,” said director Ektoras Lygizos about the production of his minimalist film.

The radically intimate, Bressonesque movie is a fascinating visual puzzle about a desperate effort to maintain one’s freedom and dignity in a time of crisis.

The director wrote the role of the main character for Yannis Papadopoulos and he truly excels in it. “I finished my acting studies two years ago,” said the actor at today’s press conference, adding “until now I only acted on stage or in short films, Boy Eating the Bird’s Food is my first feature role.”

Screening:
July 5, 2012, 20:00, Grand Hall
July 6, 2012, 10:30, Pupp

Do You Know What Loneliness Smells Like?

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:00:00 +0200

The second to last competitor of this year festival will be presented by Spanish filmmakers, but the film is in French. It was made in Spanish-French co-production. “As foundations supporting film die out, we’ll rely on co-production more and more,” said producer Luis Miňarro.

La Lapidation de St. Etienne, an intimate drama, is not the first film the director brought to the festival. Two years ago, he introduced The Mosquito Net, winner of that year’s Crystal Globe. “The Karlovy Vary festival became the launching pad for my films,” said the director adding Spanish politicians were more interested in soccer than culture. However, he said he wouldl not be pushed by the economic situation to make commercial films “I’m 63 years old. I don’t have time for things that don’t interest me.”

His latest film is definitely not commercial. The drama that follows an old lonely man that refuses to leave his house because he is unable to deal with the death of his mother and one of his daughters was directed by Pere Vilà i Barceló, who wanted to infuse the film with scents and smells, especially the smell of sickness and death. The main character is played by Lou Castel, who approached the role through colors. He colored entire script passages, because “the character itself is rather abstract,” said the actor.

Screening:
July 5, 2012, 17:00, Grand Hall
July 6, 2012, 13:30, Pupp

Two East of the West Competition Debuts

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0200

The last two competitors from the East of the West selection will face the jury today, Hungarian Dear Betrayed Friends and Latvian People Out There.

Like the other Hungarian film in this section, The Exam, Dear Betrayed Friends is about the secret police that terrified most citizens of the Communist Bloc countries. Andor, the main protagonist of this psychological drama, one day decides to read his secret police file. To his surprise he finds out that his best friend Janos spied on him. Sára Cserhalmi finished her debut right before the festival and the organizers were overjoyed to be able to include it in the competition, because for a while they lost all hope of having the film at the festival.

People Out There is also a debut of a young filmmaker, Armenian Aik Karapetian, who grew up in Latvia. The film explores the impact of nature vs. nurture. Jan, lives in depressing suburbs, kills time with his friend by smoking dope and stealing. Then he meets Sabina, a girl from higher society and decides to change.

Screening (Dear Betrayed Friends)
July 5, 2012, 16:30 Pupp
July 6, 2012, 12:30 Cinema Čas

Screening (People Out There)
July 5, 2012, 13:30, Pupp
July 6, 2012, 10:00, Cinema Čas

KVIFF in Numbers for July 5, 2012

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

At 10:00 this morning, the festival had 9 940 accredited visitors, including 350 filmmakers, 769 film professionals and 651 journalists. So far, the festival box office sold 8 170 Festival Passes and 102 934 single tickets. The number of festival screenings climbed to 271.

Come back tomorrow morning for fresh information on festival statistics.

Things to do at the Festival on July 5, 2012

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Come to the Jameson Festival Lounge at 14:00 to talk to prominent American director of independent films Todd Solondz, the author of Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, Storytelling or Life During Wartime, who brought his latest film Dark Horse to the festival and will share his filmmaking know-how at today’s Master Class. The event will be in English only.

RWE & Barrandov Studio Film Foundation invited Petr Bok and Ivo Trajkov to Becher’s villa for 10:00 to speak about the basic rules of script writing. The event will be open to the public, but the capacity is limited so do not forget to reserve a spot at info@filmovanadace.cz.

If you prefer sport, do not miss the Film Festival Tennis Cup 2012 at TC Gejzirpark and if you are still not tired after tennis, come to KV Arena at 15:00 and check out the Women’s European Volleyball League and root for the Czech team.

Sony Tent at Dvorakovy sady will offer award-winning commercials at 15:00. An award will also go to the author of the best amateur film participating in the Jameson Done in 60 Seconds competition. The winner of the second annual competition will be announced at 18:00 at the Jameson Festival Lounge.

Today will also present the last runners-up for a Crystal Globe, the Spanish-French La Lapidation de St. Etienne and Greek Boy Eating the Bird’s Food. Press conferences for the competition films start at 13:00 and 14:00 respectively at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders.

The night at the open-air theater under the bridge will belong to underground alternative funk bank Color Flash, while Aeroport will offer the fifth of its Education Parties, this time with Space Dimension Controller (R&S, UK).

For complete program of festival events click here.

There are all kinds of laughter

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

American director Todd Solondz has carved out a niche for himself making offbeat, suburban dramas like Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, and Storytelling, which have shocked and delighted audiences in equal measure. He came to KVIFF this week to present his latest work Dark Horse.

Dark Horse’s protagonist, Abe [played by Jordan Gelber], is an emotionally stunted adult male living at home with his parents. This kind of character has appeared quite frequently in a number of popular films and series of late. Are you tapping into a cultural meme in this sense?
It’s certainly very popular, this whole genre. You have [The 40-Year Old Virgin director] Judd Apatow’s movies, of course. There’s these movies, and there’re series and sitcoms that use this figure for very different ends from what I have here. I think my ends are a lot less sentimental. It’s an alternative take on a subject that is very common right now, not just in the United States.

Some really bad and horrible things often happen in your movies, but usually in a low-key, almost banal, suburban way. Is that your take on American suburbia? Behind a veneer of bubble-gum respectability, there’s all sorts of bad stuff happening...
I don’t want to say bad, but I try to ground it in a kind of reality that is recognizable. [In Dark Horse] the parents when they’re watching television, they’re actually watching Seinfeld. We could never afford to license Seinfeld, so I had the actors from the show come to a studio and read lines that I wrote for them so it sounds like Seinfeld, but it’s not really like Seinfeld. Again, I was very fortunate. Jason Alexander, who plays George, the character who sometimes lives with his parents on that TV show, had them all come in. The idea was that that’s a kind of sitcom version. And their life is the counterlife. George is the sitcom version of Abe who’s kind of the tragic, reality version.

You can read the whole interview in today´s Festival Daily.

Polski Film that is Actually Czech

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:00:00 +0200

The second to last day of the festival competition brings Polski Film, the much-anticipated Czech candidate for a Crystal Globe directed by Marek Najbrt and his team. Part of the film is set at last year’s KVIFF, so it is no wonder that it is accompanied by a large delegation.

So why is this Czech movie called Polski Film? Maybe because three famous Czech actors Tomáš Matonoha, Pavel Liška and Josef Polášek made it in Poland with Marek Daniel where Najbrt wanted to film, after receiving an award there for Protector that came with a prize collectable in services. Another explanation is that the Polish equivalent of “It’s all Greek to me” is “Czech film.” Polski Film is a mystification about the difficulties of being an actor so there is no plot as such, but the director swears that “more than half of the film is actually true.”

Marek Najbrt liked the unconventional style of filming. At the press conference he said he would use it again. He also said the film was not a spoof project of a group of friends. “We had a standard, 90% fixed script that we made into a movie. What was different was that the actors were free to improvise, so in terms of screen time it was first come, first served."

Screening:
July 4, 2012, 20:00, Grand Hall
July 5, 2012, 10:30, Pupp

A Little Bit Depressing Romantic Comedy

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0200

Five of Todd Solondz’s films have been screened at the Karlovy Vary IFF. This year, the director of Happiness and Storytelling finally made it personally and was surprised to see how many people waited for him at Thermal’s Grand Hall and how long they applauded him.

If anyone had any doubts about Solondz being one of the most interesting American independent directors, his Dark Horse quickly dispelled them. “I’m very happy with the film. It’s one of my saddest comedies, so you can laugh, but it’s also ok if you don’t,” said the director about his depressing romantic comedy that competed at the Venice Film Festival last year.

Talk to Todd Solondz about Dark Horse and more at Thursday’s Master Class at the Jameson Festival Lounge at 14:00.

Journey through Memory Time-Space

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0200

The Last Step, an experimental film directed by Ali Mosaff is an unusual study of an internal struggle of an actress. The film’s enigmatic story is told by her dead husband not in a chronological order but according to the rising emotional stress. “I was trying to make the film so the complicated narrative wouldn’t make following the story too difficult for the viewers,” the director, who has used the original narrative style in his previous work, told journalists at today’s press conference.

The main character is played by the director’s wife Leila Hatami, who became famous after appearing in A Separation (2011). The filmmakers are hoping her fame will help their film succeed in Iran.

Screening:
July 7, 2012, 17:00 17:00 17:00, Grand Hall
July 5, 2012, 13:00, Espace Dorleans

Spying on Spies, Surrounded by Death

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0200

Competition section East of the West will continue today with Hungarian spy drama and Ukrainian war film.

The brutal crushing of Hungary’s anti-communist uprising in the fall of 1956 was a national tragedy that is still considered the most traumatic event in the country’s history with far reaching consequences. The Exam by Péter Bergendy focuses on some of them. The main protagonist is young agent Jung undergoing a test of loyalty. The seemingly typical story balances between a drama and a documentary of historic events, exposing the practices of Hungarian secret police.

The second film is also rather bleak. House with a Turret, a war drama by Ukrainian director Eva Neymann, takes place during one winter day in Soviet Russia. The film shows a society exhausted by lengthy war, lack of food, numbed by ever-present death and indifferent to the suffering of others. The film is based on the same titled book of Friedrich Gorenshtein, the author of the script for Andrey Tarkovkiy’s Solaris.

Screening (The Exam)
July 4, 2012, 16:30, Pupp
July 5, 2012, 10:00, Kino Čas

Screening (House with a Turret)
July 4, 2012, 19:30 Karlovy Vary Municipal Theater
July 5, 2012, 13:30 Lázně III

The Difficulty of Overcoming Stereotypes

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0200

Directors and members of this year’s juries Ágnes Kocsis and Tizza Covi discussed with Tomáš Baldýnský the position of women in the film industry at today’s KVIFF Talks.

The issue was briefly touched on by Helen Mirren at this year’s opening ceremony where the actress said she hoped that in the future at least 50%, or better yet 85%, of competition films would be made by women.

“Women’s position is harder, because they first have to prove themselves as directors. For men it’s a given, women have to fight,” described her experiences director Ágnes Kocsis, a graduate of film school, aesthetics, film science and Polish studies.

Positive discrimination of women and artificial leveling of chances is also problematic, according to the directors. “If I got invited to a festival only because I’m a woman and not because I made a good film, I’d consider it humiliating,” said Tizza Covi, the author of documentary and feature films. She also said that the gender of the director should not play any role in the evaluation of films.

Both directors agreed that gender stereotypes are far from beaten, even though they are no longer as strong as they used to be. “The situation has been slowly improving in Hungary,” said Kocsis, adding that “Márta Mészáros used to be the only respected director. Today, more women are making headway in the film industry.”

Lawrence’s Birthday

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Exactly 50 years ago, in 1962, director David Lean made his masterpiece that brought immortality to unconventional British officer T. E. Lawrence, who united the Arab tribes in their war against the Turks during WWI. Lawrence of Arabia took one year to film, shot Peter O’Tool to stardom and won seven Oscars.

The 222-minutes-long epic was remastered just in time for the anniversary and Lawrence’s bright blue eyes now shine even brighter. The copy was unveiled at Cannes by Grover Crisp, the head of the remastering team from Sony Pictures Entertainment, who attended the Karlovy Vary IFF last year. As in Cannes, the film is screened at KVIFF according to Lean’s instructions. This means that all lights are dimmed during the four minutes of the opening overture and the interlude between the two parts of the film. And the reaction of the KVIFF audience? The majority enjoyed the music by Maurice Jarre, some ate breakfast, read the Festival Daily or just fiddled with their mobile phones.

KVIFF in Numbers for July 4, 2012

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

As of this morning, the festival registers 8 877 accredited visitors including 291 filmmakers, 732 film professionals and 629 journalists.

The organizers have issued 7 225 Festival Passes, sold 86 924 single tickets and prepared 226 screenings.

The number of visitors is rising, so check out the updated statistics tomorrow.

Things to do at the Festival on July 4, 2012

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Start the day at 10:00 at Lazne III with another round or Jan Šibík’s How to Photograph Vary Workshop, where the Reflex photographer will share his experience with street photography.

At 14:00 stroll down the Mlynska colonnade, have a cup of coffeeand and see what it is like to be wheelchair-bound at the Afternoon with Jedlicka Institute Foundation.

At 17:00 do not miss the final installment of Barrandov Studio & FAMU Free Cinema! Olé. Today it will be a debate on Young Film at European Festivals with Pavel Jech, Marta Lamperová, Michal Hogenauer, Olmo Omerzu and Jakub Felcman, presented by Vladimír Hendrich. The workshop will focus on the position of FAMU in the world and future direction of the school in the transforming Czech cinematography.

At 20:00 stop by the open-air theater under the bridge for the Karlovy Vary Council’s Festival Night and Nosferatu – Twilight Symphony, a multi-genre concert underscored by a screening of Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror and music by the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. Admission: CZK 50.

The festival screenings will continue with the remastered copy of The Sun in a Net, the cult film by Štefan Uher that inspired the Czech New Wave, at 18:30, Cinema B, Iranian competition film The Last Step, a psychological drama, at 17:00, Grand Hall or the highly-anticipated Czech film by Marek Najbrt, Polski Film at 20:00, Grand Hall. Press conferences for the competition films start at 13.00 (The Last Step) and 14.00 (Polski Film) at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders.

For complete program of festival events click here.

I’m like the girl in the film

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Born and bred New Yorker Kenneth Lonergan is finally at KVIFF with Margaret, a critically acclaimed film about a teenage girl who feels responsible for a fatal traffic accident. Dubbed by some to be “a contender for best American film of the young century,” it took several years and many cuts to complete.

You have come to KVIFF with your daughter who is now approaching her teenage years. Does the absent father in the film reflect your relationship with your daughter at all?
No, not really. That father is very removed, not just from her but from everything, I think. I’m more like the girl in the film.

It’s easy to write about something you know, right?
Yes, but it’s impossible to write about oneself directly. Without the transformation into some other person you see yourself as a non-being to whom things happen. And it’s not interesting. But a 17-year-old girl who’s very impulsive and strong-willed and guilt-wracked and articulate but not effective – that seems really interesting to me. And then if I hear myself using those adjectives I think: “Oh, I could describe myself that way,” except I’m not a 17-year-old girl.

You will find the whole interview in today´s Festival Daily.

Inside a Traumatized Mind

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Competition film To Kill a Beaver by Polish director Jan Jakub Kolsky shows what it is like inside the head of a professional soldier unable to get back to everyday life. “I make personal films, films not aimed at viewers but myself. They’re about how I see life right now, to find out where I am at the given moment. This time, I used my dark side,” said the director that had to deal with the death of his mother during filming.

The film has been criticized in Poland by people unwilling to admit war could really have such devastating impact on soldiers’ psyche. “There’s this conviction that this cannot happen to Polish soldiers. The image of a Polish soldier must be pristine,” added Kolsky. The story of a veteran of the Iraq war that was found this winter wondering in the southern Polish mountains could help the film that is still waiting for its Polish premiere. “After the test screening, viewers told me they found the story hard to believe. But after the veteran story they changed their mind,” recalled the director.

To Kill a Beaver surprisingly did not screen at the Gdynia Film Festival in Poland, but according to the director, the fact the film was selected to compete at KVIFF more than made up for it. The film’s creators are looking forward to today’s world premiere, especially lead actor Eryk Lubos, who was trying to get the journalist at today’s press conference to tell him what they thought about the grisly psychological drama. “I think the film says there’s no going back,” said the actor about his interpretation of the film.

Screening:
July 3, 2012, 20:00, Grand Hall
July 4, 2012, 10:00, Espace Dorleans

Promising Talent from Greece

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0200

This year’s festival’s Works in Progress again presented selected films from Central and Eastern Europe recently completed or in post-production scheduled to premiere after KVIFF. The project authors had eight minutes to present their films, for the first time also to a three-member jury consisting of Ivo Anderle, Amy Dotson of Independent Filmmaker Project and Silje Nikoline Glimsdal of TrustNordisk. The jury’s duty was to select a the best project from the eighteen contestants that would win a prize of EUR 10 000 in the form of services from Barrandov Studios. The award went to Elisa Psykou and her debut The Eternal Return of Antonis P, a story about a famous journalist that “disappears” on his holiday and refuses to return. Psykou comes from Greece that currently struggles with the economic crisis.

According to Ivo Anderle of Czech distribution company Aerofilms, the overall quality of the presented projects was high and in addition to the winner, several other projects have a high chance to succeed. This is partly due to the fact that the presentations were open to international buyers, distributors, producers, investors and festival programmers. Last year’s Works in Progress helped Greek film L, which was picked up at Karlovy Vary IFF for Sundance. This year you can watch films presented at last year’s Works in Progress including To Kill a Beaver (Official Selection – Competition), Vanishing Waves and Shameless (East of the West)

How to Survive a Father’s Death

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0200

Mexican Nos Vemos Papa is a study of loss of a close person. The main protagonist, Pilar, tries to deal with the death of her father, who she cared for most of her life. “At first I was interested in the emotional state of someone who lost a very close person,” said director Lucía Carreras. “Every storyteller has a subject that he’s attracted to. In my case that subject is death and the ability to deal with death. I’m fascinated by how similar grieving is around the world. Death affects us all, and everyone has to deal with it.”

The debuting director, who is known mainly as the author of scrip for Leap Year, winner of the 2010 Golden Camera at Cannes, discussed the film with many psychologists, but did not do any research of clinical practice or literature. “What I was interested in the most was the actual building of Pilar’s inner world. I built it from what I saw inside myself, from my own feelings about death and the absence of those that passed away. I was not interested in making a film about downright pathological issues,” the director told the Festival Daily.

Screening:
July 3, 2012, 17:00, Gran Halll
July 4, 2012, 13:00, Espace Dorleans

Transfer of Consciousness and Kafkaesque Absurdities

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0200

Two more hopefuls join the East of the West competition for USD 20 000 this afternoon and evening.

Vanishing Waves, the second feature film of talented Lithuanian director Kristina Buožytė, is about a young scientist that agrees to participate in an unusual experiment that allows him to reach the mind of an unknown woman in a coma through brain wave connection. These “expeditions” soon start to affect his life and distort his reality. Regular visitors of the Karlovy Vary IFF may have seen the director’s feature debut The Collectress (2008) that premiered in the same section. Vanishing Waves were directed with Bruno Samper.

Today’s second film screening of this section is a debut by renowned Romanian stage director Silviu Purcărete, Somewhere in Palilula. The story of this originally-styled and successful allegory of a disintegrating communist regime is set in 1960s Romania. The film takes viewers on a journey full of bizarre characters, fantastic scenery and at times absurd and almost Kafkaesque situations.

Screening (Vanishing Waves):
July 3, 2012, 19:30, Pupp
July 5, 2012, 9:30, Small Hall

Screening (Somewhere in Palilula):
July 3, 2012, 16:30, Pupp
July 4, 2012, 9:30, Cinema Čas

KVIFF in Numbers for July 3, 2012

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

As of today morning, the festival has 8 039 accredited visitors including 251 filmmakers, 674 film professionals and 587 journalists.

Festival visitors bought 6 527 Festival Passes, 72 040 single tickets and saw 171 films.

Updated statistics will be posted again tomorrow at 10:00.

Things to do at the Festival on July 3, 2012

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Barrandov Studios & FAMU Free Cinema! Olé continues today at 17:00 with a discussion on Film Criticism vs. Film Reviewing at Becher’s Villa with guests Karel Vachek, Vít Janeček, Petr Fischer, Martin Řezníček, Lucie Králová, Jakub Felcman and presenter Vladimír Hendrich. You are cordially invited.

If you have seen the Venice Film Festival winner Faust you can compare it to Pulnebi Threater’s show for Jedlicka Institute full of humor and wisdom at 14:00 at Mlynska colonnade. If you stay until 16:00 you can participate in The Tap Tap workshop and continue at 20:00 with a concert performance by the current and former students of Jedlicka Schools in Postovni Dvur. The concert entry fee is voluntary and will benefit Jedlicka Institute Foundation.

Open-air theater under the bridge will offer fairy tale How the Bears Cooked a Meal at 16:00 and concerts by Meditime and St. Age from 19:00 and 20:00. Swing by Aeroport at 21:00 for Radio 1 post-premiere party for documentary Trains of Thoughts featuring original soundtrack by Sofa Surfers that screens at Cas Cinema at 18:30. If you are after exceptional experiences, do not miss the most talked about film of this year’s Cannes festival Holy Motors at 22:30 at Thermal’s Grand Hall.

The festival’s Main Competition will continue with Mexican drama Nos Vemos Papa and Polish To Kill a Beaver. Press conferences for the competition films start at XX (Nos Vemos Papa) and 14:45 (To Kill a Beaver) at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders.

For complete program of festival events click here.

Mark Cousins: I’m a walking IMDB

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Northern Irish director and cineaste Mark Cousins is at KVIFF with two films – The Story of Film: An Odyssey and What Is This Film Called Love.

Where did your unique love of film come from?
It came from my childhood. I fell in love with cinema as a boy. I just loved it. In Belfast there was a war on and I was a nervous little boy but then I would go into the cinema and just feel so relaxed. It felt like cinema was taking you in its arms and making you feel safe and opening windows on worlds. And how could you resist? I was born in 1965 so I first went to the cinema in 1976-77. Cinema felt very safe. It still feels very safe. When you’re sitting in the dark you can imagine yourself as other people in other worlds and I love that. There’s a lovely phrase that Joseph Campbell has – “the rapture of self-loss.” And that’s what cinema affords, the rapture of self-loss.

There wasn’t any specific film life in the 1970s in Belfast was there?
No, on the contrary. It was pretty dead. But there was TV. There was the BBC. And I saw Alfred Hitchcock films on TV; I saw Orson Welles films on TV. And also there was a video black market so we watched horror movies on old video tapes. I remember seeing The Exorcist. We were brought up very Catholic and my aunt got holy water and blessed the video recorder before she put in the tape of The Exorcist and I remember thinking if you have to bless a machine this must be so powerful, this medium of cinema. It was great fun.

You will find the complete interview of Veronika Bednářová in today's edition of Festival Daily (3. 7.).

Black Pond Overflows with Genres

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:00:00 +0200

Before the screening, Black Pond was introduced as a black comedy, but its young creators from Variety’s Ten (actually eleven) European Directors to Watch, are not really sure what exactly their film, featuring six characters and one dog, is. “We just made it the way we wanted to. We didn’t offer it to any producers, so we didn’t have to worry about the genre,” said Will Sharpe at the post-screening discussion about the film whose unusual style was inspired by for example District 9.

Will managed to make the film about a dysfunctional family whose life is changed by a weird stranger with Tom Kingsley, a friend from university. This supposedly explains why Sharpe plays one of the main roles. “I could be had for free,” he said. Other roles were filled by professional actor Chris Langham, whose reputation suffered after he was jailed for watching child porn. “We think he did his time and deserves to act,” said the young filmmakers, adding that the Chris they know is very different from the Chris portrayed by the British media.

Screening:
July 6, 2012, 16:00, Drahomíra Cinema

Western Civilization’s Wrinkles

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:00:00 +0200

Variety’s Ten European Directors to Watch introduces Wrinkles, a melancholic and unsettling animated drama, made in Spain by Argentinian director Ignacio Ferreras (pictured in self-portrait). His work shows influence by Sylvain Chomet with whom he worked on the nostalgic The Illusionist (2010) as animator.

Even though the director’s feature debut is visually simple, with traces of Japanese Manga, it brings a deep study of end of life using careful psychological portraits. The main protagonists are two elderly people that meet in a retirement home. Emilio is sorting through his life when he finds out the doctors hid his true diagnosis from him. His friend tries to distract him and ease his anxiety that inevitably comes with slow death. “It’s not a film about getting old in general, but about a specific way of dying typical for Western cultures, where people let their parents live out the rest of their lives in retirement homes,” said the director after today’s screening of his film.

The film is based on a comic book by Spanish Paco Roca. “The comic book author did an extensive research on retirement homes, so he had plenty of material,” said the director. “It was a long, arduous and at times stressful work. Right before the film was completed I told myself I’d never make another feature film. But now, one year later, thinks look different.”

Screeening
July 5, 2012, 22:00, Drahomíra Cinema

Episode IV: Return of the Director

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Some directors return to Karlovy Vary IFF several times and Belorussian director Sergej Loznica is one of them. His documentary Portrait won the Jury’s Special Mention at 2003 KVIFF, so did his Artel in 2007 and then he came back with his feature debut My Joy. This year, he brought his last film In the Fog. “It has become a tradition,” quipped the director. The war drama, this year’s Golden Palm nominee and FIPRESCI winner, competes in the Horizons section.

The film is set in 1942 at the Soviet western border occupied by German army. The film is based on a novel by Belorussian writer Vasil Bykov. The script was written ten years ago, but he film was made only last year in co-production of five countries.

Screening:
July 5, 2012, 19:30, Karlovy Vary Municipal Theater

Bread rolls, milk, suicide

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Tatsuya Yamamoto’s feature debut Kamihato Store takes on ritual suicide. Lonely protagonists of his film arrive to a remote seaside village to throw themselves from the cliffs and end their suffering. They buy a bread roll and milk in the local shop and disappear, leaving their shoes on the edge of the cliff that the store owner later picks up.

“In Japan, there really are places where people commit suicide. We went to see a couple of them before we started filming,” said the director. The film’s slow narrative and impressive performance of the lead actress are haunting. “It was a very demanding role,” said lead actress Keiko Takahashi. “The lead character moves about ten times slower than I’m used to with other roles. Another problem was that we had no idea how the story ends. We were working on the ending with the director during the actual filming.”

“We are really happy that our film will have its world premiere at Karlovy Vary and that it was selected for the Main Competition. It might help it even at home. It is extremely difficult to get an art film into Japanese movie theaters,” the director said at today’s press conference.

Screening:
July 2, 2012, 20:00, Grand Hall
July 3, 2012, 10:30, Pupp

Complicated investigation of a bombing

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy, the Italian contribution to the Main Competition reconstructs one of the deadliest bank bombings that killed seventeen people and injured close to a hundred at Milan’s Piazza Fontana in 1969. The film, directed by sixty-two-year old Marco Tullio Giordana, depicts the events that led to the bombing and the investigation that followed.

The script is based on Paolo Cucchiarelli’s book, adapted for the screen with the help of the renowned Sandro Petraglia, who says he is ready to leave political films behind at least for a while. “I’m in a state of detox right now. What I would like is to work on something like My Brother is an Only Child where we depicted those times in a lighter tone. Films like Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy are extremely taxing. We had to read the court documents, but write the dialogues ourselves based on our analysis, which is more difficult than just making them up,” said Petraglia about his three years of work on the film.

The political thriller portrays the complicated investigation and conspiracy theories about the bank bombing and stirred a lot of emotions in Italy. According to Petraglia, the creators had no problem with censorship. “The Piazza Fontana bombing is history. It marked the transition of rich catholic Italy to terrorism,” said the writer, recalling the events of his student years. At that time lead investigator Calabresi was considered to be the bad guy, but in the film he becomes the hero that pursues the truth no matter the cost.

Screening:
July 2, 2012, 17:00, Grand Hall
July 3, 2012, 13:30, Pupp

How to make films on shoestring budgets?

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0200

Israeli director Sharon Bar-Ziv and manager of the Israeli Film Fund Katriel Schory talked with optimism and enthusiasm about making an internationally acclaimed film on a tiny budget. Bar-Ziv shared his experience with his low-budget Room 514 about a young army investigator and tragic fate of a special unit soldier that he made in four days for USD 85,000.

“From the beginning you have to count on not having enough money. As a writer of screenplays and commercials I knew nothing about filmmaking, but I did not know what attention to detail was. During the three months when I was writing the script I thought of everything, positions of cameras, every gesture, every single detail and then we made it in four days and edited it in two weeks,” said the director during the hour long debate.

Polish Taboos and Belgrade Romance

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0200

The festival’s East of the West competition program will introduce two new hopefuls. The first, Polish drama Shameless, “addresses a topic that many Polish people refuse to discuss or event think about,” said director Filip Marczewski about his feature debut that is stirring controversy. These topics include incest, nationalism and ethnic tensions. Incest was also the theme of his student short film Melodrama. The film went on to win several awards and student Oscar nomination, even though Marczewski’s professor ceremonially tossed the script into a garbage bin. On the advice of Jan Sverak, whom he met at Prague’s Short Film Festival, the director reworked the plot and added strong story lines. “The Roma and neo-Nazi conflict can seem superficial, but it’s the reality. The intolerance of otherness is a big issue in Poland,” the director told the Festival Daily.

In contrast, Serbian competition film, Practical Guide to Belgrade with Singing and Crying, will be welcomed by film fans looking for a break with music, humor and unforbidden love. Bojana Vuletić’s feature debut offers four stories about more or less incompatible international couples. “Originally, we wanted to make a musical with songs and lots of dancing, but that’s expensive and we couldn’t get enough money, so we had to adjust. With the scriptwriter we came up with these Brechtian interludes that strongly resemble a carnival truck parade. Lack of money sometimes pushes people to use inventive solution. Just like under communism,” said the director.

Screenings (Shameless):
July 2, 2012, 19:30, Karlovy Vary Municipal Theater
July 3, 2012, 13:30, Lázně III

Screening (Practical Guide to Belgrade with Singing and Crying):
July 2, 2012, 16:30, Pupp
July 3, 2012, 10:00 Cinema Čas

KVIFF in Numbers for July 2, 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

So far the festival has 7 062 accredited visitors including 204 filmmakers, 596 film professionals and 559 journalists and 5 703 visitors bought Festival Passes.

As of this morning 56 533 single tickets were sold and film fans saw 115 films.

Updated statistics will be posted again tomorrow at 10:00.

Things to do at the Festival on July 2, 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Reflex photographer and advocate of mobile phone art Tomáš Tesař will lead iPhoneography, a workshop on iPhone photography and art. The participants will be encouraged to take snapshots with their iPhones or any other smart phone to document the festival. The best pictures will be published on Reflex website. The workshop starts at 10:00 on the 1^st floor of Lazne III.

Alternatively, you can visit Becher’s villa at Krale Jiriho, 1196/9 at the same time and catch presentation Czech Cinematography and Film Industry Support from 2006 to 2013 with 2016 Forecast. The panel and debate will focus on the new act on audiovision and cinematography support. The program will continue in the afternoon with Barrandov Studios & FAMU Present: Free Cinema! Olé, a series of film workshops (registered participants only), lectures and discussions with outstanding filmmakers. At 14:00 cinematographer and head of FAMU’s school of cinematography Marek Jícha and a delegation from the National Film Archive will talk about the remastering of The Firemen’s Ball.

Same location at 17:00 Karel Vachek, Vít Janeček, Jaromír Kallista, Radim Procházka and Ivan Fíla will talk to Vladimir Hendrich about Czech original film at home and abroad and international prospects of Czech filmmakers. Come to the Jameson Festival Lounge for Micro-Budget Productions – The Guerilla Filmmaking at 11:00 to learn how to make low budget films.

At 20:00 the open-air theater under the bridge will feature Jazzbooster, rock with a mix of funky. Two hours later Vojta Dyk and B Side Band will rock Postovni Dvur with the sound of world and Czech hits from The Beatles to Nirvana and backs to the best of the Liberated Theater (Osvobozene Divadlo). Tickets will be available at Thermal’s main box office for CZK 100.

As always, you can look forward to plenty of films including competition films, thriller Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy (Grand Hall at 17:00) and Japanese Kamihate Store (Grand Hall at 20:00). The press conferences for the competition films start at 14:00 (Kamihate Store) and 14:45 (Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy) at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders.

For complete program of festival events click here.

I hated school because I hate rules

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Danish actor Thomas Bo Larsen has appeared in many films directed by Thomas Vinterberg. He is at KVIFF with Vinterberg’s film The Hunt.

Where did you and Thomas Vinterberg first meet?
I was just getting out of acting school in Copenhagen. And I had nothing to do. Only a little theater play. Thomas came and saw [it] and asked me [to work with him], because he was in the film school and he wanted to make a film called Last Round about a guy who has leukemia. We won the film school “oscar” and about seven or eight prizes all over the world, so it was a very good debut. That was our first film – a short movie at the film school in Copenhagen. Since then we have worked together and he’s my best friend.

What’s so special about him that you are in almost all of his films?
Because of our friendship and because he’s a very special director. I always play a different character in his movies. I had a big part with him where I was an opera singer, and a bad boy racist in The Celebration. I also played a little role in It’s all About Love, where I’m just a crazy man. Now I’m a more [sensitive] man in The Hunt. [Thomas] wants to surprise me every time. We always sit and write the role in a pub called Rio Bravo. We have sat there for 22 years. Every second month we sit down and write and drink schnapps. Only in this pub. We’ve got a special table. It’s a very lousy pub. But we like it, we enjoy it. And the next morning we find that we have something good.

You will find the complete interview of Zbyněk Vlasák and Iva Přivřelová in today´s edition of Festival Daily (2. 7.)

Norwegian Director to Film in Prague

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:00:00 +0200

Bard Breien won over every single fan of black comedies with his debut The Art of Negative Thinking, winner of the Crystal Globe for Best Director at the 2007 Karlovy Vary IFF. The success of this film even inspired a play that has been running for three seasons at Svandovo Theater in Prague.

His new film The Down’s Detective will be a Norwegian-Czech-Danish co-production and supported by the State Fund for the Support and Development of Czech Cinematography. “We didn’t hesitate,” said the fund’s representative at today’s press conference, “because it’s been a while since we’ve seen such great script.” The film’s script is really original. It tells a story about a young man with Down syndrome who decides to become a private detective. “The lead actor is really excited and has already learned the entire script,” gushed the director.

When the filmmakers toured the locations for the film, it was Prague that got their attention. The fact that the director’s humor is close to that of Czech film fans also played a role. The filming will start at the end of August and the film should be released in spring 2013.

Remembering Claude Miller

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:00:00 +0200

Black comedy The Best Way of Walking about two men and their unusual dispute at a summer camp was brought to this year’s festival by Positif magazine. The prominent French film magazine marks its sixtieth anniversary this year and the fact that its editor-in-chief has been for the past two years a guest at the festival made the celebration even more special.

“Michel Ciment talked to Eva Zaoralova about the best way to celebrate the anniversary. In the end, we decided to show a movie he chose,” KVIFF’s artistic director Karel Och told the Festival Daily. The 1976 film by French director Claude Miller marks not only the magazine's anniversary, but also honors the filmmaker that passed away in spring.

Screening:
July 5, 2012, 16:00 Espace Dorleans

Sandro Petraglia will introduce Italian competition film

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:00:00 +0200

Sandro Petraglia, one of the most respected Italian screenwriters, winner of 14 awards and 15 nominations, will introduce Italian competition film Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy (Romanzo di una strage).

Sandro Petraglia (born April 19, 1947 in Rome) started his carrier as a film critic, publishing essays on Pasolini, Tarkovsky, Oshima and Herzog. In 1975, he established an independent film company with several other filmmakers. In 1976 and 1978, while working with Marco Bellocchio, Silvano Agosti and Stefano Rulli, he directed two documentary films and stayed with the genre for several years.

In 1983, he wrote the screenplay for Nanni Moretti's Bianca and his following film The Mass is Over (La messa e finita). In a short time he became a sought-after writer and started working with renowned directors including Peter Del Monte, Michele Placido, Daniele Luchetti, Gianni Amelio, Carlo Mazzacurati, P. and V. Taviani and Francesco Rosi. His encounter with Marco Tullio Giordana was a crucial point in his career and they have been working together since Pasolini, an Italian Crime (Pasolini, un delitto italiano, 1995). Giordana’s Best of Youth (La meglio gioventu) won the Certain Regard section at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and received Silver Ribbon from the Italian Association of Film Critics for its screenplay, written with his frequent collaborator Stefano Rulli. The film has also received the David di Donatello Award and the Italian Golden Globe. Sandro Petraglia has collected additional Silver Ribbons and David di Donatello awards for My Brother is an Only Child (Mio fratello e figlio unico, directed by Daniele Luchetti, 2007) and The Girl by the Lake (La ragazza del lago, directed by Andrea Molaioli, 2008). Both films screened at the Karlovy Vary IFF.

The screenplay of his last film, Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy, is currently nominated for the same awards. Sandro Petraglia will introduce the film on behalf of director Marco Tullio Giordana, who was unable to attend for personal reasons.

Screenings:
2.7. 17:00 Great Hall
3.7. 13:30 Pupp

It’s Pointless to Stick Gay Characters into Every Movie

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:00:00 +0200

American writer and director Ira Sachs started this year’s popular talks with filmmakers at the Jameson Festival Lounge. The talk was presented by director of Mezipatra Queer Film Festival Ales Rumpel. Sachs is a celebrity in the gay community, but he took a twelve-year break from making gay-themed films, returning only last year with Keep the Lights on, which he brought to the festival.

“It’s pointless to try to stick a queer character into every movie. If there’s no reason for it, I can’t use it. My fourth feature Keep the Lights on is based on my own complicated ten-year relationship,” said Sachs about his film, award-winner from Berlin. “I've recently told my students at New York University, to which I by the way applied without success many years ago, to make films mainly about themselves. You can’t tell any story better than your own.”

Screenings:
July 2, 2012, 22:00, Espace Dorleans
July 7, 2012, 10:30, Congress Hall

From Tragedy to Hope

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0200

The story of competition film Camion starts with a fatal car crash that plunges truck driver Germain into severe depression. This brings his two sons back home for a visit that forces them to rethink their lives. “I got inspired by my dad,” said director Rafaël Quellet about the film that he made in his home town.

Quellet is no stranger to the Karlovy Vary festival. Three years ago he brought his film New Denmark to the Forum of Independents. “I really liked it here and was very proud that Camion go picked for the Main Competition. It’s great that the Karlovy Vary festival keeps track of the filmmakers it discovers,” he shared with the Festival Daily. This year, he came with actors Julien Poulin, Patrice Dubois and production company director Denis Chouinard.

Poulin is well known in Quebec and has worked, among others, with Oscar-winner Denys Arcand. At the press conference he explained what makes new directors like Quellet so different. “Way back, they made a lot of documentaries so directors were not used to leading their actors. Working with the young generation is smoother and more relaxed.” Denis Chouinard agreed, “new filmmakers know how to hold a camera or edit, it used to not be this way. And they see things differently.” Unfortunately, not even the young generation of Quebec's filmmakers figured out how to make films in French popular in the English speaking part of Canada. “In Canada, we basically have two filmmaking communities that exist independently of each other,” said the Canadian filmmakers.

Screenings:
July 7, 2012, 17:00, Grand Hall
July 2, 2012, 13:30, Pupp

Either Way in Iceland

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0200

Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s impressive and minimalist debut Either Way opens Variety’s Ten European Directors to Watch. The director uses Island’s bare landscape as a backdrop for his intimate black comedy. The two main protagonists maintain roads in the depressing countryside when they find themselves at an important crossroads.

“The story is set in the 80s so I could isolate the characters from civilization. In today’s era of mobile phones a story like this wouldn’t work,” said the director. The entire film is carried by only four actors. “I wanted to make a good film, but because of money, I had to make it very intimate.”

The film includes a mysterious young woman. “I was trying to get the 80s atmosphere right. At that time, Icelandic films often used mysterious hitchhikers as a way of introducing the supernatural into their films. I also used a lot of music from that time” Sigurðsson told the audience after today’s screening.

Screening:
2.7.16:00 Drahomíra Cinema

Your Beauty is Worth Nothing

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 16:10:00 +0200

Your Beauty is Worth Nothing by young Kurdish-born director Hüseyin Tabak joins the competition today. The author managed to capture the feeling of isolation and uprooting experienced by immigrants trying to settle in Austria. The idea came to him after he visited a village in eastern Anatolia, the home of his family. “I met a boy there that was about to move to Germany without ever seeing a larger city. I thought about it for months and then one night I started writing. After three days, and several liters of coffee and some alcohol, I had the basic outline of the story.”

Hüseyin Tabak, the rising star of Austrian cinema, skillfully uses the contrast between the boy’s romanticized ideas and reality of life in the immigrant community that faces deportation on daily basis. The film’s title refers to a song by Asik Veysel, whose melancholic music is popular with his countrymen dispersed all around Europe.

Screening:
July 1, 2012, 20:00 Grand Hall
July 2, 2012, 10:30 Pupp

Stars at Grand Hall Door

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0200

At the Official Opening, Helen Mirren caught Marek Eben off guard by asking how many of the festival films were made by women. For the official screening of The Door, a drama about two women where the Oscar-winner plays a housekeeper, Eben came ready to inform the actress that 96% of all Czech housekeepers are women, but she did not ask. Instead she thanked producers Jenő Hábermann and Sándor Sőth for financing the film.

She also complimented German actress Martine Gedeck, her co-star in the film based on Madga Szabo’s book set in Hungary of the 60s and 70s, and praised director István Szabó. “In this film one had to be naked. Not in the physical sense, sorry gentlemen, but mentally naked. I was fortunate enough to work with a real master.”

Szabó returned the compliment by professing his love of actors that “lend us their ideas and faces to express our emotions.” According to the president of last year’s Grand Jury, an actor’s face is the one unique thing that can only be captured by film. “My film is very simple, it builds on faces.”

Three avid fans that ran to the stage with flowers at the end of the introduction got more than a brief face time with the actress – they each got a kiss to their obvious delight.

Flower Buds go Mushrooming

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0200

The competition section for films from Central and Eastern Europe that presents debuts and second features will today offer Flower Buds, the local hopeful. The film follows a family struggling in a godforsaken town in the north of the country. The mom keeps practicing moves from an old Spartakiad, her son is in love with a stripper, the daughter tries to deal with an unwanted pregnancy and the father is addicted to gambling. The debut of scriptwriter Zdeněk Jiráský caught the attention of Czech critics and earned him eight award nominations. This year, he will find out how hard it is to please an international jury.

The second competitor, Estonian Mushrooming, combines political satire, black comedy and hunting thriller set in a forest where a married couple and a rocker meet mushrooming before running into a psychopathic “average Joe.” “I like comic situations, regardless of their moral interpretation. My artistic goal is to destabilize established positions,” said about his debut director Toomas Hussar, a holder of degrees in theology and mathematics.

Melville and his Samurai

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0200

One of this year’s retrospectives is dedicated to director Jean-Pierre Melville who is considered the father of the French New Wave. The program features ten films, nine of which were, according to a book of interviews with the director, Melville’s favorites. These include thrillers The Finger Man, The Red Circle, Second Wind, and Eva Zaoralová’s preferred Bob the Gambler, films focusing on social issues and morals (The Strange Ones), and war films (The Silence of the Sea, Army of Shadows and Leon Morin, Priest). The highlight of the retrospective is the forty-five year old film Le Samurai with Alain Delon as a hired killer. The film has not been screen for many years because of unresolved copyrights. The festival will offer one exclusive screening today at 11:00 at Thermal’s Great Hall.

The last film of the retrospective, Code Name Melville, featuring Portuguese journalist Rui Nogueira, who will also introduce Melville’s films at the festival.

Wild Wild West in Central Europe

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:45:00 +0200

When you search Polish Wikipedia for Juma it will turn out information about robberies along the German border in the 90s. Yuma is the name of the East of the West competition film about this phenomenon. “In western Poland everyone knows what Yuma means, because everyone there was a thieve,” said director Piotr Mularuk at a discussion after yesterday´s world premiere.

His feature debut has all the hallmarks of a western including bad guys, a border, river, lawless country and west Poland even proves to be pretty wild. The famous western 3:10 to Yuma is also one of the favorite films of the main protagonist played by Polish shooting star 2012 Jakub Gierszal. His character is based on an actual person, a legend in the border region, whose fate was in reality much worse than in the movie. The director had to tweak the reality a bit. “During the five years of preparation I found out there were buses of students dispatched by teachers to steal in Germany. If I’d put that in the film, no one would believe me.”

It took Mularuk a long time to secure financing for the film. At first he tried to negotiate a co-production deal with Germany where the film is partially set. Surprisingly to him, no one was willing to fund a movie that so openly criticized the Polish. In the end he was successful in the Czech Republic and thanks to producer Pavel Berčík and Evolution Films secured financing from the Czech State Fund for Support and Development of Czech Cinematography.

KVIFF in Numbers for July 1, 2012

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0200

During the first two days 4 855 visitors bought Festival Passes and the festival accredited 146 filmmakers, 437 professionals and 515 journalists.

Ticket sales are climbing steadily. As of this morning visitors bought 39 129 single tickets and 65 films were screened over the same time.

We will post updates of the rapidly changing numbers every day at 10am.

Cooperate with Hollywood!

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:00:00 +0200

For the fifth time the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will organize the highly regarded “Cooperation with Hollywood” panel. The goal of the event is to bridge the gap between Hollywood and Europe and bring together the skills, experience and talent from both sides of the Atlantic. Last year, several European filmmakers not only gained new knowledge from the panel, but also found a representation or gained direct access to the panelist for their projects. This year, prominent representatives of the American film industry will again offer their European counterparts useful insight into the workings of the Hollywood production machine during the discussion and face-to-face meetings.

The panel will be today in Grandhotel Pupp (Chopin lounge) from 1:00 to 3:00 PM

More about the panel here.

Things to do at the Festival on July 1, 2012

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 06:00:00 +0200

At 14:00 you are invited to the Jameson Festival Lounge to a debate with one of the most prominent personalities of New York’s gay community, writer and director Ira Sachs. His films include Delta or award-winning drama from the Sundance Festival Forty Shades of Blue. He will personally introduce his film Keep the Lights On. He will talk about his gay art activities with director of Mezipatra Queer Festival Ales Rumpel. The event will be in English only.

Reflexor, on the 1^st floor of Lazne III, will have a busy day too. At 10:00 Reflex photographer Jan Šibík will share his experience with street photo and the workshop participants on a stroll through the streets. At 17:00 Miloš Čermák will start his daily talk inspired by the festival program and one hour later you can see Ludek Stanek’s video magazine Rodriguez: From Dusk Till Dawn. At the end of every section he will present a collage of your messages, pictures and videos sent to Reflexor via mobile phones.

At 11:00 you will have a unique opportunity to see the masterpiece of Jean-Pierra Melvill Le Samurai, a drama with Alain Delon that is rarely shown because of ongoing copyright disputes. The Karlovy Vary festival was lucky enough to secure one screening for diehard fans. Today’s competition films will include Your Beauty is Worth Nothing, an Austrian drama about an immigrant community and Canadian psychological drama Camion. The press conferences for the competition films start at 14:00 (Your Beauty is Worth Nothing) and 15:00 (Camion) at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders.

At 15:00 you can visit the Sony Tent in Dvorakovy Sady to watch Banned Commercials – the Ones that Didn’t get Pass the Censors,” a screening not suitable for children unlike the following show of Matej Kopecky Theater under the bridge. This year’s festival thinks of avid soccer fans and will offer the Euro Cup Finals live at the Jameson Festival Lounge. If soccer is not your thing, visit the after party for Flower Buds, the Czech film competing in the festival’s East of the West section, at Aeroport. The party starts at 21:00 and you will have a chance to meet the filmmakers, actors and listen to post-punk band The Prostitutes. From there you can continue at Thermal’s swimming pool terrace with Filmstage party and listen to British songwriter and singer Little Boots.

For complete program of festival events click here.

Helen Mirren: My work is simply a portrait

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:01:00 +0200

British actress Helen Mirren came to Karlovy Vary this week to receive this year’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema. At a press conference in the Thermal yesterday, she spoke to journalists about what she looks for she looks for in roles, how she discovers her character, and the work still to do to for women’s rightful place in film.

How did Love Ranch, the film about the first legal brothel in Nevada, which you made with your husband, Taylor Hackford, come about?
We had always been looking for a project we could do together and Taylor would come up with one and we couldn’t find the finance it for whatever reason, and then he came up with Love Ranch. I thought it was such an amazing story. I loved it. I loved the milieu it takes place in. I loved that we could work together for the first time in so many years.

Do you foresee a role for yourself as a director at this stage of your career?
I’m an actress. That’s what I am. I’m not a director. I love being an actress. I think it’s my chosen destiny. I don’t particularly want to change paths. But I do want to encourage− and hopefully there will be − many female directors in the future.

Read more in today's Festival Daily. You can also download it here.

Very Rough Road to Adulthood

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 19:00:00 +0200

The Almost Man by Norwegian writer and director Martin Lund focuses on a very current problem – the refusal to today’s thirty-something men to accept responsibility for their actions and take charge of their own destinies. “The theme is universal, but it’s also true that Norwegian capital Oslo is full of such immature men,” said the filmmakers.

Despite the approaching birth of his first child, the hero does everything to maintain the illusion of youth unrestricted by conventions by acting like a teenager. He gradually turns into a confused and affected child that refuses to grow up. “We had the opportunity to work on the script, but I did not consult the role with any psychologist,” said lead actor Henrik Rafaelsen.

Screening:

June 30, 2012, 20:00 Grand Hall
July 1, 2012, 10:30 Pupp

Another Czech Gem Shines Again

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0200

Marek Eben introduced the world premiere of the remastered The Firemen’s Ball by a joke about face lifts. Milos Forman's famous comedy was introduced by Festival Director Jiri Bartoska and Ctibor Pouba from Ceske Bijaky Foundation that plans to remaster other Czech films. “Eighteen years ago, the state wanted to cancel the Karlovy Vary festival and we created a foundation to save it, and here we are today. I’m very happy that there is a foundation that will take care of Czech film,” said Jiri Bartoska after accepting a blue ray of the film from Ctibor Pouba before the screening.

And then the lights went out and the audience was treated to a funny documentary Hořelo, má panenko where Milos Forman, cameraman Miroslav Ondricek and several denizens of Vrchlabi that appeared in the 1967 film talked about the making of the film. Needless to say that their versions of the events did not always matche. After the documentary, the first film fans got to enjoy the superb organization of a firemen’s ball on a big screen in full splendor.

Zen Western from Portugal

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Portuguese director Rodrigo Areias managed to infuse his western Hay Road with quotes from the book of one of America’s greatest philosophers Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience. As early as 1849, Thoreau identified the principles, shortcomings and limits of democracy that apply even today and that the director used to build the film’s story.

“I’m a huge fan of westerns and I’ve always wanted to make one,” said the director that drew inspiration from his favorite films including Jim Jarmusch’s unforgettable Dead Man (1995). “I wanted to know what would happen if I took a western hero out of his usual surroundings and put him into a Portuguese countryside,” added the director. He came up with the story for this philosophical, almost meditative western in 2008 and managed to make it on a tiny budget thanks to the dedication of the entire crew.

See today’s Festival Daily for more details about the film.

Screening:
June 30, 2012, 17:00 Grand Hall
July 1, 2012, 13:30 Pupp

Say no to Pirated Films

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 15:00:00 +0200

Today, many people consider illegal downloads of pirated films normal and even harmless. Filmmakers at today’s talk “Why Pirates Steal Films” begged to differ. “Because of piracy, medium budget films have practically disappeared from Hollywood. Smaller films don’t have money for advertising and people used to find their way to see them gradually. This doesn’t work today, when they’re available on the Internet,” said American director Taylor Hackford, adding that his Oscar-winning film Ray would not be made today because it would not pay for itself. “If people don’t pay to see a film, how can a filmmaker get money to make another one?” asked the director and reminded the participants that even filmmakers have to feed their families and pay rent.

His Czech colleagues and panel participants including Karel Janak and editor-in-chief of Forbes Petr Šimůnek had a similar opinion about illegal downloads. “Let’s take Walking too Fast where part of the director’s pay came from profit shares. Because of piracy he lost about 150,000. People say that if someone make millions it can’t hurt them if they don’t pay, but that’s not true,” said producer Vratislav Šlajer and pointed out that even when people do pay for downloading movies, profits usually end up in the pockets of the service provider not the filmmakers. According to the panelists, Czech film lost enough to produce twenty new films.

HBO’s Ondřej Zach talked about legal options and the high cost of platforms necessary for paid on-line access to copyrighted content that is slowing down their development.

Blazing hot Firemen

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0200

Watching the film for the first time you might think Milos Forman just put a couple of cameras in a local culture center and then edited the good parts into The Firemen’s Ball. In reality, the filming was technically very complicated and the entire set had to be repainted three times. In an exclusive interview for the Festival Daily cameraman Miroslav Ondricek recalled the filming and the team behind the remastering chipped in with their stories.

Making the perfect copy

The film made it to Czech movie theaters right before the Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968 to the great displeasure of the communist regime and Ponti, the film’s investor, who even asked Forman for his money back, saying such perversity should not be released. The distribution rights were in the end bought by Forman’s French friends who could then sit back and enjoy the Oscar nomination. While the film met with success abroad, at home it was locked in a safe by the communist regime. This year marks the forty fifth anniversary of the making of the film and the day Vrchlabi got its very first professional fire department (at the time of the filming all firemen were volunteers). There was a ball again and this time it was filmed by Vojtech Moravec and his team. The documentary featuring the firemen, Forman and Ondricek will be shown before the screening of the remastered film. “When I went there this year, a woman that acted in the film and that I recognized approached me. She is now a grandmother and widow and she said that when the film aired in the 70s on Polish television, you could see television screens flickering behind every window in town.

Because film material ages, The Firemen’s Ball followed in the footsteps of Marketa Lazarova and became the second Czech film to undergo a complete remastering. The idea and financing came from the recently established foundation Ceske Bijaky. “We did not want it to end with Marketa Lazarova,” said Pavel Slama from the foundation, adding “we thought of this project as our moral duty and wanted it to become a tradition. We have a list of twelve films from the time of the Czech New Wave that we will select from next.”

Screening:

June 30, 2012, 14:00 Grand Hall
July 6, 2012, 19:00 Pupp

From East to West, from Slovakia to Czech No-Man’s Land

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0200

The competition section East of the West starts today with a remarkable Czech-Slovak film Made in Ash. This grisly social drama where all dreams and hopes of a Roma girl are crushed by harsh reality was made by young Slovak director Iveta Grofova. The film portrays the life of East European girls coming to the Czech Republic to find work, painting a disturbing picture of today’s selfish and racist society. Grofova’s decision to hire non-actors for her debut gives it extra authenticity.

Today’s program will also include another drama from this program section, the western-themed Yuma made in Czech-Polish co-production.

You can read more about East of the West films in today´s edition of Festival Daily.

Made in Ash
30.6. 13:00 Pupp
1.7. 10:00 Cinema Čas

Yuma
30.6. 19:00 Pupp
1.7. 12:30 Cinema Čas

Helen Mirren Talks Women and Film

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Helen Mirren, the fresh owner of the Crystal Globe and one of the main stars answered questions at the first press conference of this year’s festival. Last night’s acceptance speech of the Oscar-winning actress inspired a number of questions about women in film. When asked whether she thought there were not enough good roles for women, she answered “I always tell scriptwriters to write the role for a man and then give the character a woman’s name. But I’m not complaining about the lack of good roles for women. I'm complaining about the position of women in life in general. But things are better today.”

Of her film The Door that she came to introduce at the festival she said “it may have been the hardest role I ever had. The good thing was that I didn’t need any make-up, so it only took me five minutes to get ready. But I felt a great deal of responsibility, because this Hungarian story affected the history of the entire twentieth century. I had to surrender to Istvan.”

Mirren will meet with Istvan Szabo tomorrow at 14:00 at Thermal’s Grand Hall where they will introduce the film. Another guest of the press conference, director Taylor Hackford, said it was an absolute pleasure to work with Mirren. “She is one of the actresses that literally give you everything you ask for and on top of that she is a great influence on other actors,” gushed the director that worked with the Oscar-winner on White Nights.

You will find more about Helen Mirren in tomorrow´s edition of Festival Daily.

Press conference:

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Film Odyssey Begins

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 11:00:00 +0200

The Story of Film: An Odyssey, a documentary film by Mark Cousins, hits the screens today. It will take film fans five days to see the fifteen hour masterpiece divided into five blocks. The screenings start every day at 8:30 and the film’s fascinating story of well-known and unknown history of cinematography will more than make up for the early start.

“I grew up in Belfast in the 70s, when it resembled a war zone, an atmosphere portrayed in yesterday’s Good Vibrations. I was a nervous kid, but I felt safe in movie theaters. It was as if film sucked me in and transported into a different world. So this documentary is a long thank you to film. It is a work of love. And partially of hatred – hatred of the limited discussions about film. They don’t mention West African films or films by amazing women directors. This hatred worked like rocket fuel, powering me the entire six years that I worked on the film,” Cousins told viewers at the film’s introduction. In the Small Hall he also showed a three meter long piece of paper covered by editing notes for the collected material that took his team two years to sort out.

Screenings:
1. 7. 8:30 Small Hall
2. 7. 8:30 Cinema Čas
3. 7. 8:30 Small Hall
4. 7. 8:30 Small Hall

Antonioni the Documentarist

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0200

This September the film world will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni known for his scripted works that became cult films. The author of Red Desert (1964) or Blowup (1966) also made highly praised and to the public largely unknown documentaries. The program of Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni. In addition to short films, the program will also include the four-hour Chung Kuo – China (1972).

The program of Antonioni’s short documents underwent last minute changes, for more information click here.

Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni I
30.6.2012 10:00 Cinema B
6.7.2012 19:00 Husovka Theater

Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni II
1.7. 15:30 Cinema B
4.7.2012 19:00 Husovka Theater

Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni III (feature film Chung Kuo - China)
30.6. 19:30 Lázně III
5.7. 19:00 Husovka Theater

Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni IV
3.7.2012 15:30 Cinema B
5.7. 10:00 Cinema B

Things to do at the Festival on June 30, 2012

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Today, you can look forward to the 4^th CEZ Energy Fest, a concert of top Czech bands at Postovni Dvur. This one-day festival organized by CEZ will be open to all Festival Pass holders from 13:00 until the wee hours of the morning. Guests will include Anna K & Band, Miro Žbirka, Chinaski or Support Lesbiens.

Thermal’s conference hall, normally reserved for press conferences, will host debate “Why do Pirates Steal Films?” from 11:30. The event will be translated into Czech and English.

Made in Ash, by young Slovak director Iveta Grofova, will start at 13:00 at Pupp Cinema. The film opens the festival’s competition program East of the West. Do not miss the world premiere of the remastered copy of The Firemen’s Ball, the Czech New Wave’s cult film of, at 14:00 at the Grand Hall. The screening will include a ten-minute documentary with director Milos Forman, cameraman Miroslav Ondricek and non-actors from Vrchlabi remembering the making of the film.

Review the events of the past 15 years with the News Photo 2012 exhibition at the Na Ochozu Gallery on Vridelni colonnade (opens at 16:00) and don’t forget to visit A Chair for your Lair – the best of Ton at Supermarket WC Gallery on nam. Republiky.

Chung Kuo-Cina by celebrated neo-realistic director Michelangelo Antonioni will be screened at 19:30 at Lazne III. This minimalist, yet 217 minutes long, film comes highly recommended by festival’s Artistic Consultant Eva Zaoralova. At the Midnight Screenings, Italian director Dario Argento will introduce his 3D film Dracula at Cas.

This year’s Main Competition starts today with Portuguese-Finnish philosophical western Hay Road followed by Norway’s Henrik at 20:00. The press conferences for the competition films start at 14:00 (Hay Road) and 15:00 (Henrik) at Thermal’s conference hall. Accredited journalists have priority at press conferences, but any free seats will be open to Festival Pass holders. If funk or hip-hop is your thing, don’t miss Saturday Night Fever at Aeroport (Divadelni nam.) at 21:00.

For complete program click here.

Punk Hooley opens KVIFF

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Good Vibrations, which screened last night, was one of the most eagerly awaited KVIFF opening films in recent years. Directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, as well as lead actor Richard Dormer, came to Karlovy Vary with this darkly comic biopic of Belfast punk impresario Terri Hooley, set at the height of the Northern Irish Troubles.

Why did you decide to make a film about Terri Hooley, who’s not really that well known outside of Belfast?
LBD: At the time, [DJ and composer] David Holmes − who is a producer on the project and also did the music − and I had a production company. We’d made shorts and were looking for our first feature project for Glenn and I to direct. We’d read a lot of treatments for a lot of scripts and you could just tell there was something very special about this. Yes, it was a local Belfast character that not many other people know, but what was immediately evident was that this was a really universal story. It’s about the power of resistance and about youth and creativity and their power to resist even the darkest of times and the darkest of situations.

Did you have to convince Terri to go along with it?
LBD: We wanted to celebrate everything Terri achieved. But if Terri hadn’t wanted to do it, it wouldn’t have happened. We wanted something very positive...but you know we’re not trying to portray Terri as a saint. It’s a detailed look at a man who has his flaws as much as anyone. He was very, very involved. The script was based on conversations he had...based on his story. He was hugely involved in that. He read early drafts of the script. He visited us on set quite often, as did his family and friends. Terri was even at the wrap party DJing.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Festival Officially Started!

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 21:00:00 +0200

The 47^th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival officially started tonight. At the opening ceremony, attended by the Czech Republic’s President Vaclav Klaus, actor and presenter Marek Eben introduced the festival juries and unveiled the new festival trailer paying tribute to Czech director Otakar Vavra.

At the end of the ceremony, Festival President Jiri Bartoska presented British actress Helen Mirren with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema. In her acceptance speech Mirren remembered the late American director Nora Ephron and expressed hope for more women in the film industry and more equality in the future.

The opening ceremony was followed by equally festive screening of British-Irish Good Vibrations.

So it is official, the festival has started, welcome!

Festival will open with punk beat

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0200

Good Vibrations was the name of a cult shop in Belfast that supported the local punk scene at the peak of North Ireland’s unrest in the 70s. Good Vibrations is also the name of a British-Irish film about the store and mainly its owner Terri Hooley that will officially open the 47^th Karlovy Vary Film Festival today at 19:00 in Thermal’s Grand Hall. The film will also be screened at 23:00 at the open-air cinema free of charge.

The biopic features amazing soundtrack courtesy of former DJ and now famous score composer David Holmes, guest of this year’s festival. The film will be introduced by its directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa from Belfast.

Screening:
June 29, 2012, 23:00 Open-air cinema
July 6, 2012, 19:00 Congress hall

Vote for your favorite movie and poster

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0200

The voting and opinion of film fans sends producers and distributors an important early signal about the future success of a film in local and international distribution. Therefore the Audience Award is one of the most important festival awards. After every film you have a unique opportunity to evaluate the film by grading it on the voting slip and handing the slip to an assistant at the door of the movie theater or using the voting box. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Official Closing Ceremony on July 7, 2012. Click here for more details.

Until July 4, 2012 you can also vote for the best film poster of Main Competition and East of the West films. Click here to see the posters and vote.

New festival trailer honors Otakar Vavra

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:00:00 +0200

The festival visitors can again look forward to a new festival trailer. This year, however, the main protagonist will not be in the trailer. Director Ivan Zacharias made it as a charming remembrance of Otakar Vavra, the legend of Czech and Czechoslovak cinematography who passed away last September. The resulting trailer is still very much like those with Milos Froman, Jiri Menzel, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Vera Chytilova, Andy Garcia, John Malkovitch and Jude Law, it just takes place at a cemetery.

This year’s trailer was supposed to feature Judi Dench, last year’s recipient of the Crystal Globe. The filming had to be postponed because of the new Bond movie and personal reasons of the actress, but she has already approved the script and now it is just a matter of scheduling. Other recipients of the festival awards that have tentatively promised to make a festival trailer include Robert De Niro and Antonio Banderas.

KVIFF TALKS

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0200

For the fifth time at the Karlovy Vary IFF, regular meetings are organized with directors, actors, and other filmmakers who will present their work as part of the festival program.

June 30, 11.30, Press Conference Hall
“Why Would You Steal Movies?” Panel discussion on illegal downloading, its negative impact on film industry and alternative solutions.

1. 7., 2 pm, Jameson Festival Lounge
Debate with Ira Sachs, screenwriter and director, who is one of the most important figures of New York´s artistic gay community.

2.7., 11 am, Jameson Festival Lounge
"Micro-Budget Productions – The Guerilla Filmmaking"
Lecture dedicated to micro-budget filmmaking will be given by producer and executive director of Israeli Film Fund Katriel Schory and director, screenwriter and producer Sharon Bar-Ziv, whose feature directorial debut Room 514 will be presented as a case study.

5. 7., 2 pm, Jameson Festival Lounge
Master Class with Todd Solondz who is a distinctive figure of American independent film.

6. 7., 3:30 pm, Cinema Hall B
Manoel de Oliveira as seen by Luise Miñarro
Luis Miñarro is one of Europe’s most highly regarded producers of independent film. The screening of his film 101: Manoel de Oliveira a seen by Luise Miñarro (20 min) will be followed by a discussion during which Miñarro will share his many experiences working with this Portuguese filmmaking legend. The discussion will be moderated by Madeleine Mullet.

More informations about KVIFF TALKS here.

Karlovy Vary Festival on Social Networks

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Karlovy Vary IFF will newly use social networks to inform festival visitors and film fans about current events, festival events and to provide practical information. The festival’s official web site will offer information about the festival including blogs by renowned journalists and bloggers, photos from festival events, Youtube videos, Festival Daily articles and much more.

In addition to the festival Facebook page with more than 17 000 fans and Youtube channel, you will be able to follow this year’s festival on Twitter @kviff and get the freshest news that will help you experience the festival atmosphere up close thanks to tweets by famous personalities and filmmakers or festival instagram @kviff.

Follow the blogs, tweets and instagrams posted by Tomáš Baldýnský, Miloš Čermák, Irena Hejdová, František Fuka, Alena Prokopová, Šimon Šafránek and Petr Cífka. Tell us what you think!

Where and how to recover strength between films?

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0200

The festival thinks of everything, even ways for film fans to relax after emotionally taxing screenings.

You can relax in comfy Fatboys at Radio 1 Lounge on Thermal’s 1^st floor every day from 10:00 to 22:00 or visit the Jameson Festival Lounge next to Thermal from 10:00 to 04:00. POP ART Café at the terrace of Thermal’s swimming pool offers a wide selection of things to nibble on if you get hungry.

You can also visit lively discussions “Cermak’s Baths” inspired by the festival program and led by Reflex’s editor Milos Cermak at Reflexor on the 1^st floor of Lazne III from 08:00 to 22:00. Czech TV’s presentation The Place Where Films Belong will be open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Czech TV also invites festival visitors to Tea at Three from July 2 to July 6, 2012 at 15:00 at Thermal’s Grand Hall. As every festival at midnight you can watch Czech TV’s Good Night Stories from July 1 to July 6, 2012 at Cinema B. The colonnade will be transformed to Vodafone Beach open from 10:00 to 20:00. RWE’s Stand at Mlynska colonnade will offer a glimpse of a dubbing studio or makeup room. Every day except for Sunday, July 7, 2012 you can visit it to get an autograph of your favorite star.

The Sony Tent will be open daily from 10:00 to 21:00 at Dvorakovy Sady. Here you can try trendy new cameras. To get picture ready, visit the L’Oreal Paris Beauty Studio in front of Cas between 11:00 and 21:00 and then head out to the Audi Stage at Lazne I for a test drive in a luxury Audi between 09:00 and 20:00 (or 16:00 on July 2, 2012 and 15:00 on July 6, 2012).

For fun late at night or wee hours in the morning visit Aeroport (Divadelní náměstí 29, concerts start every day at 21:00), Thermal’s Dance club “Peklo”, Slash Bar (S. K. Neumanna 345, from 22:00), Music Club Fifty Fifty (Moskevská 16, from 21:00). The summer stage of Karlovy Vary Music theater under the bridge will offer daily concerts at 20:00 and programs for children at 16:00 under Chebsky bridge. Children should also visit Look out! organized by Kolecko foundation (from June 30, 2012 to July 3, 2012 from 09:00 to 20:00).

Things to do at the Festival on June 29, 2012

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:00:00 +0200

The Karlovy Vary Film Festival starts today! Even though films are the main attraction, the festival offers a host of music, food, parties and other events that you can read about every day on this web site.

The traditional parade of Czech and international movie stars will begin after 18:00 at Pupp and conclude at Thermal. Its participants including Festival President Jiri Bartoska, President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus and Helen Mirren with husband Taylor Hackford will walk the red carpet at hotel Thermal. The opening film Good Vibrations about the founder of Belfast punk scene will be screened at 23:00 at the open-air cinema free of charge. Fifteen minutes before that the sky above Karlovy Vary will light up with fireworks.

The opening party at Pupp is invitation only, but even without an invitation you can celebrate the start of the 47^th Karlovy Vary IFF from 20:00 at the Jameson Festival Lounge next to Thermal with several DJs or one hour later at Aeroport in the former Ceska Sporitelna building. From 21:00 you can dance at the concert of Tezko soudit motyla at Drahomira’s Film Café. If you prefer theater, the Summer Scene of the Karlovy Vary Music Theater Under the Bridge (Pod Mostem) will start at 16:00 with Tom Thumb. If you stay at the theater until 20:00 you can enjoy a concert by Karlovy Vary rock band Tajfun. The podium at Thermal will feature Madfingers at 17:00 and Kieslowski, an acoustic project of DKP and Marie Kieslowski, from 20:30.

Click here for more festival events.

The hardest film of my life

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:01:00 +0200

Helena Třeštíková’s latest long-term documentary, Private Universe, screens in the documentary competition, illustrating her signature approach to following subjects over decades and charting both intimate secrets and monumental changes in their lives. The portrait of the Kettners, an “ordinary” Czech family, took some 37 years to make and is already gaining the kind of attention that has made her one of the most respected Czech documentarians abroad, a reputation she’s had since her first international success, Marcela (2007).

Your film was recently screened at the Toronto festival. Were you perhaps afraid that you may not have sufficiently explained its political context to foreign audiences, in particular the character of the odious “Normalization” period of Soviet entrenchment after the Prague Spring?

I was not personally present at Toronto. The film was represented there by Zuzana Bieliková of Negativ Film Productions. She told me that, judging by the viewers’ reactions after the screening, the Czech specifics were more or less clear to them. I think that hints such as the protagonists sharing a small flat with two grandmothers for seven years and their only chance of decent housing being a dilapidated little house in the border region probably give it away. We struggled a lot with archive footage illustrating the period. I originally wanted the motif of the border to appear throughout the film, reminding people of the fact that it was impossible to travel and people even got shot on the country’s borders. This tied in nicely with the post-Velvet Revolution period, when Honza started traveling and finally settled down in the Basque Country. But ultimately it didn’t work in the film.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Where is the camping site and baguetterie?

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 19:00:00 +0200

The camping site was moved this year from AC Start stadium to the newly reconstructed Rolava swimming pool site that provides all the usual services including bike rental and public transport to the festival center. Click here for more information.

The Day Care Center will be open from June 29, 2012 from 12:00 to 20:00 and from June 30, 2012 to July 7, 2012 from 8:45 to 20:00. The maximum capacity of the center is five children. Price: CZK 50 for the first hour and CZK 25 for every additional hour. The Day Care Center is located in the park at hotel Thermal.

The official festival “fast food” supplier are Baguetterie Boulevard and Café Boulevard at hotel Thermal. Holders of full Festival Passes can look forward to tasty discounts. Anyone not afraid to share his/her story on the “wall of stories” will receive a free drink with their baguette.

Festival visitors can again enjoy the successful bike rental operated in cooperation with Ski a Bike Centrum Radotin. Specialized is the official bike of the film festival with rental points located at Pupp, camping site and Thermal. Bikes can be rented from 8:30 to 23:00 (20:00 on the last day of the festival). The first hour is free and every additional partial hour CZK 100.

More digital movie theaters and other news

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:30:00 +0200

Digitalization has arrived even to the festival movie theaters. While last year only fourteen films were screened in DCP format, this year it is more than eighty. They will be screened at Cas, Pupp and even in all theaters in Thermal, except for the Congress Hall. The Small Hall has 3D technology. The festival box offices were also improved and now feature forty four thermal printers. They are not only quiet, they can also print six times faster than needle printers, so the wait for tickets will be shorter.

The festival offers a wider selection of souvenirs. In addition to T-shirts and bags, you can buy pens, lighters, pins, mirrors, magnets and other gifts. Owners of a full Festival Pass should definitely visit the main box office at hotel Thermal where they can pick up a free catalogue, festival brochure and coupons for Boulevard and Jameson Festival Lounge.

The Hungarian film DEAR BETRAYED FRIENDS returns to the East of the West competition

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:50:00 +0200

On 15 June, the Karlovy Vary festival was obliged to cancel the planned world premiere of Sára Cserhalmi’s film Dear Betrayed Friends due to sudden problems with post-production funding. This news provoked a fervent public debate in Hungary, which led immediately to a financial offer from a private entity in Hungary, enabling the filmmakers to complete the film in record time and thus take part in the prestigious competition.

„We are delighted to confirm the return of Sara’s exciting debut to the East of the West competition,“ said KVIFF’s artistic director Karel Och. In the presence of a film delegation, the premiere will be held on 5 July at 4:30pm in the Pupp cinema. The detailed information of the film are included in the relevant section on the website and in printed form distributed via the Press Centre.

Program changes!

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:30:00 +0200

Please note the time change for Marley, a portrait of singer Bob Marley, originally scheduled for Sunday, July 1, 2012 at Lazne III. It will be screened three hours earlier, i.e. at 10:30 and the new code is 3L1.

The block of short documentaries by Michelangelo Antonioni will be shown without Volcanos and Carnival, originally scheduled for July 1, 2012 at 15:30 in Cinema B and July 4, 2012 at 19:00 at Husovka and Vertigo, originally scheduled for June 30, 2012 at 10:00 in Cinema B and at Husovka on July 6, 2012 at 19:00. The remaining seven short films will be shown as scheduled.

Dear Betrayed Friends has returned back to the program of East of the West. The Hungarian psychological drama will be screened on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 16:30 in Pupp (code 7P5) and Friday, July 6, 2012 at 12:30 in Cas (code 8C4).

Dario Argento, Kara Hayward and Thomas Bo Larsen - further guests at the 47th KVIFF 2012

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:02:00 +0200

THE KARLOVY VARY FESTIVAL WILL BE ATTENDED BY DIRECTOR DARIO ARGENTO

The 47th Karlovy Vary IFF will be hosting Italian director DARIO ARGENTO, who will introduce the film Dario Argento’s Dracula included in the section Midnight Screenings. The film will be screened in 3D.

The Italian director and screenwriter has long been one of the most distinctive names in horror, a genre in which he had a major influence. His work is respected and appreciated in traditional bastions of the horror genre, such as the USA, Germany and Japan. A number of successful filmmakers, particularly Quentin Tarantino, have sought Dario Argento as a source of inspiration.

Dario Argento began as a co-screenwriter on Sergio Leone’s legendary film Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Although he never studied filmmaking, he began working as a co-director and, after gaining experience on several films, his father, producer Salvatore Argento, enabled him to make his first film as director.

The success of the film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L’ Uccello dalle piume di cristallo, 1970) launched the young filmmaker on a promising career, the initial culmination of which was the 1975 thriller Deep Red (Profondo rosso, 1975) starring David Hemmings.

Argento’s name gradually became synonymous with the horror film genre in its various modes, from the thriller and the Italian giallo genre, to classics such as The Phantom of the Opera (Il Fantasma dell’opera, 1995) featuring Julian Sands and the director’s daughter Asia Argento in the lead roles. The latter also appears in the film Dario Argento’s Dracula, in which the celebrated filmmaker returns to the Gothic roots of the story, yet giving it a modern twist.

Ticket Reservation - new dates

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:19:00 +0200

Karlovy Vary IFF would like to apologize to all visitors and film fans for the delay of the launch of the 47th KVIFF ticket reservation system. The delay was caused by a failure on the side of the Internet service provider. According to the provider, the technical problem has now been resolved.

“We successfully tested all data services several weeks before the launch of the reservations system. Today at 10AM our data transfer route was damaged, which caused a 50 minute failure of the Internet connection. The connection was restored at 10:50 AM and is now fully functional. We sincerely apologize to the organizers of Karlovy Vary IFF for any inconvenience,” said Blanka Vokounova of Telefónica Czech Republic.

Because of the extent of the technical difficulties and in order to ensure equal conditions for all users of the reservation system, the new launch date has been set for Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 10 AM. The system will be open until midnight of June 27, 2012. Karlovy Vary IFF would like to apologize once again for any inconvenience caused by circumstances outside of our control.

Karlovy Vary festival to award Susan Sarandon

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:05:00 +0200

During the gala closing ceremonies of the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF, American actress Susan Sarandon will accept a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

At the festival, Susan Sarandon will personally present the film Jeff Who Lives At Home.

Sarandon was born into a religious family and her first educational interests were not exclu-sively artistic: at Catholic University in Washington she also studied mathematics and philos-ophy. There she met her first husband, actor Chris Sarandon, who greatly influenced her deci-sion to become an actress. Her first success came with a role in the crime comedy Joe (dir. John G. Avildsen). Following the breakup of her first marriage, the actress’s artistic career took a major turn when she met eminent director Louis Malle. His ability to tap into Sarandon’s acting versatility was reflected in Pretty Baby (1978), the nostalgic story of a prostitute whose daughter decides to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Two years later she picked up her first Academy Award nomination for her role in Malle’s romantic crime flick Atlantic City.

In the mid 1980s she enjoyed another series of interesting parts on her way to becoming a superstar. The comedy The Witches of Eastwick (dir. George Miller) started things off, and two Golden Globe nominations soon followed – for her 1988 role in Bull Durham (dir. Ron Shelton) and for a 1990 part in White Palace (dir. Luis Mandoki). A year later she and Geena Davis were outstanding in Ridley Scott’s action road movie Thelma & Louise, with both ac-tresses receiving Academy Award nominations. This period was rich in Oscar nods – she re-ceived another for her role in George Miller’s drama Lorenzo’s Oil and for playing a defense attorney in the crime picture The Client (dir. Joel Schumacher).

International Juries

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:04:00 +0200

GRAND JURY

Richard Peña, president
Program Director of the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York and Director of the New York Film Festival since 1988. At the Film Society, he has organized retrospectives of filmmakers such as Antonioni, Guitry, Kiarostami, Aldrich, Chahine and Ozu. He has also initiated film series devoted to films from Africa, Israel, Cuba, Poland, Hungary, Taiwan, Argentina, and elsewhere. He is Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University, where he specializes in film theory and world cinema. He lectured at Princeton University from 2006 to 2009. He is also currently co-host of “WNET/Channel 13’s weekly.”

Grand Jury members:

Rajko Grlić
Maria Hatzakou
Makram Khoury
Joanna Kos-Krauze
Ivo Mathé
François Papineau

Grand Jury

Opening film of the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:02:00 +0200

The international premiere of Good Vibrations by directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glen Leyburn will open the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF.

This fast-paced story about Terri Hooley, the founder of the Belfast punk scene, is a smartly constructed picture that combines humor and superb music, and also uses period archive footage. It tells the tale of a dreamer who determines to go after his goal without any guarantee of success.

Karlovy Vary IFF to welcome world-renowned filmmakers

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:01:00 +0200

Variety's Ten European Directors To Watch

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Greek BOY EATING THE BIRD'S FOOD to premiere in Karlovy Vary competition

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:20:00 +0200

Eight world premieres and four international premieres will be competing in the main competition at the Karlovy Vary IFF, which will also be profiling four talented debut directors.

One of the films competing for the Crystal Globe for Best Film will be Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy (Romanzo di una strage) by Italian director Marco Tullio Giordana, a thrilling reconstruction of the notorious and, to date, unsolved terrorist attack in Milan in 1969. Previous films by this respected filmmaker have been presented in competition in Cannes and Venice.

Prominent Polish director Jan Jakub Kolski also has experience from the Venice competition. The hero of his latest film To Kill a Beaver (Zabić bobra) is marked by his war experiences to such an extent that he shuts himself off from the world. Only a girl he has never met before manages to pull him out of his paranoid state.
The Czech representative, Polski film by Marek Najbrt, is highly unusual for its genre, unique not only for the competition section, but also within Central European cinema as a whole. This mischievous reflection on the boundaries of reality and fiction, in which well-known Czech actors play themselves, shows us how to cope with our own fame and with the pitfalls associated with the art of filmmaking.

Directors from countries severely affected by the economic crisis have also opted for unconventional modes of cinematic storytelling. The Bressonesque existential drama by debuting director Ektoras Lygizos Boy Eating the Bird's Food (To agori troi to fagito tou pouliou) is one of the more radical allegorical films to come out of Greece, a country currently producing some of the most interesting works to figure on the international festival circuit. Portuguese filmmaker Rodrigo Areias elected to transfer the timeless philosophy of American moralist Henry D. Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience to the traditional Western environment in the film Hay Road (Estrada de Palha). While the story is set one hundred years ago, the movie is powerful not only for its bewitching style, but also for its extremely tangible parallels with the present.

The Slovak-Czech debut MADE IN ASH by Iveta Grófová will open the East of the West competition

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:11:00 +0200

There’s a new look to this section, which seeks out talented filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe and now focuses exclusively on brand new first and second films

The Czech Republic will also be represented by Czech Lion holder for Best Film Flower Buds (Poupata) and, like the section’s opening film, Yuma by Polish director Piotr Mularuk was made in a Czech coproduction as well. After entering his short film Poor-Land for the documentary competition, another Polish director, Filip Marczewski, now returns with his feature debut, the drama Shameless (Bez wstydu).

This year Hungary is being represented by the thriller The Exam (A viszga), about the machinations of the secret police after the suppression of the uprising in 1956, and by the psychological drama Dear Betrayed Friends (Drága besúgott barátaim) by director Sára Cserhalmi. The novice filmmaker not only cast her father György in the film, familiar to international audiences from works by István Szabó or Miklós Jancsó, but also János Derzsi, who was superb in Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse.

Other entries for this competition section include those from Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Latvia and Estonia.

Films in the East of the West competition

Two Czech films will compete in the feature-length documentary competition

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:10:00 +0200

Čas cinema will host the world premiere of the new film by Czech RAPublic creators Pavel Abrahám and Tomáš Bojar, Two Nil (Dva nula), while the competition also welcomes back icon of Czech documentary filmmaking Helena Třeštíková with her latest real-time documentary Private Universe (Soukromý vesmír).

Winner of the Best Documentary from KVIFF 2006 Timo Novotny (Life in Loops) will try to defend his Crystal Globe with his new film Trains of Thoughts. The filmmakers behind The Mother, Pavel Kostomarov and Antoine Cattin, are bringing over their recently completed portrait of Aleksei German, Hard To Be God (Dur d'etre dieu). The 1980s East German skateboard scene is the subject of the dynamic film This Ain't California, and we take a look inside a house of ill repute for transvestites located in a conservative Uruguayan village in the documentary The Bella Vista (El Bella Vista).

Films in Documentary Films in Competition

Adventures from a Serbian living room, a Canadian fairground and the mountain ranges of Pakistan are all played out in the Forum of Independents competition.

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:07:00 +0200

A mockumentary from a classical music festival in Dubrovnik, a drama about the abduction of a theatre company in the Moroccan desert, and a film tracing the movements of an unhinged hero trying to find his place in contemporary Berlin – these are films competing at this year’s festival for the Independent Camera Award.

Karlovy Vary Festival to award Dame Helen Mirren

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:20:00 +0200

During the Gala Opening Ceremony of the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will be awarded to Dame Helen Mirren. This superb British actress will be a guest at this year’s festival together with her husband, American director and producer Taylor Hackford.

As part of the programme for the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF, Helen Mirren will be presenting the film The Door, in which she played the lead under Hungarian director István Szabó, President of the international jury at last year’s KVIFF.

Karlovy Vary IFF in Cannes 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:22:00 +0200

The following representatives of the Karlovy Vary IFF will be attending the festival in Cannes:

Karel Och, Artistic Director (May 16 - 23)
och@kviff.com

Eva Zaoralova, Artistic Consultant (May 16 - 25)
zaoralova@kviff.com

Ivana Novotna, Senior Programmer (May 16 - 23)
novotna@kviff.com

Krystof Mucha, Executive Director (May 17 - 22)
mucha@kviff.com

Andrea Szczukova, Head of Film Industry Office (May 17 - 22)
industry@kviff.com

Pavel Bednarik, International Press (May 17 - 21)
bednarik@kviff.com

Contact in Cannes:
VILLAGE INT’L Riviera, Pavilion No. 132 - Czech Republic

The 47th Karlovy Vary IFF 2012 will be held June 29 - July 7.

All information about the Karlovy Vary IFF 2012: www.kviff.com

Tribute to Josef Somr

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0200

As part of this tribute Josef Somr will present the film The Joke (Žert) on Friday 6 July 2012 at the Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre. Director Jaromil Jireš based his 1968 film on the famous novel by Milan Kundera; like a number of other works of Czech cinematography, The Joke suffered at the hands of totalitarian censorship.

The Firemen’s Ball in world premiere

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Last year the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival initiated a long-term project to digitally restore major works of Czechoslovak cinematography. The Ministry of Culture and the National Film Archive are also involved in the project. The common aim is the gradual digitisation of titles from the Czech film industry’s gold collection, to preserve them and to make them accessible to future generations of viewers who would perhaps otherwise never have the chance to see them.

Tribute to Reha Erdem

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:15:00 +0100

As part of its 47th edition, the Karlovy Vary IFF will focus on one of the most outstanding contemporary Turkish directors, Reha Erdem, as well as on a key figure of postwar French cinema, Jean-Pierre Melville. The festival will also honor the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Michelangelo Antonioni with a complete presentation of his documentary work.

Tribute to Jean-Pierre Melville

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:14:00 +0100

Michelangelo Antonioni Documentary Retrospective

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:12:00 +0100

Prague Short Film Festival

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0100

The 7th Prague Short Film Festival organized by the team behind the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will take place from January 18 to January 22, 2012 at Prague’s Svetozor cinema and offer a peak at the best short films produced around the world.

Short scripted films made during the past two years will go head to head in the festival’s International Competition, while the Panorama section will introduce films praised at international films festivals and by film academies in 2011. Sweden 2011 will offer the best of contemporary Swedish film and the traditional section Labo will showcase the newest experimental works. The newcomer, Delicatessen, will take viewers back in time to ancient film history and revisit the most important milestones of short film. Sorry Curator will also look back, this time at short films created by German women directors since 2000. The program of Utopia will take a closer look at social norms and ideals. Horror films, absurd and crazy comedies will take over the cinema at the live Brutal Relax Show. This year’s festival will also for the first time screen films for the youngest film fans in its Small Big World section. To get in the mood for the festival visit www.csfd.cz for an exclusive preview of several films featured and praised at last year’s festival including the recipients of the Special Jury Mentions, Jenny and the Worm by Ian Clark and In Space by Visra Vichit-Vadakan, or audience favorites Betty B. & the The's by Felix Stienz, King Chicken by Nicolas Bolduc and Dental Breakdown by Ian Power.

46th Karlovy Vary IFF 2011 - Awards

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0200

#zaver#

Woody Allen’s comedy tops off festival's grand finale

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0200

Woody Allen’s 41st film, Midnight in Paris, will wrap up tonight’s closing ceremony at the 46th Karlovy Vary International Festival. Midnight in Paris, a romantic comedy about an engaged American couple forced to deal with disillusion when life in the French metropolis turns out to be not much different from their own.

The film’s premiere opened this year’s festival in Cannes. Woody Allen’s recent films are studded with stars and his last one, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams or Marion Cotillard, is no different. American critics found the comedy sufficiently sweet, sentimental and funny to please all Allen’s fans. The film will come to Czech cinemas in September.

Get ready for the very best of Vary!

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0200

As the festival in Karlovy Vary ends, the Official Echoes starts in Prague’s cinemas Aero and Světozor, offering the very best of IFF Karlovy Vary until July 18, 2011.

The Echoes of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will include a selection of films from various sections, starting with the main competition represented by The Jewel, German Cracks in the Shell, Collaborator, Restoration and Gypsy to festival hits Incendies, Submarine or the much discussed Tree of Life.

The Echoes will offer several Czech films screened at this year’s festival starting with Theater Svoboda, Matchmaking Mayor, the surrealist and playful Head-Hands-Heart, drama Eighty Letters, documentary, Coal in the Soul, Jan Švankmajer’s Surviving Life or Walking Too Fast.

Do not miss the opening film of the festival, Jane Eyre, the timeless classic Taxi Driver, Eugene Among Us or Petr Marek’s new film, Nothing Against Nothing, the well-received film from the festival’s East of the West section.

Click here for complete program of the Official Echoes of Karlovy Vary IFF

Saturday open-air cinema!

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:30:00 +0200

Saturday’s 11PM screening of Nicky’s Family will be the last festival event at the open-air cinema.

The open-air cinema reopened with the first film of this year’s festival Jane Eyre. Film fans will return on Saturday to watch one of the festival favorites, Matěj Mináč’s Nicky’s Family.

The festival’s closing film, Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen, will screen at Thermal’s grand hall. The film cannot be shown at the open-air cinema, but film fans will be able to see it in Czech movie theaters from September 22, 2011.

Saturday, July 9, 2011: festival statistics

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 09:50:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 9:50 on Saturday, July 9, 2011, the last day of the festival: 12 013, of which

• Festival Passes: 10 246
• Filmmaker: 307
• Film professionals: 813
• Journalists: 647

Tickets sold: 121 655
Screenings: 379

Saturday, July 9, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

The red carpet arrival ceremony and screening of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris will close this year’s film festival in Karlovy Vary.

Navigators will take over the stage at Thermal at 8PM.

Aeroport will kick off Dance Yourself at 10PM with DJs Jirka & Roman M@Gors playing great music for festival people.

One of the last events of this year’s festival starts at 11 PM. Do not miss the final goodbye to the 46th film festival at a surprise screening at the open-air cinema. Entry: free.

Click here for detailed program.

It’s a bit like doing a movie naked

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

John Turturro, who will receive the KVIFF president’s award tonight, is here screening the film Somewhere Tonight, in which he and wife Katherine Borowitz (Patti) play aging, increasingly desperate singles in New York who both pursue and taunt each other via a phone sex chat line. The film, written and directed by Michael Di Jiacomo, features a Turturro character that naturally appealed to the actor. Like so many roles he has played, Leroy, aka Wooly, is weird, a little damaged, a bit obsessive, and has a lot going on under the surface¬ and in between the lines of dialogue.

What is it about the original Theo van Gogh work 06 (1-900) that inspired you to create its third US adaptation, following Stanley Tucci’s and Steve Buscemi’s?

The original was a play that he wrote. It was his first one. It’s very, very sexual. It’s of his culture. I thought it would be fun to do something like that with Kathy but after a half an hour you did kinda get a little tired of the sex. It’s an exercise because it’s over a phone. That’s really hard. I didn’t have time to do my own adaptation. So I said listen, there’s this guy Michael [Di Jiacomo] I worked with on a script before. It was the story of Jack Molinas, who was a basketball player who was thrown out of the NBA in his first season. He did a great job. So I suggested him to write it. Then the producer said, “He’s really good.” Then I said, “You know what? Give him a chance to direct it.” This way I could give him a chance to get out there.

Even though you sometimes make big, summer popcorn movie like Transformers 3, you also do small films like Somewhere Tonight that are closer to your heart...

People are starved for different things. They really are. I know I am. I find movies... ¬I hate to use the word mystical, ¬but when you were younger you had these encounters with things, there was a whole mysterious element to it. Now a lot of comedies, it’s a certain kind of comedy¬ and some people do it well. But doing something like this is a little bit like doing a movie naked. It’s an experiment. Everything’s an experiment. But I got to work with Kathy and I got to work with Max Casella and Elizabeth Marvel.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Puppets in (im)proper hands

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0200

Canadian filmmaker Aaron Houston brought to Vary his mockumentary Sunflower Hour about four puppeteers auditioning for a children’s TV show. The film was screened in world premiere in the Forum of Independents section.

“I was watching a puppet show with my daughter and noticed the lead puppet was smarter than the others. I was surprised to see even children’s TV shows were ego-driven. I thought they were pure and moral. It is clear from the film what I think now,” said the director and scriptwriter about his inspiration for this sarcastic comedy about a group of loser puppeteers and porn producers moonlighting in children’s TV.

Huston was also inspired by American Idol and modeled his characters on contestants eliminated early in the competition. “I have also based my characters on people I know. Most people have problems, are bullied and insecure. When you approach it without prejudice, it is quite funny,” added the director, who takes two of the puppets to all screenings and parties in Vary.

The bloopers included on the future DVD should be pretty funny too, because the filming that took place mainly on weekends and cost EUR 20 000, produced a number of improvised scenes that never made into the movie.

Jerzy Stuhr about himself, Kieslowski and Fellini

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0200

The Master Class with famous Polish actor, professor and director Jerzy Stuhr completed this year’s meetings with notable filmmakers. On his fourth visit to Karlovy Vary, the filmmaker presented Italian film Habemus Papam, where he portrays the Vatican spokesman. At the Jameson Festival Lounge he talked about the way director Nanni Moretti makes films and shared stories about Federico Fellini. “He said he liked Marcello Mastroianni because he never read scripts, so he could make him do anything. The worst actor to work with was Donald Sutherland. This follower of the Anglo-Saxon school of acting kept pestering Fellini for an explanation of his character’s motives.”

Jerzy Stuhr went on to talk about the work style of Krzysztof Kieślowski, with whom he made his first films during the time of Polish “cinema of moral unrest.” He discussed his work as director and told the participants about the difficulties actors from the former communist block faced when venturing West. “I would get offers to play a Polish homeless guy washing cars at an intersection or a Russian gangster in Greek prison. Nanni Moretti writing a role for me in Habemus Papam is a dream come true.

Lonely John Turturro

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0200

The world premiere of conversation drama about loneliness, Somewhere Tonight, brought to the festival John Turturro, a famous American actor known not only from the Cohen brothers movies. But the star and recipient of this year’s President’s Award did not want to talk about the Cohens at today’s press conference. All members of the delegation were clearly happy and thankful to have managed to make Somewhere Tonight in half the regular time and for half the money. They wanted to promote the film screened in Vary tonight in world premiere.

The story of two loners is after Interview and Blind Date the third American film based on the original of controversial Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh murdered in 2004. “It is not a remake, more of a sequel of 06/05. I have focused more on the isolation theme and used a more humanistic approach,” said director Michael Di Jiacomo, pointing out the differences between his film and the original.

The story about two people that meet through a sex line brought together John Turturro and his life partner Katherine Browitz, who came with him to Vary. In addition to discussing the difficulties of playing strangers when knowing each other so well, they also talked out problems of today’s film distribution.

Screenings:

8. 7. 17:00 Grand hall
9. 7. 12:30 Kino Čas

Men About Town hit Vary

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0200

Jiřina Bohdalová, Jiřina Jirásková and Iva Janžurová will meet at quarter to two in front of the Municipal Theater to introduce the festival screening of popular comedy Men About Town.

Festival visitors can meet the actresses at the red carpet at the theater or after the screening. The 1969 comedy of Zdeněk Podskalský will undoubtedly be greeted with the same enthusiasm as the yesterday screening of The Hit.

Punk rock dads

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0200

Documentary film The Other F Word shows what happens to hard core rockers when they hit middle age and their own kids show them their fight against the system, rules and responsibility has its limits. The film was directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins based on the idea of producer Cristan Reilly, who used to play in Pennywise with Jim Lindberg.

After reading his autobiography Punk Rock Dads, she convinced Andrea to make it into a movie. “Thanks to Jim we met other rockers, which would have been hard to do otherwise,” said Cristan Reilly at the post-screening debate. “You find out that all of them are actually softies, the mohawks and tattoos are just for show. As soon as you ask about things people usually don’t ask them about, they pour their hearts out,” said the director, describing how she got access to the private lives of her protagonists.

The rockers reveal a lot about their private lives when talking about their families, what attracted them to punk and when comparing their past opinions with their current family life. The document also captures Lindberg’s departure from Pennywise, so he could focus more on his children. “Today, Jim has another band, but he’s the boss and can decide when to go on tour. So they don’t play on the first day of school,” added the producer.

Screening:
8. 7. 13:00 Drahomira

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Friday, July 8, 2011: festival statistics

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:30:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 8:30 on Friday, July 8, 2011: 11 896, of which

• Festival Passes: 10 150
• Filmmaker: 301
• Film professionals: 805
• Journalists: 640

Tickets sold: 115 877
Screenings: 329

Friday, July 8, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Today’s Master Class with Polish actor, playwright, scriptwriter, director and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow Jerzy Stuhr starts at 2PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. The director will present Nanni Morreti’s film Habemus Papam, screed in the Horizons section. The Master Class will be in Czech and Polish only.

Three starts of cult comedy Men About Town, Jiřina Jiráskova, Jiřina Bohdalova and Ivu Janžurova will walk the red carpet in front of the Municipal theater at 2PM.

After walking the red carpet in front of Thermal, festival guest star John Torturro will introduce the screening of his film Somewhere Tonight at 5PM at the grand hall.

La Fiesta featuring DJs Jakub Johánek & Petr Mikovec IN DUB!, Babylon Rocker, Ross De Boss starts at 10PM at Aeroport. The night’s advanced dancing lesson will focus on dubstep, Latin American cumbia and moombahton or African kuduro, mbalx and kizomba topped by Star Wars style in the wee hours of the morning.

Reflex party starts at the open-air cinema at 10PM with a The Concert, a film from the FILM X edition. Entry: free.

Click here for detailed program.

Rough diamonds shine brighter

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

Ted Hope has been the producer behind some of the most exciting film talents to emerge since the early 1990s. Considered one of the most influential backers of indies around, he has brought innovative filmmakers such as Hal Hartley, Ang Lee and Todd Solondz to wide audiences. Hope was at KVIFF as producer of actor Martin Donovan’s feature debut Collaborator.

You produced the first, or very early, films of a seminal group of directors. What attracts you to emerging talents?

You can spot a diamond in the rough. They shine brighter than the other people. But a lot of times they haven’t learned how to position themselves or their project correctly. Or they don’t know how to take authority for their work or take authority on the set. They need somebody to endorse them. Now that I have a track record, I’ve got something I can lend to them. I can say, “Look, I really respect this person.” Sometimes, because they come from a foreign culture or [because of] a gender bias or social issues, it’s harder for them to get initial support. I love working with first time and second time directors, because I find sometimes they are the most collaborative. They want your ideas and they want to understand things better.

What is the greatest challenge facing young filmmakers?

We have to look at the question of how we, as creators, start to differentiate our work from movies that have already been certified by critics and audiences as masterpieces. I’m a chronic list keeper and I’ve built my own queue of everything I want to see, and I’ve already selected enough movies to keep me fully engaged at my peak consumption rate of about 200 titles a year for five years beyond my life expectancy. I already know what I want to do and what I want to see. So, when somebody makes a new movie, why should I bump a film by somebody I’ve already spotted and know about and which I know is going to be good so that I can watch their little independent movie?

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

It will be a Hit!

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0200

A tribute to Ladislav Smoljak starts at the Municipal Theater at 10:30 with live performance of music from The Hit followed by the screening of the film written by Ladislav Smoljak and Zdenek Svěrák and admired for over 30 years.

The music will be performed by Wohnout, Navigators, Blue Effect, singers from musicals A Walk to Nowhere and Jesus Christ Superstar, film actors and directors.

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Fancy wearing John Malkovich’s T-shirt?

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:05:00 +0200

Get ready for the Friday morning fight for a T-shirt from John Malkovich’s collection, complete with a gift certificate, in the Festival Daily’s treasure hunt.

John Malkovich will present his fashion collection Technobohemian on Thursday night in Kalovy Vary. One beautiful men’s T-shirt from the collection will be hidden somewhere in Karlovy Vary tomorrow morning.

If you want this exclusive long-sleeve T-shirt, read the Festival Daily carefully in the morning. Who will be the lucky winner of this T-shirt touched by the hands of John Malkovich?

Many fascinating object were lost this year in Vary by Czech and international celebrities. Readers of the Festival Daily have found Magda Vašáryova’s pen, Martha Issova’s gold handbag or Jana Budař‘s T-shirt. The last object will be a real treat – Petra Kvitova’s tennis ball straight from the Wimbledon.

Making painting come alive

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:00:00 +0200

At today’s Master Class, Polish artist Lech Majewski talked mainly about The Mill & the Cross, the film that brings alive Brueghel’s painting. Multitalented painter, poet and director Majewski has a close relationship with the Flemish painter. “I probably like his other paintings better, but this one kind of chose me. American critic Michael Gibson sent be a book titled The Mill & the Cross after he saw my film Angelus. I couldn’t put it down,” said Majewski at yesterday’s discussion after the screening, adding he has learned a lot studying Brueghel. “He was a surrealist and pioneer. The people on his paintings are like characters from a Fellini film choreographed by Altman.”

The film, originally intended for screening at galleries, has been shown in movie theaters in 48 countries. Post-production lasting over two and a half years and a special feature in American Cinematographer only underline how visually exceptional the film really is.

Lost souls hotel

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0200

The story of the Danish-Croat drama Room 304, the last competitor for this year’s Crystal Globe, centers around one gunshot. The gunshot is fired at the beginning of the film in a Copenhagen hotel room, where several guests face a crossroads in their lives. Only at the end will the audience find out who fired the shot, who got shot and maybe even why.

“The people in Room 304 are looking for happiness. They are trying to find some meaning in life, but they fail. We Scandinavians probably have a bit of a reputation for having a depressing view of the world,” said director Birgitte Stærmose, describing the atmosphere of her feature debut, adding she found the clash of anonymity and intimacy in hotels fascinating. Making the film, she enjoyed whole three weeks in a hotel in Zagreb.

Screenings:

7. 7. 20:00 Grand hall
8. 7. 10:00 Espace Dorleans

Lebanese Romeo looking for Juliette

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0200

The Canadian competition film, Romeo Onze, tells a bitter-sweet story of an outsider.

The feature debut of Ivan Grbovič portrays the life of a teenage boy from a Lebanese family in Montreal having a difficult time dealing with his slight physical handicap. After meeting a girl in a chat room, he finds it hard to gather the courage to meet her.

“Making the feature was the most difficult and emotionally draining experience in my entire life. I am glad I didn’t lose my mind,” the director, who will present the film with actor Joseph Bou Nassar portraying the hero’s father and producer Paul Barbeau, told the Festival Daily.

The world premiere of Romeo Onze starts at 17:00 at Thermal’s grand hall. The second screening is scheduled for Friday 13:00 at Espace Dorleans.

3x Elia Kazan

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0200

Karlovy Vary will pay a tribute to director Elia Kazan, the great Hollywood filmmaker, whose reputation has been tainted by cooperation with The House Committee on Un-American Activities in the 50s.

The three hour-long film America, America was inspired by the story of his family of Greek immigrants that arrived to the New World at the end of the 19th century in search of a better life. The 1982 documentary portrait, Outsider Elia Kazan, shot druing Kazan’s interview with French film critic and guest of this year’s festival, Michel Ciment, includes selected scenes from his films. In the documentary, Kazan recounts how his skin color, Greek origins and Jewish roots complicated his life in America. The film will be screened with another documentary about the Oscar-winning director of Gentleman’s Agreement and On the Waterfront.

The final film of the tribute is last year’s A Letter to Elia, directed by Kent Jones and Martin Scorsese, who was influenced by the filmmaker’s ability to preserve his artistic integrity in Hollywood.

Screenings:
America, America, July 7, 2011, 13:30 Grand hall
A Letter to Elia and Outsider Elia Kazan, July 9, 2011, 16:00 Espace Dorleans

Thursday, July 7, 2011: festival statistics

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:30:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of Thursday, July 7, 2011: 11 493, of which

• Festival Passes: 9 825
• Filmmaker: 273
• Film professionals: 776
• Journalists: 619

Tickets sold: 102 602
Screenings: 278

Thursday, July 7, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Today’s Master Class with director Lech Majewski starts at 2PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. Director, scriptwriter and writer Majewski is one of the most prominent contemporary artists. In 2006, he became the first Polish artist to have a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He will introduce his film The Mill & the Cross in the festival’s Another View section. He will dedicate his master class to bridging the gap between art and film and the symbolic role of film language. The Master Class will be moderated by Tomáš Baldýnský.

A Day with Amnesty will start at Divadelni square in front of Aeroport at 11 AM. On Thursday, film will share Karlovy Vary with Amnesty International. The day will culminate with a petition for three wrongly jailed individuals (see www.3minutystaci.cz for more information). The petition will be available for signing until Sunday at Karlovarska colonnade. Everyone signing the petition will have a chance to win an attractive prize and participate in the creation of unique artwork.

Filmmakers and actors from competition films will walk the red carpet in front of Thermal from Saturday to Thursday. Every day two competition films will be screened at the grand hall – see the festival program for more details. Public press conferences for competition films will be held from Saturday to Thursday at Thermal’s conference hall. Priority will be given journalists with press accreditation, followed by visitors with Festival Passes. Today’s press conferences: Romeo Eleven (1PM) and Room 304 (2PM).

Reflex’s X Interview with selected celebrities will start at 5PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. Today, Milan Tesař will talk to director Zdeněk Suchý.

Postovni dvur will open its doors for Dance with Czech Television at 8PM with mako and Eddie Stoilow. Entry: free.

A Day with Amnesty will culminate at 9:30 PM by a concert of the multicultural band United Flavour at Aeroport offering a unique experience. The concert starts at 10PM. Entry: free with Festival Pass or Vodafone Pass/CZK 50 without Festival Pass.

The Hit – A Tribute to Ladislav Smoljak starts at Mestske Divadlo (Municipal Theater) at 10:30 PM with a live performance of The Hit soundtrack followed by a screening of the cult film admired for 30 years and written by Ladislav Smoljak and Zdeněk Svěrák. Performers: Wohnout, Navigators, Blue Effect, singers from musicals A Walk to Nowhere and Jesus Christ Superstar, film actors and directors. Tickets on sale from July 4, 2011 at the main box office in Thermal.

Click here for detailed program.

Artists must expose their souls

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

Kim Ki-duk is hiding in Karlovy Vary – not from the audiences, of course, but from Korean journalists. After three years of relative seclusion, the world-renowned director has returned to filmmaking with his semi-autobiographical Arirang, which he presented this week at KVIFF. The notoriously private director spoke with The Festival Daily about his latest film, the relationship between art and truth, and the difficulty of confronting himself.

Arirang is an autobiographical monolog set in a snow-covered mountain cottage. Did this present challenges for you as a filmmaker?

I don’t perceive it as a monolog. Kim Ki-duk Number One speaks to Kim Ki-duk Number Two, with Kim Ki-duk Number Three interfering... All are different; all are me. My primary goal in making Arirang was not to make a film to travel around festivals. In fact I made it for myself. I admit that in certain ways I feel a bit ashamed. I am naked in it, using the bathroom, overeating – there are many scenes that people usually don’t show.I shot it last winter, then I shot a bit more until I had gathered plenty of material. During the editing I suddenly felt, I want to reveal this about myself, even though what I found out about myself was painful at times. It made me angry. I was swearing. Yes, I surprised myself quite a bit in Arirang.

Why do artists bare their souls?

If an artist wants to be truthful, they haven’t got much choice. It’s simply their job. I don’t want to expose my soul but I have to. But I don’t think of myself as an artist. I am a film worker.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Bedouin comes to the colonnade

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0200

Russian director Igor Vološin will introduce the international premiere of his new film Bedouin at the festival on Wednesday. In the film, Ukrainian Rita arrives to St. Petersburg to make money for her daughter’s cancer treatment by becoming a surrogate mother for a gay couple.

“It is a portrait of a modern society, hostile to the poor and sick,” told the director to the Festival Daily. “The film is intended as a harsh social critique.”

In addition to Vološin, the film will be introduced by actors Olga Simonova and Remigius Sabulis and producer Alexander Orlov. The film will be screened today at Thermal’s grand hall at 8 PM and on Thursday at 10AM at Espace Dorleans.

Cash-strapped filmmakers with lots of energy

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0200

How do you make films when your country is about to go bankrupt? This and other topics were discussed at today’s Master Class with young Greek filmmakers, who have their own section at this year’s festival. All four guests admitted it was not easy, but while director Alexis Alexiou is pessimistic about the future, his colleague, Argyris Papadimitropoulos, is still optimistic. “Filmmaking has become more spontaneous and there is more solidarity among filmmakers. Plus, when you don’t work, you have more time to write scripts. You have to focus on the positive, otherwise you’re going to sit at home, feel sorry for yourself and never make any films.”

The filmmakers agreed that making films in Greece was never easy, even before the crisis. “Today, you have to improvise more, ask others for help. Your friends become your private investors, there is no state money,” said Papadimitropoulos, who will introduce his film Wasted Youth tonight.

Another Greek success is this year’s Oscar-nominee Dogtooth. “It made more money in Greece when it came out on DVD sold at newsstands than in the movies. That should tell you something,” said producer Amanda Livanou. The discussion at the Jameson Festival Lounge, where the broken air-conditioning created an authentic Greek atmosphere, also touched on the controversy Greek films stir at home or the difference between Greek filmmakers of the 70s and the current generation that sees social problems through personal stories.

60-second movie anyone?

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0200

The winners of Jameson Done in 60 Seconds will be announced on Wednesday at 7PM. How successful were the contestants in fitting their famous films into sixty second mini films?

The winners will be announced at 7PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. The event will be open to the public. The winners will receive lots of prizes and advance to the international round of the competition.

Done in 60 Seconds has been organized in various countries for several years now and film fans have to deal with some really tough tasks. They have even managed to shrink to 60 seconds films including Avatar, Top Gun, Titanic, Forrest Gump and many others.

Have your picture taken!

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +0200

Renowned photographer Václav Jirásek, author of this year’s festival poster, came up with the idea of taking pictures regular festival visitors.

The photo shoot will start at noon on Thursday at the white wall between Thermal’s cinema A and B and last until the evening. All festival visitors are welcome to participate.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011: festival statistics

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:00:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 10AM on Wednesday, July 6, 2011: 10 929, of which

• Festival Passes: 9 334
• Filmmaker: 243
• Film professionals: 752
• Journalists: 600

Tickets sold: 90 708
Screenings: 228

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Today’s Master Class with young Greek filmmakers Maria Drandaki, Syllas Tzoumerkas, Alexis Alexiou and Argyris Papadimitropoulos moderated by Kimitris Kerkinos starts at 11AM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. Master Classes are in English only, unless stated otherwise.

The Spirituality and Film Panel examining the work of ecumenical juries will start at 4PM at the conference hall. The participants will talk about the history and work of ecumenical juries at film festivals and spiritual perception of film. Master Classes are open to film professionals, journalists and the public.

Filmmakers and actors from competition films will walk the red carpet in front of Thermal from Saturday to Thursday. Every day two competition films will be screened at the grand hall – see the festival program for more details. Public press conferences for competition films will be held from Saturday to Thursday at Thermal’s conference hall. Priority will be given journalists with press accreditation, followed by visitors with Festival Passes. Today’s press conferences: Lollipop Monster (1PM) and Bedouin (2PM).

The Project No Barriers will take over Mlynska colonnade at 3PM with an unorthodox fashion show where wheelchair-bound models will present creations by E.daniely fashion house.

The Jameson Festival Lounge will announce the winner of film competition Jameson Done in 60 Seconds at 7PM. The event will be open to the public.

The Gala Night of Karlovy Vary will start at 8PM at the open-air cinema featuring Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, Big Band of Felix Slovacek, and music from Czech and foreign films including If a Thousand Clarinets, Christian, With You the World is Fun, A Night at Karlstein, Cinderella, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, Rocky, The Country I Come From, Once Upon a Time in the West, Some Like it Hot, Evita, Flashdance, James Bond and more.

A party for Ridley Scott’s original YouTube project Life in a day starts at 10PM in Aeroport. The film was made using thousands of videos made by YouTube users on June 24, 2010. DJs: Floex, Denoir, tvprodukt.

Click here for detailed program.

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It’s like twice Disneyland

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

With some 130 films to his name, Burt Young is one of America’s most favored character actors, known for his tough, eminently credible depictions of hoods, grifters, losers and hit men, and for making them somehow lovable. At 71, he’s now talking up his latest role in Tom McCarthy’s infectious comedy Win Win, about burned out lawyer Paul Giamatti who tries to save the inept wrestling team he’s coaching, while also trying to save his practice by skimming from the estate of a wealthy client (played by Young). ¨

So, what are your impressions of the festival so far? Is the Grand Hotel Pupp ok?
Isn’t it beautiful? I mean not OK, it’s like twice Disneyland – it’s like it’s built from the clouds.
This is special. The people are wonderful. They’re earnest. So I’m pleased as hell. And I’m not a good flyer you know. But my daughter says ‘You must go, you’ll see Europe like you never saw before.’ My kid told me.

Interview with Burt Young by Will Tizard is in English Section of Wednesday´s issue of Festival Daily.

Advice from experienced beginner

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0200

The afternoon Master Class at the Jameson Festival Lounge provided insight into the work and thoughts of Martin Donovan, an actor and new director/scriptwriter, whose directorial debut Collaborator competes for the Crystal Globe.

The discussion focused mainly on the preparation of his directorial debut, which took several years. Donovan cautioned any aspiring filmmakers in the audience that wanting to make a film is not enough. It requires a producer like Ted Hope. “He just opened the door for me, because he’s the best in his profession and has contacts,” commented Donnovan with satisfaction.

However, even with the best producer the director’s battle is far from over. “When you make a film outside of a big studio in America, you have to count with not having enough money or not getting it on time. What happened to us was that we got an ultimatum – if you do not pay this many thousands of dollars to this person by 3 PM, we will pack up and leave. This is how it works, but we survived,” said Martin Donovan.

New films, new era

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:19:00 +0200

The Jameson Festival Lounge hosted another film lesson. The morning Master Class belonged to producer Ted Hope, expert on digital processing and new technologies Brian Newman and the future of the new film medium.

Both knowledgeable guests stressed the development of new technologies and their use is moving forward dramatically fast and the film industry must react. Thanks to advanced software, a ten-year-old boy can now shoot and edit a film, while digital technology is making distribution easier and cheaper. New filmmakers can get a large audience on the Internet, a medium underestimated by traditional filmmakers and distributors.

Big reconciliation for little money

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:58:00 +0200

In addition to the main and documentary competitions, face-off of East and Central European films in the East of the West section, independent films also compete for awards tied to money prizes. For example The Pier, a story from west Ireland countryside about a son returning to see his dying father to make peace with the past.

The second film of Gerard Hurley, which had its world premiere last night in Vary, fits perfectly in the Forum of Independents. It takes place on one location, with locals in the supporting roles and budget so low, even the director/scriptwriter had to moonlight as second cameraman and lead actor. “Directing my self was easy for me. And when I even write the script, I get into character.”

Hurley is from west Ireland and so is Maurice Seezer, the score composer. Even though he lives only ten miles from the filming location, no one can doubt his professionalism. His credits include score or songs for films In the Name of the Father, Boxer or Moulin Rouge. The director is accompanied in Vary by American producer Jim Stark and Irish actor Karl Johnson. At the discussion after the screenings Hurley hinted at his next project he may bring to Vary next year. “I am working on a thriller/black comedy about a guy that steals dead bodies for ransom money.”

Screening:

5. 7. 16:00 Espace Dorleans

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Vary fills up with visitors

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:30:00 +0200

The number of festival visitors is higher this year. Right now, there are 1000 more visitors than the same time last year.

Full cinemas, lines at box offices, impatient moviegoers waiting at cinema entrances – the festival reached halftime, Karlovy Vary lives and breathes film and the number of visitors is higher than last year. While last year there were 9 122 visitors on Tuesday at 10AM, this year, the festival organizers counted almost 1 000 more – 10 109 of accredited visitors.

This does not mean visitors will not be able to see the chosen film. The festival has been adding screenings of individual films over the past years, so the chance of seeing the selected film is actually higher.

There are more Festival pass holders this year (8 649 compared to 7 852 in 2010), Filmmaker Pass holders (206 compared to 183 in 2010), Industry accreditations (695 compared to 589 in 2010) and even Journalists (559 compared to 498 in 2010).

The number of tickets sold is also higher this year. While last year 77 960 tickets were sold as of Tuesday at 10AM, this year’s ticket sales reached 78 356.

Šulík's Gypsy in Vary

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:00:00 +0200

Award-winning director Martin Šulík will introduce the world premiere of his new film Gypsy.

The hero of the film, taking place in a Roma settlement, is the young Adam, who is trying to deal with his controlling uncle after the death of his father. Šulík portrays the life of a secluded Roma community over several seasons. “I was shocked at first. How can anyone live like this?” asked one of the professional actors Attila Mokoš after visiting the settlement.

Šulík wanted the film to ignite public discussion about the relationship between the white majority and Roma minority. “It is important the white majority of gadjos and Roma start dealing with social problems together. Neither of them can do it alone. And they should start tomorrow,” said Šulík to the Festival Daily.

The film will be introduced by Martin Šulík, actors Miroslav Gulyas, Martin Hangurbadžo, Martina Kotlárová, Ján Mižigár and Attila Mokoš, scriptwriter Marek Leščák and producer Rudolf Biermann.

The film will be screened in world premiere on Tuesday at 8PM at Thermal’s grand hall. The second screening is scheduled for Wednesday, 10AM at Espace Dorleans.

How to steal a jewel

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:14:00 +0200

The second film of director Andrea Molaioli will be shown in main competition today. Like his successful debut, The Girl by the Lake, his newest film, The Jewel, takes place in a small town that quietly watches on as a crime is committed. This time, the crime is corruption and fraud. The story of the dizzying rise and fall of a food company was inspired by the true story of Italian dairy giant Parmalat and its financial scandal.

The film tells the story of Leda company headed by two men, a manager and his accountant that gradually takes over the company. Both characters are played by famous Italian actors, festival guest and star of The Octopus, Remo Girone and Toni Servillo, winner of the European Film Award for The Deity. “It is important to realize that both characters are hostages of the system. They are not repulsive and in principle behave rationally,” said the director. “Preparing for the film, I studied the Parmalat case, but I also tried to understand the rules and language of the economic system. I have a feeling it is to a large extent built on technical terms understood only by selected few, who monopolize the right to decide.”

Screening:

5. 7. 17:00 Grand hall
6. 7. 13:00 Espace Dorleans

Life and death in one breath

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:50:00 +0200

“There are many films about cancer, but as far as I know, only one about cystic fibrosis. The topic is personal, I suffer from a milder form of the disease,” said Hans Van Nuffel about why he chose the story of people with incurable cystic fibrosis for his remarkable feature debut Oxygen. Belgian Van Nuffel is one of ten European directors that the critics from the prestigious magazine Variety think is worth following.

The native of Flemish Mechelen worked on his film about young people forced to confront early death about two years and thinks the novelty of the topic made it easier to get funding. “Making a debut usually lasts longer, but my producers did a very good job, investors were interested and maybe it helped that the story is heartbreaking and has never been told before,” said the director at a discussion after the screening. A large portion of the film takes place at a hospital, but no pharmaceutical company sponsored it, “if it did, our budged would have tripled.”

During the discussion after the screening, the young filmmaker revealed what he will be working on next. “I am writing a post-coital drama about a girl looking for her father that disappeared in the Congo. She forces a local refugee to help her find him. That’s my new baby.”

Screening:
6. 7. 16:00 Kino Drahomíra

Tuesday, July 5, 2011: festival statistics

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:02:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 10AM on Tuesday, July 5, 2011: 10 101, of which

• Festival Passes: 8 642
• Filmmaker: 206
• Film professionals: 695
• Journalists: 558

Tickets sold: 77 906
Screenings: 179

What is the future of film? Discuss with experts!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:30:00 +0200

Pioneering producer Ted Hope (Dark Horse, American Splendor, 21 Grams) and digital thought leader Brian Newman (former CEO, Tribeca Film Institute) will lead a participatory dialogue with the audience about finding the keys to success in the world that is becoming increasingly mediated by the visual image, on July 5, 11 am, Jameson Festival Lounge. Partner of Master Class at IFF Karlovy Vary is Screen International.

To encourage more dialogue, Ted and Brian have written a joint-article outlining their vision for the future of film. Participants are encouraged to read this article, comment on it online, and submit their own additions, changes, questions or comments in advance. The Festival organizers will select up to three responses to be presented live at the KVIFF Future of Film panel. During the panel The Future of Film, Ted and Brian will briefly summarize their argument and the responses they received online. The three chosen responders will be invited to present their question or response and the floor will be opened for dialogue.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Today’s Master Class with Brian Newman and Ted Hope about the rise of digital technology and the search for the road to success in film starts at 11AM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. The second Master Class with American film and stage actor Martin Donovan, the favorite actor of director Hal Hartley known from for example The Portrait of a Lady and director of Collaborator, will start at the same place at 2PM. The Master Class will focus on the actor’s experience with directing. Moderated by Mike Goodridge.

Help the Children will take over Mlynska colonnade from 10AM to 6PM and include a race of remote-controlled cars. The start fee will benefit the project and the participants will be greeted not only by the yellow mascot -- festival guests will also have a chance to race with VIP guests. Winners will, in addition to satisfaction from a good deed, receive a small gift bearing the logo of the project’s mascot.

Filmmakers and actors from competition films will walk the red carpet in front of Thermal from Saturday to Thursday. Every day two competition films will be screened at the grand hall – see the festival program for more details. Public press conferences for competition films will be held from Saturday to Thursday at Thermal’s conference hall. Priority will be given journalists with press accreditation, followed by visitors with Festival Passes. Today’s press conferences: The Jewel (1PM) and Gypsy (2PM).

Reflex’s X Interview with selected celebrities will start at 5PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge, today, Marek Gregor will talk to artist Jaroslav Rona.

Aeroport will launch the second part of its trip to the beginning of popular music at 10PM. Authentic - DJs Gramophone Brothers /sk/, DJ Mackie Messer & special guest F.T.A. accordion live, DJ Mikuláš. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the mix of old records and newest technology and listen to songs that made today’s 90-year-olds lose their head and all inhibitions. After midnight, you can get lost in a temperamental roots & future fusion of electroswing.

Do not miss today’s Cinema Royal - Secret Cinema – log on to Facebook for more information.

Click here for detailed program.

House is a creep, I’m the good guy!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Since making a mark as “Boomer” in the popular 1980s’ hospital serial St. Elsewhere, David Morse has carved out a sizeable cinematic niche for himself, working with directors such as Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark), Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys) and Sean Penn (Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard). In recent years, he has also maintained a strong presence on the small screen, as Hugh Laurie’s nemesis in House and more recently as an honest cop in a corrupt New Orleans Police department in HBO’s Treme. He came to KVIFF this week to present Official Selection film Collaborator, in which he stars alongside director Martin Donovan.

Did playing opposite Martin Donovan, your director in Collaborator, pose any unique challenges?

Obviously, it was a huge challenge for him. If you’re at all sensitive to the people you’re working with, then the idea [of acting] is to respond to what the other person does. The danger for Martin as a director was trying to have an outside experience – an “observer” experience – while he’s also trying to act in the scene. And for me as an actor watching him observe me is odd. But I would say that he was successful most of the time in not having the observer present, if you know what I mean. ..

Is it true that you were initially reluctant to take the role of Michael Tritter in House?

It’s true. I saw that show while flipping channels and I was seeing this creep on television. I didn’t get it at all. I had no idea why people were watching that show.

What made you change your mind?

I was at dinner on vacation with my family and a lot of friends. We were sitting at dinner and I told them I’d got a call about House and they all flipped out and said “You’ve got to do it! Oh my god, I can’t believe you were asked to do House...” I’m both really glad I did it and haunted by having done it. Because people love him so much, and I guess I was such a creep to him. But from my point of view he was the creep and I was the good guy.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

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Monte Hellman Preserved for Future Generations

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:01:00 +0200

The Vox Humana Session project added one more author to its voice archive today. After István Szabó, journalist Gideon Bachmann recorded his interview with his long-time friend, editor, director, scriptwriter and actor Monte Hellmann.

The interview that lasted over one hour and a half touched on many topics. Monte Hellmann talked about his newest film Road to Nowhere screening at Vary. He reminisced about his beginnings and the time he was kicked out from a movie for disagreements with the producer. He talked about actors that he selects from photographs and even from a talk show posted on YouTube or his fondness for scaring his viewers to death. In the end he and Bachmann agreed his films have a common theme “all of them are about problems in intimate relationships. About the nostalgia for unattainable ideal. About the conflict between love and work caused by every individual striving for immortality in a different way,” said the author, whose films were produced by Roger Corman or Jack Nicholson.

He also tried to remember why he wanted to become a director in the 50s. “I have no idea if it was my idea or if I got it from a teacher. In high school I started to act and when the education counselor asked me what I wanted to be I answered actor. And they told me: you are too smart for that, you should be at least a director. What is ironic is that when I started directing, they wanted me to act, so I agreed with the condition they let me direct too,” said the director.

Screenings of Road to Nowhere
5.7. 21:30 Small hall
7.7. 9:30 Small
9.7. 19:00 Espace Dorleans

Chat over a beer and gun

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:02:00 +0200

In 2008, prominent American independent producer Ted Hope was in the Grand Jury. This year, he comes to Karlovy Vary to have the Grand Jury judge his film. His previous good experience contributed to his decision to present his film Collaborator in world premiere here.

“In America, there are so many films at so many festivals, it is difficult to get noticed. This festival’s timing was just right for us, so I hope we will stand out when we come back to the States after the premiere. It all depends on how successful we will be here,” recounted Ted Hope the reasons for entering Collaborator in competition. “On top of that, when Martin saw the film described as black comedy in the catalogue, he was so happy that his film was understood here,” added the producer.

For Martin Donovan, the story of two childhood friends who meet after many years at a time of crisis over a beer and a gun, is a directorial and scriptwriting debut. He also plays the main character of depressed playwright. “I have had hard times at work, but they were mainly about film financing,” said Hal Hartley’s favorite actor. Like his character in Collaborator, he works in theater, often on the stage. “But it was not my theater work that inspired me, it was the feeling of disappointment of a man that is lost and scared.”

David Morse, in the supporting role of a redneck repeat offender, will see the film for the first time tonight. The American actor is followed by journalists and fans alike, because of his famous roles in Dancer in the Dark, Green Mile or the popular series Dr. House.

“I know many people like Hugh Laurie in that role and are mad at me for how I treated him. I apologize,” joked the actor at the press conference.

Screening:

4. 7. 20:00 Grand hall
5. 7. 10:00 Espace Dorleans

Alois Nebel in Vary

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:47:00 +0200

The authors of Alois Nebel introduced key film characters at the exhibition opening of Dusan Tomanek’s photographs. The authors introduced six film posters with six main characters of cult comic book Alois Nebel drawn by Jaromir 99. The exhibition also includes photographs taken during the making of the film by Dusan Tomanek.

The raw pictures capture an atmosphere of mystery enveloping the unconventional filming where live action was redrawn into a comic-style film. The exhibition of these unique photographs will be rearranged in September to accompain the release of Alois Nebel in Czech theaters.

Dusan Tomanek’s photographs from the filming of “Nebel” that are anything but traditional film stills can be seen on the 1^st floor of Thermal. Opening: until the end of the film festival.

Heritage lost

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:37:00 +0200

The Polish contribution to the main festival competition, Heritage, portrays life in the Polish countryside.

The film will be introduced on Monday by director Andrzej Baranski, actor Rafal Zawierucha, producer Malgorzata Jurczak and scriptwriter Zbyszek Masternak, whose partially autobiographical short stories were used as basis for the film.

The hero is a failed law student returning from the city to the countryside to lose himself. “Zbyszek is torn between being a prince and farmer. As so many people he oscillates between the city and countryside,” said director Baranski.

Heritage will be screened in international premiere on Monday at 5PM at the grand hall. The second screening is scheduled for Tuesday.

Heritage
415 - 4.7.2011, 17:00, Grand hall
5E2 - 5.7.2011, 13:00, Espace Dorleans

Remembering Samuel Fuller

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:14:00 +0200

Samuel Fuller will be remembered today, on American Independence Day, at Sokolov castle. A plaque bearing the name the American filmmaker, whose work influenced Wim Wenders and Quentin Tarantino, was unveiled this morning in a ceremony attended by Marek Eben, artistic director of Karlovy Vary IFF Karel Och and Fuller’s wife Christa, daughter Samantha and granddaughter Samira.

His work in turn was influenced by his experience of the liberation of Sokolov at the end of WWII when he was a soldier in US army. He used this experience to make The Big Red One. “The trauma of combat followed him his entire life,” remembers Christa Fuller.

The retrospective honoring this unique artist at this year’s festival maps his 31-year career, spanning from mid-1940s until his death in 1997. His eleven films include the above-mentioned war drama, a B-movie, gagster films or westerns. Fuller, a director, scriptwriter and actor, always maintained an artist should not yield to the machinery of Hollywood, he should experiment and strive for something new. “That is why he made films such as Shock Corridor, about a man going crazy while searching for absolute truth. It is a perfect metaphor,” said Christa Fuller.

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Jan Kraus Among Us

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:25:00 +0200

Today at the grand hall, actor and moderator Jan Kraus will introduce the film where he plays one of his most adorable characters – shy pop music writer Eugene.

Eugene Among Us is not widely known. In the film, country boy Eugene moves to Prague to get respect, fame and live the good life. At first he sweeps the streets, writes bad poems and every now and then makes it to parties of “Prague intellectuals.” It is there he is offered to write propaganda songs for pop stars loyal to the regime. The naïve and honest country boy turns into a cynical nouveau rich surrounded by beautiful women. No one likes him, but everyone fears him, which he mistakes for respect.

Completed in 1981, the film promptly disappeared in the regime’s vault and director Petr Nydrle emigrated. The film had to wait for its renewed premiere until 1990. It was remastered seven years later and will be introduced in Karlovy Vary in the Out of the Past section.

Jiří Bartoška appears in a charming role of a grave digger guaranteeing lots of fun for festival audiences, even though the overall atmosphere of the film is rather bitter. Jan Kraus, Jiří Bartoška and Petr Nýdrle introduce today’s screening of the film. For those who will not make it into the grand hall tonight, the festival will offer two additional screenings.

Eugene Among Us
414 - 4.7.2011, 14:00, Grand hall
6H2 - 6.7.2011, 13:00, Divadlo Husovka
834 - 8.7.2011, 16:00, Congress hall

I just bummed around

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:39:00 +0200

In 1976, when Burt Young was nominated for an Oscar for the role of Paulie in Sylvester Stalone’s Rocky, his old friends could not believe it, this stocky carpet seller and cleaner never wanted to be an actor.

What is the roughest scene you have ever done?

Filming The Killer Elite with director Sam Peckinpah was no picnic. I was covered with explosives and fake blood. But I did the toughest scene at the beginning of my career in the TV movie The Great Niagara, filmed at the Niagara Falls. I played one of those fools that go down the waterfall in a barrel.

The man you play in Win Win probably suffers from dementia, he is confused. How did you prepare for the role? It must have been difficult.
I just bummed around. I didn’t really try. I didn’t even have to, it’s how I am in real life.

Read the complete interview of Will Tizard with Burt Young in the Monday Festival Daily.

Monday, July 4, 2011: festival statistics

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 09:35:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 9AM on Monday, July 4: 8 742, of which:

• Festival Passes: 7 437
• Filmmaker: 168
• Film professionals: 621
• Journalists: 516

Tickets sold: 57 642
Screenings: 119

Monday, July 4, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

The Master Class with director and editor Monte Hellman, one of the most interesting artists of New Hollywood, starts today at 4PM in hall C – moderated by Gideon Bachmann. Master Classes are in English only, unless stated otherwise.
The official launch of 25 from the 60s DVD collection and exhibition opening attended by authors and actors starts at 10AM at Art Gallery, Goethova stezka 6. The film festival program will include a screening of two-part film 25 from the 60s and 26 hours of portraits of famous Czech filmmakers from the “Golden Sixties” series and exposition of original movie posters. Opening hours: 10AM to 7PM from July 1 to July 9, 2011, 1st floor.
A plaque commemorating Samuel Fuller will be unveiled at Sokolov castle, former WWII headquarters of US Army, to mark the retrospective of his films. The official ceremony starts at 11AM.
Filmmakers and actors from competition films will walk the red carpet in front of Thermal from Saturday to Thursday. Every day two competition films will be screened at the grand hall – see the festival program for more details. Public press conferences for competition films will be held from Saturday to Thursday at Thermal’s conference hall. Priority will be given journalists with press accreditation, followed by visitors with Festival Passes. Today’s press conferences: Heritage (1PM) and Collaborator (2PM).
The official opening of Alois Nebel exposition starts at 3:30PM at Moser coffee shop on Thermal’s 1st floor. The exposition will present a collection of black and white photographs by Dusan Tomanek taken in 2008 and 2009 during the filming of Alois Nebel. The exposition will be open until the end of the festival.
Berg Orchestra and Peter Vrabel concert starts at 9PM on Mlynska colonnade. Composers Kilar, Preisner, Kaczmarek and Lorenc, who worked for famous directors including Kieślowski of Coppola, will present the best in Polish film music. The concert will include music from Dracula, Three Colors, Brothers Karamazov or Of Parents and Children. The music will be accompanied by the most interesting scenes from the films. Organized in partnership with the Polish Institute and Karlovy Vary, admission: free.
An after party for films Nothing Against Nothing and Marijine will start at 9PM in Zombie club attended by the authors, crew members as DJs. Admission: fee, no Festival Pass required. Midi Lidi DJs (Petr Marek DJ Director and Prokop Holoubek DJ Supporting role) DJs (Johana Švarcová, DJ Main role and again DJ Director!)
High temperature – Latino, reggae, jazz, soul, funky and broken beats night featuring Royal Hi-Fi sound & special guest MC Kakao Jr., DJ Romário & special guest Joe Harper live, DJ Ultrafino starts at 10PM in Aeroport. A member of Jam Sound System, Joe Harper, an excellent player of jaw harp, an originally Asian instrument used in traditional and ethnic music around the world, will appear as special guest.
Nightwork concert followed by Chickenloop DJ starts at 10PM at Magic Mirrors.

Click here for detailed program.

Variety presents ten European talents

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0200

Critics from international film magazine Variety present selected talented filmmakers. The majority of them are first or second features of beginning directors and award-winning films from other international film festival.

The selected films range from comedy to horror and emotional portraits to psychological thrillers. In Kill List (GB) director Ben Wheatley shows rough edges and playful sense of humor, while German Yasemin Samdereli’s film Almanya is a pleasant playful comedy focusing on several generations of a German-Turkish family. A deep contrast to the deeply disturbing Romanian realism of past years offers the funny and elegantly constructed comedy of director Alexandru Maftei, Hello, How are You? Norwegian director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen in her Turn Me On, Goddammit paints a warm and honest portrait of teenage female sexuality only rarely seen on screen.

This program is supported by Media Program and created in partnership with HBO.

Restoration of old life

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 18:09:00 +0200

The Israeli representative in the main competition, Restoration, tells a story about relationships between fathers and sons, new and old. The film follows a family of a man restoring antiques and his own life after the death of his business partner in a declining company.

“I was inspired by the relationship with my own father, short stories of Bernard Malamud and even walks through Tel Aviv where new buildings replace the old,” said scriptwriter Erez Kav-El at the press conference. The sympathy of the authors for the disappearing old world permeates the film’s atmosphere and rhythm. “We did not stop filming when an actor finished his lines, even when editing we left a couple of seconds in all takes, slowing the film down,” explained director Joseph Madmony.

The introverted main character is played by Iraqi-born Israeli actor Sasson Gabai, winner of the European film award for The Band's Visit. “I like the old way of life so I really got into character. As a father I understand the development of the father-son relationship. You can say that Restoration is a simple small film. But under the simplicity is a whole different story,” said the actor, who will introduce the European premiere of this Crystal Globe contender.

Screening:
3. 7. 20:00 Grand hall
4. 7. 10:00 Espace Dorleans

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Bring your skis to secret screenings!

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0200

Karlovy Vary braces for the next Cinema Royal – a series of secret screenings at undisclosed locations. “People don’t know ahead of time what movie they will see and where,” explain the organizers. “We send out e-mails or post hints about the secret movie on Facebook.”

Cinema Royal comes with strict dress code and program accompanied by performances of actors right before the screening and during the walk to the secret location. The screening is followed by a party directly at the screening location.

All we can tell you now is that the meeting point is at Mlynska colonnade on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 10PM and the theme is ski trip. The special Karlovy Vary edition of Cinema Royal also includes a number of interesting events with a Royal psychologist on hand for those unable to cope with experience overload.

See Cinema Royal Facebook page for more information or call toll-free number 800 777 782. Tickets are available at the main box office. Admission: CZK 100 (Vodafone customers CZK 50). All tickets holders will receive a gift from Budvar. Inspect your ticket for additional information.

Event organized in partnership with Vodafone, Budvar and Barrandov Studios.

The invisible German student

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0200

The film about an introvert student of acting forced to tackle the role of an unhinged promiscuous stunner will be introduced in international premiere on Sunday by the lead actress, European Shooting Star of 2008, Danish actress Stine Fischer Christensen.

She learned German for the film and the script explains her accent by the character being partially Danish. “I invited her for camera tests to Berlin and it was immediately clear she was my Fine!” said director Christian Schwochow describing the lead actress casting to the Festival Daily, who made Crack in the Shell and his previous film Novemberkind with his mother. “I don’t like to write alone. Whenever I was looking for a partner, I always ended up consulting my mother,” added the director.

Cracks in the Shell will have its international premiere on Sunday at 5PM at Thermal’s grand hall.

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The festival invites you to Holidays by the Sea

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:42:00 +0200

Well-known author of comic books Pascal Rabaté took up filming last year. First he made Wandering Streams and now Holidays by the Sea, an absurd comedy full of stories about weird desires, pleasure and worries of various people on holidays, will open the main competition of the 46^th Karlovy Vary IFF.

The film, made last August and completed this March, will have its international premiere at the festival. There is almost no dialogue, Rabaté tells his stories using primarily visual gags and descriptive situations. “I wanted to create a portrait of the working class and its way of spending free time. It’s actually a slapstick comedy where every situation speaks for itself, but together they are the proverbial mirror,” said the director, who introduces the film in Karlovy Vary with producer Xavier Delmas.

The film features Maria de Medeiros, a cosmopolitan actress and guest at last year’s festival. The unusual film apparently posed no problems to the actors, “All of them were really curious. The hardest thing was to find a permanent balance. The majority thought the absence of words must be compensated by more expressive body language, when actually the opposite was true,” the director told the Festival Daily.

Screening:

2. 7. 18:05 Grand hall
3. 7. 13:00 Espace Dorleans

Drama about sexual abuse

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:24:00 +0200

Director Montxo Armendáriz, producer of Puy Oria and actor Lluís Homar introduce competition film Don’t Be Afraid on Saturday in Karlovy Vary. The Spanish film, screened on Saturday 8:30PM in the grand hall and Sunday at 10AM in Espace Dorleans, realistically depicts drastic abuse of a child.

The hero of the film is a young girl sexually abused by her father. The story follows her from her seventh birthday. The character is portrayed by three different actresses through the various stages of her life.

“I would be very happy if the audience to accepted the film as a contribution to the ongoing debate about child abuse. I feel we do not talk about it enough,” the director told to the Festival Daily. The Oscar-nominated director of the 1997 Secrets of the Heart, who often addresses social issues in his films, was inspired by real stories. “For over year and a half I have met with those willing to tell their story. They were in therapy, which encourage them to accept and share their experience, so I became part of the complicated process of their healing,” said the director.

Screening:

2. 7. 2011, 20:30, Grand hall
3. 7. 2011, 10:00, Espace Dorleans

Sunday, July 3, 2011: festival statistics

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:35:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 10AM on Sunday, July 3: 7 461, of which:

• Festival Passes: 6 422
• Filmmaker: 136
• Film professionals: 447
• Journalists: 456

Tickets sold: 43 227
Screenings: 67

Brits that like to show off

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:25:00 +0200

A noticeably colorful and bright delegation introduced the world premiere of competition film The British Guide to Showing Off, a portrait of avant-garde artist Andrew Logan and his entourage competing for the title Alternative Miss World. “Andrew is the most British person I know – until he puts on his crazy costumes then he’s the opposite. The British try to be normal, but they have a freak streak,” explained director Jes Benstock the title of his film at a post-screening discussion.

The audience very obviously enjoyed the film, exactly as the authors intended. “I wanted people to spend some time with the extraordinary individuals around the Miss, to feel enlightened, laugh, enjoy it,” said the director, author of several short experimental films, music videos and shows for children for Scottish TV.

Andrew Logan is currently looking for sponsors to organize another year of his offbeat show of tolerance and self-expression. “When we were starting in the 70s, there was no nightlife in London. It’s different now, but we are still very alternative. We would like to have more support, but the British media are too British. I should write them a letter,” said Logan. If you have a couple of extra thousand pounds for sponsoring, you can find out all you need to know about Alternative Miss World at the second screening of the film on Sunday.

Screening:

3. 7. 9:30 Small hall

Taxi driver's back from rehab

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 09:58:00 +0200

A new, remastered copy of the famous Taxi Driver from Out of the Past section will be screened today before noon at the grand hall. In the audience will be Grover Crisp, a legend among film restoration experts, who supervised one of the best known and most important works of Martin Scorsese.

“We decided about year and half ago to restore Taxi Driver. We wanted to have it ready for its 35^th anniversary to publish it in a special blue-ray edition. We worked on it for about seven months,” said the Sony Pictures Entertainment expert. According to him, it took several dozen of people to clean the film from all imperfections and the opening credits were extremely difficult. “Film restoration is time consuming, but the result was worth it, especially with a film like Taxi Driver that you can watch over and over. And hear. I love the soundtrack, it is one of Bernard Herrmann’s best and actually his last one, he died right after recording it. The remastering allowed us to use his original stereophonic arrangement,” said Crisp.

Screening:

3. 7. 11:30 Grand hall
9. 7. 19:00 Richmond

Sunday, July 3, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

The Master Class with Hungarian director and Grand Jury president István Szabó moderated by Gideon Bachmann starts at 11AM in hall C. The second Master Class with Canadian director Denis Villeneuve moderated by Marcel Arbeit will start at 3PM at the Jameson Lounge. Master Classes are in English only, unless stated otherwise.

The Cooperation with Hollywood Panel where well-known representatives of the American film industry will offer invaluable insider information about Hollywood production will take place at Grand Hotel Pupp’s Chopin lounge between 2PM and 4PM.

Reflex will start its X series of interviews with festival personalities on Sunday at 5PM at Jameson Festival Lounge with Darina Krivankova’s interview with Jan Hrebejk.

Na Ochozu gallery will present photographs of bloggers and users of photo sharing sites in a show titled You can be the star. The exhibition will be open from July 3 to July 31, 2001, with official opening scheduled for 7PM followed by Tam Tam Orchestra concert at 8PM.

Party for film Vinyl, mapping the original background of Vienna underground music starts at 8PM at Aeroport. Live: Bobby Velvet /at/, Philip Quehenberger /at/, Bulbul /at/, The Happy Kids /at/, DJs: Electric Indigo /at/, Microthol /at/, Al Bird Dirt /at/.

Ostrava Kamera Oko festival invites you to an informal pre-festival party offering a taste of this year’s program. Start: 8:30 PM, Elko club (Raisova 10, Karlovy Vary), club bar opens at 8PM. The program will include Czech premiere of three short films from this year’s Cannes film festival in the intimate atmosphere of Vary’s legendary punk club.

Goran Bregović’s with Gipsy.cz concert supporting Tatana Kucharova Foundation – Beauty of Help will start at 8PM at the open-air cinema. Admission: voluntary. The proceeds will be donated to Tatana Kucharova Foundation and support projects benefiting senior citizens. Send SMS “DMS FONDSENIORU” to 87 777 to donate.

Click here for detailed program.

Shakespeare paid my rent

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

British actress Judi Dench has been a star on stage and screen for more than 50 years. At KVIFF on Friday night, Dame Judi accepted the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema and presented the screening of Cary Joji Fukunaga’s film Jane Eyre, in which she plays Mrs. Fairfax. She addressed a press conference of Czech and international journalists yesterday.

You’ve portrayed M in the James Bond franchise since 1995. Is it true that Bond 23 (slated for release in 2012) is about Mossad?

I cannot tell you a single thing about it. I’m not allowed to say anything at all about it. It’s actually true. You have to take a little vow about it. All I can tell you is that when the script was delivered to me, it was delivered by a man completely in black, who came in with it under his arm, put it down, and ran off. I never even met him. It’s very secretive. We’ll just have to wait till it comes out.

Why did you decide to become an actress?

That’s difficult… I didn’t want to be an actor. I wanted to be a theatre designer. And then I once saw a production and thought, I’ll never be good enough at it. I’ll never achieve what I’m seeing now. I don’t have that imagination. And so my brother [Jeffrey Dench], who only ever wanted to be an actor, had chosen that and I thought I’d try that, but I was rather half-hearted about it. Now, I couldn’t do anything else... I never want a day to pass where I haven’t learned something new. In this profession you learn something all the time. So that’s why I think I’m an actress, and I can make a living out of it. My husband [actor Michael Williams] and I used to call Shakespeare “the man who paid the rent,” because for many years he was.

The questions above were recorded by yesterday’s press conference moderator, Veronika Bednářová. You will find the complete coverage in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Barrandov’s celebration exposition

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0200

This year, Barrandov Studios celebrate 80 years from founding. It will mark this important milestone at Karlovy Vary IFF by an exposition at Karlovy Vary Gallery of Art, dedicated to film backstage and history of film in the Czech Republic. A walk down the memory lane will present a history of Barrandov not only through contemporary photographs and authentic documents, but also through original objects, costumes or props including Forman’s Oscar-winning Amadeus or Three Wishes for Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

The gala opening of the exposition, organized under the auspices of Mayor of Karlovy Vary Petr Kulhanek, will start on July 2, 2011 at 7PM. On Monday, July 4, 2011 the exposition will be extended by a display of modern film equipment and costumes in front of the gallery. Exposition opening hours during the festival: 10AM to 7PM. The exposition will be open until September 4, 2011.

Marketa’s digital facelift

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 11:12:00 +0200

The new trend of remastering notable works of world cinematography still relevant to today’s audiences because of their timeless appeal has finally reached the festival. At the festival's initiative, the Prague UPP studio remastered the film considered by many film historians and critics to be the most important work of Czech cinematography – Marketa Lazarova. Frantisek Vlacil finished the film, inspired by Vladislav Vancura’s novel, in 1967.

“We have created an identical copy of what the authors created in the 1960s. We remove all imperfections from a film. We never change the original, we do not improve it,” said technical director of UPP Ivo Marak. UPP used three different copies of the film with over three quarters of a million of frames that had to be scanned into a computer and restored. Everything, including finding out whether imperfections were due to transcript or damage or whether they were caused by the technology used at the time, took the studio only six weeks. The most complicated shot needed five days of work, even though it only lasts five seconds.

“No one has ever attempted a remastering at this scale here. A couple of years ago we did not even have the technology to do it,” said Marak. Considering the cost of the project, he admits it is not realistic to remaster all classic films. “Take the Karlstejn castle, you can’t expect to ever recuperate the cost of its reconstruction either, but it is a matter of cultural maturity to do it. I believe people will see the remastering of the most important films in the same way.”

Read Jakub Andel’s story about the remastering of Marketa Lazarova in today’s Festival Daily.

Screening:

2. 7. 14:00 Grand hall (world premiere)

6. 7. 12:00 Čas

Saturday July 2, 2011: festival statistics

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:50:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 9AM on Saturday, July 02, 2011: 4 949 of which:

• Festival Passes: 4 209
• Filmmakers: 78
• Film professionals: 269
• Journalists: 393

Tickets sold: 23 174
Screenings: 15

Saturday, July 2, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Festival president Jiří Bartoška will open the Orange Bicycle of CEZ Foundation at hotel Thermal at noon.

The third CEZ Energy Fest at Postovni Dvur with the best Czech bands starts at 1PM. The event, organized by CEZ, the General Partner of 46^th Karlovy Vary IFF, will be open to all Festival Pass holders. Come to Postovni Dvur at 1PM on Saturday July 2, 2011 to the CEZ Energy Fest and see the stars of Czech music and film.

At 2PM, Magda Vasaryova will walk the red carpet to introduce the remastered copy of Marketa Lazarova by famous director Frantisek Spacil at Thermal’s grand hall.¨

Filmmakers and actors from competition films will walk the red carpet in front of Thermal from Saturday to Thursday. Two competition films will be screened at the grand hall every day – see the festival program for more details. Public press conferences for competition films will be held from Saturday to Thursday at Thermal’s conference hall. Priority will be given to journalists with press accreditations, followed by visitors with Festival Passes. Today’s press conferences: Holidays by the Sea (3PM) and Don’t be Afraid (3:45PM)

Supermaket WC Gallery will official open its exhibition at 7PM at nam. Republiky 1, presenting the best of contemporary design. Come to enjoy good fair-trade coffee or tea, check out the exhibition, browse the Internet and pick up a present for you or loved ones. Festival opening hours: daily from 10AM until nightfall, www.pro.tebe.cz, pro@tebe.cz, tel.: +420 774 232 047.

Radio 1 Night starts at 10PM at Aeroport featuring DJ Filip Týc, Malalata Sound System DJs /sk/ and a concert by the legendary Mário Bihári mixing traditional Roma and folk music.

Click here for detailed program.

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If success is the goal, you’re set to fail

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

American director Cary Joji Fukunaga, whose Jane Eyre adaptation opened KVIFF last night, is no stranger to Karlovy Vary. He came to the fest previously in 2009 to present his first feature film, Sin Nombre, which won directing and cinematography gongs at Sundance. Given that his acclaimed debut impressed audiences with its brutally realistic depiction of Mexican gang culture and the plight of illegal immigrants to the USA, Fukunaga’s decision to adapt the 19th century Charlotte Bronte novel was somewhat surprising. Nonetheless, if the film marked a change of direction for the young helmer, it seems to be one he’s taken in his stride.

How hard was it to jump from your first film, Sin Nombre, to your second, a new adaptation of Jane Eyre?

It wasn’t necessarily a huge change in terms of production techniques. We were just as rushed and had just as tight a budget, actually, as we had on the last film... What was more difficult was recreating the past, because of all the challenges of shooting in the present time: you have all these modern things like cell-phone towers and airplanes, factories, modern vehicles. You know that is going to be the environment you are shooting in. And you have a wardrobe, which is not just a contemporary wardrobe... You want to shoot as much as possible as fast as you can, but you have to make sure everything look correct. That takes a lot of time, so those things were difficult.

In Sin Nombre, you were working with non-actors; in Jane Eyre, you had Dame Judi Dench and other professional actors like Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins and Mia Wasikowska. Was it a big shift in your directorial approach?

A little bit, but it was also just a huge gift, because I didn’t really have to do as much work. I could let Michael, Mia and Judi do what they do best. ... It was mainly about the conversations we had beforehand about the characters. .. What was fantastic was to watch the magic that they brought to the film. That was completely their own doing.

Dame Judi Dench is also a guest of this year's festival. Is there anything you learned from her professionally when you were working with her?

What was the most exciting thing about Judi and what I thought was inspiring was how excited she is about making movies… You would imagine after making ten, twenty movies, you’d become jaded about the process, but she really brings this sort of – almost insatiable – energy to the set. And I think that [is picked up by] the actors around her, which makes everything so much more special.

You will find the complete interview in today´s edition of the Festival Daily.

Friday: festival statistics

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:26:00 +0200

Number of accredited visitors as of 12:40 on Friday, July 01, 2011, the first festival day: 2 217, of which:

• Festival Passes: 1 969
• Filmmakers: 19
• Film professionals: 63
• Journalists: 166

Tickets sold: 12 649
Screenings: 0

New Jane Eyre Opens the Festival

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0200

The famous novel by Charlotte Brontë was first made into a film in 1910 in Italy. The latest version of the story about a poor governess was released this year and before it reaches the Czech theaters, it will be introduced as the opening film of the 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival by its director Cary Fukunaga and one of its stars Judi Dench, who will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

Jane Eyre is the most attractive novels for filmmakers. In the 101 years since it was written there have been over 20 films and series, a ballet, musical and even a zombie horror, all inspired by one of the most important works of English Romanticism. The club of leading ladies including Samantha Morton, Charlotte Gainsbourg or Marta Vancurova is now joined by twenty-one-year-old Australian Mia Wasikowska, considered by many critics to be the best Jane. Eyre, a proud girl with strong morals, finds herself in a haunted house in the middle of the English moors inhabited by the handsome, brooding and mysterious Mr. Rochester, played by Michael Fassbender (Fish Tank or X-Men: First Class).

Jane Eyre brings back to Karlovy Vary director Cary Fukunaga. Two years ago he fell in love with the festival when he introduced his first film Sin Nombre, a Spanish-speaking drama about illegal immigrants in America. This fan of the 1943 Jane Eyre with Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine decided to balance the romantic story line by horror/thriller undertones and approach the British classic with American energy. To find out if his approach was successful, come to the open-air cinema at 11PM.

Screening:
July 1, 2001 at 11PM, open-air cinema

Talk to Us!

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:56:00 +0200

The development of social networks offers more ways of how to communicate directly with the festival. In addition to the website, the festival communication channels include Facebook, Twitter and other options.

Film fans showed their enthusiasm most recently during the first round of this year’s Festival Daily game, where daily clues published on the last page lead to “lost” treasures donated by Czech film stars. The first lucky winner was a Twitter user known as @Kassycka, who won Jiří Bartoška’s golf ball. See the Saturday Festival Daily for an interview and clues for the next treasure hunt.

Log on to Facebook to communicate directly with the festival through its official website here.

Go to the web not only for fresh festival news supplied by Irena Hejdová and Iva Přivřelová, but also check out festival blogs of František Fuka, Alena Prokopová, Šimon Šafránek, Mr. Cuketka, Petr Cífka and Irena Hejdová.

Follow us on Twitter to find out more about festival events as experienced by festival visitors by entering hashtag #kviff or here.

Click here for detailed guide of available communication channels compiled by Mediar.

Friday July 1, 2011 in Karlovy Vary: Day Plan

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0200

Today’s gala opening will mark the official start of the festival. The following ten days at Karlovy Vary will belong to film. Do not miss it! You will find our tips for the day’s hottest festival events here every morning at 6AM.

The stars and festival guests will start arriving to Thermal at 6PM. At Thermal or along the way from the Grand Hotel Pupp you can see the traditional carriage ride with President Václav Klaus, festival president Jiří Bartoška and the star-studded delegation of the opening film Jane Eyre including actress Judi Dench and director Cary Fukunaga.

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This year’s opening film, Jane Eyre, based on Charlotte Brontë’s famous novel and directed by one of today’s most respected young directors Cary Fukunaga, will also be screened at the newly reconstructed open-air cinema at 11PM. The open-air cinema is located at Slovenska street 2003 not far from Richmond on a hillside behind Postovni Dvur. Admission: free.

The gala evening at Thermal will culminate with fireworks at 10PM.

Čankišou will take over the Thermal stage at 5PM followed by Republic of Two at 8:30 PM.

Beatcase will start at 10PM at Aeroport featuring DJs Philip TBC, Ghonzales and Shabby – Beatcase residents and visitors will have an all-night discussion about their tracks.

Sunshine will open at 10:30PM at Magic Mirrors, Nabrezi Jana Palacha.

Click here for detailed program.

A good film helps me live

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200

István Szabó is a veritable éminence grise of Hungarian cinema. He is perhaps best known abroad for Mephisto – a bitterly ironic Faustian drama about a man who collaborates with the Nazi Party for the sake of his career – which won the Oscar for best foreign film in 1981. Other productions that have struck a chord with international audiences include the WWII drama Bizalom, which won Szabó a Golden Bear for best director at Berlin in 1980, and Captain Redl, which bagged a jury prize at Cannes in 1985. This year’s grand jury president is also no stranger to KVIFF, having presented his drama Taking Sides at Karlovy Vary in 2002. The Festival Daily’s editor-in-chief Veronika Bednářová spoke with him then and also interviewed him ahead of this year’s KVIFF.

Actors, such as Stellan Skarsgård, the protagonist of your drama Taking Sides, often talk about how wonderful you are as a director. What is your secret for dealing with actors?

What is your strategy with your lover? You simply love him, you don’t think about how and why. And I love actors. I love watching them create a character – and they can see it. And I am happiest if I can give them a little advice; give them a subtle hint that what they are doing is maybe not quite so perfect...

What will you be looking for while judging this year’s Official Selection?

How do you recognize a good movie? Is it a feeling, an instinct? If there is something in it, which helps me live. If there is such a strong picture, which remains in my memory. If a film helped me defeat certain prejudices of mine, and I became fond of a person or a world. And if a film isn’t boring.

You will find the complete interview in today's edition of the Festival Daily.

Lost in Vary: New Game of Festival Daily is Here!

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:32:00 +0200

Last year’s game had us chasing a pink stuffed bear from Jan Sverak’s competition film Kooky all around Karlovy Vary. Every day the Festival Daily published clues that eventually united one lucky participant with one cute stuffed bear.

Lost in Vary comes back this year, but because there is no pink bear competing for the highest film honors, we will make due with various "lost" objects of festival stars.
They are easy to get. Just read the last page of the Festival Daily every day and follow the clues leading to treasures donated by Czech film stars. Starting Friday, you can search for the first object, courtesy of a highly placed festival official!

We have confirmed information that this year Karlovy Vary is littered with objects lost by festival stars and guests, so if you do not find the very first one, do not despair – some other star will “lose” something soon.

Meet Filmmakers at Master Classes

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:10:00 +0200

On Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 11AM, hall C, you will have a chance to meet the president of this year’s Grand Jury, István Szabó. The Hungarian director and Oscar winner for his film Mefisto will be the first guest of the Vox Humana Session, a voice bank of famous artists. The archive includes a collection of voices of famous filmmakers, which will be extended in cooperation with selected film festivals. The first festival to participate in the project is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The project was created by journalist Gideon Bachmann, who will personally interview István Szabó not only about filmmaking.

Denis Villeneuve, a respected Canadian filmmaker, will speak on July 3 at 3PM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. His film Incendies is nominated for this year’s Oscar and will be screened at the festival as part of his retrospective. On Monday, July 4, 2011 at 4PM, Gideon Bachmann will record for his voice archive an interview with Monte Hellman, a director, producer, editor and one of the most interesting authors of the New Hollywood generation who will introduce his film Road to Nowhere. The Tuesday Master Class will belong to pioneering producer Ted Hope (American Splendor, 21 Grams) and expert on digital and new technologies Brian Newman. The event called The Future of Film starts at 11AM at the Jameson Festival Lounge. At the same place at 2PM there will be a chance to meet Martin Donovan, a long-term cooperator with director Hal Hartley, an American film and theater actor who also appeared in The Portrait of a Lady and in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia and the first time writer-director of tragicomedy Collaborator. His Master Class will be dedicated to actor's first time directing experience.

In addition to festival screenings, the work of young Greek filmmakers will be presented on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 11AM at the Jameson Festival Lounge at a debate with directors Syllas Tzoumerkas, Alexis Alexiou, Argyris Papadimitropoulos and producer Maria Drandaki. Lech Majewski, a film and stage director, screenwriter and author and the first Polish artist to be honored with a major retrospective of his work in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is going to talk about bridging the gap between art and film or symbolic nature of the film language at 2PM on Thursday, July 7 at the Jameson Festival Lounge. At this year´s festival he presents a new film The Mill and The Cross. All meetings will be in English without Czech translation with the exception of the Master Class with celebrated Polish actor, playwright, scriptwriter, director and professor Jerzy Stuhr, which will be in Polish and Czech only. His Master Class will start at 2PM on Friday, July 8, 2011 at the Jameson Festival Lounge, which replaced the Captain Morgan Tent.

Box office open

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:20:00 +0200

The first lines at the Thermal box office started to appear as rain fell on Karlovy Vary this morning. The box office opened at 9AM, but some enthusiasts have been waiting since 7:30AM. The lines disappeared by 10:30AM, leaving behind the first sold out films including the Friday screening of Hanna and The Skin I Live In by Pedro Almodovar scheduled for Saturday. However, the festival visitors still have a chance to see these films if they have reserved their tickets ahead of time. Additional tickets from cancelled reservations will be available at the box office one hour before the screenings.

Tickets can be reserved by SMS by following a detailed guide here.

For the first time it is also possible to reserve tickets using the festival iPhone and Android applications by selecting the film you want to see, clicking “reservation SMS” and typing in your Festival Pass ID and PIN.

The Internet reservation system was launched on Monday, making available 10% of all festival tickets. All tickets were sold within the first 20 minutes.

KVIFF to welcome celebrated actors in Competition

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:47:00 +0200

David Morse will present the American competition film Collaborator

The main competition programme at this year’s Karlovy Vary IFF will also include the world premiere of the American-Canadian film Collaborator by director Martin Donovan. Along with actor and director Donovan and producer Ted Hope, the competition screening of this film will also be attended by actor David Morse.

David Morse began as an actor for the Boston Repertory Theatre; he subsequently studied acting in New York. He appeared on stage on Broadway and in Los Angeles and has won a number of theatre awards for his performances.
His early screen work is associated primarily with television, where he appeared in TV films and gained popularity particularly with the series set in a hospital environment St. Elsewhere, some of whose episodes he also directed.
He began appearing regularly in feature films at the beginning of the 1990s. He played the role of the father in the psychological thriller The Good Son (1993, dir. Joseph Ruben), he was cast in the action adventure / crime film The Getaway (1994, dir. Roger Donaldson), and he teamed up with director Terry Gilliam to film the unconventional sci-fi 12 Monkeys (1995). He twice appeared under director Sean Penn – in the films The Indian Runner (1991) and The Crossing Guard (1995).
David Morse creates highly distinctive and memorable tough-guy roles in both action films (The Rock, The Negotiator, The Long Kiss Goodnight), and in dramas, in particular The Green Mile (1999, dir. Frank Darabont). In 2000 he was cast alongside Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe in the thriller Proof of Life (dir. Taylor Hackford), and he also joined Björk in Lars von Trier’s musical drama Dancer in the Dark. During this period he again featured in television series, of which Hack and House M.D. are familiar to Czech audiences as well. His film roles continue to reflect a variety of genres, from the thriller Disturbia (2007, dir. D. J. Caruso) and the Oscar-winning war film The Hurt Locker (2008, dir. Kathryn Bigelow), to the period romantic thriller Shanghai (2010, dir. Mikael Håfström). He is currently a series regular on the HBO critically acclaimed show Treme.

Acclaimed filmmakers to present their new films

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:46:00 +0200

Burt Young will accompany the screening of the film Win Win

American actor Burt Young will attend the 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and will present the film Win Win by director Tom McCarthy.

Burt Young’s enduring career as an American film actor began pretty much by chance. A friend asked him to help him prepare for his entrance exams at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, the upshot of which was that Young, himself, was accepted to the school. His Italian-American origins more or less predestined him for criminal roles. The defining moment, however, came in 1976, when he first worked with Sylvester Stallone on the film Rocky, playing Rocky’s future brother-in-law Paulie. The role, which brought him an Oscar nomination, ultimately became part of his destiny: Burt Young subsequently appeared with Stallone in all the sequels of the saga about the unshakable boxer.
Young has remained faithful to the bad-guy and gangster image – we might mention the titles Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone (1984), the TV series The Sopranos, and the gangster comedy Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). In his career to date, Burt Young has created more than 120 roles in films of varying genres.

A Musical Odyssey at Karlovy Vary

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:40:00 +0200

With its section A Musical Odyssey, the Karlovy Vary IFF continues its presentation of the best current music films the genre has to offer. Both rousing and disturbing, The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye is a portrait of radical British artist Genesis P-Orridge (from the influential band Throbbing Gristle) which also describes the long-term “polysexual experiment” during which P-Orridge and his wife decided to undergo a series of operations in an endeavour to enter a hermaphroditic state together.

Films 2011

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:06:00 +0200

The films selected for the program of the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF 2011 have been announced. The festival will screen 179 feature films. The majority of the movies were shot within the past year and audiences will have a chance to see them in the Czech Republic for the first time. 21 films will be presented at Karlovy Vary as world premieres, 25 international and 16 European premieres. 54 films are debuts.

Official Selection – Competition of Feature Films
Only films made after January 1, 2010 may be included; the films are presented as world, international or European premieres.
http://www.kviff.com/en/films/program-sections/10-Official-Selection-Competition/

East of the West – Films in Competition
New feature-length films from Central and Eastern Europe.
http://www.kviff.com/en/films/program-sections/9-East-of-the-west/

Documentary Films in Competition
Both short (under 30 minutes) and feature-length (over 30 minutes)
http://www.kviff.com/en/films/program-sections/4-Documentary-films-in-competition/

Forum of Independents
Independent films from around the world compete for the Independent Camera Award presented in association with Czech Television
http://www.kviff.com/en/films/program-sections/2-forum-of-independents/

Find out more about the movies selected for the non-competitive categories in the online festival catalogue:
http://www.kviff.com/en/films/film-catalogue/

John Turturro will be presented with the President’s Award at KVIFF

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:05:00 +0200

During the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF American actor, screenwriter and director John Turturro will receive the Festival President’s Award and, together with his wife, the actress Katherine Borowitz, will present the world premiere of the film Somewhere Tonight.

John Malkovich returns to Karlovy Vary

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0200

American film and theater actor, director, and producer John Malkovich, holder of the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema from the 44th Karlovy Vary IFF, to return this year.

Opening and Closing films of the 46th Karlovy Vary

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:59:00 +0200

The British period drama Jane Eyre will be screened during the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF opening ceremony and will be presented by Dame Judi Dench.

The second film from Cary Fukunaga, one of the biggest talents of contemporary film, is an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s renowned novel of a young woman looking for love despite her difficult lot in life and the malice of those around her. Excellent acting performances from Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, and Dame Judi Dench.
The film´s director Cary Fukunaga was a guest of the 44th Karlovy Vary IFF where he presented his acclaimed debut Sin Nombre.

The festival audience may see the film in the reopened outdoor cinema on July 1 from 23:00. Free entrance.

International Juries

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:58:00 +0200

Grand Jury

President of Jury:
István Szabó - director (Hungary)

Vladimír Balko - director (Slovakia)
Michel Ciment – film critic (France)
Michel Demopoulos – film critic, festival organizer (Greece)
Edna Fainaru - film critic (Israel)
Sibel Kekilli - actress (Germany)
Pavel Strnad - producer (Czech Republic)

Documentary Film Jury

Chairman:
Amir Bar-Lev – director (USA)

Pietro Marcello – director (Italy)
Freddy Olsson – producer, festival programmer (Sweden)
Harri Römpötti – film critic (Finland)
Andrea Slováková – director , film critic and lecturer (Czech Republic)

East of the West Jury

Chairwoman:
Rossitsa Valkanova – producer (Bulgary)

Sitora Alieva – festival organizer (Russia)
Stefan Arsenijević - director (Serbia)
Matthieu Darras – film critic and festival programmer (France)
Lukasz Dzieciol – producer (Poland)

Independent Camera Jury

Margaret Corkery – director (Ireland)
Tine Klint – sales (Denmark)
Michael Málek – editor, Czech Television (Czech Republic)

Monte Hellman returns to Karlovy Vary

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:49:00 +0200

The cult director and producer comes back to Karlovy Vary to present his latest film Road to Nowhere.

European discoveries: Ten Directors to Watch

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:30:00 +0200

EFP presents passionate European directors and their films at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Who makes exciting stories work on screen? Who is the person behind touching pictures, amazing film scenes and breathtaking moments in cinema? Ten directors from across Europe will be spotlighted as creative heads of passionate cinema in the sidebar “Variety´s Ten Euro Directors to Watch” at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF, July 1 - 9, 2011). At the invitation of European Film Promotion (EFP) and KVIFF, they will present their films in this most attractive sidebar from July 3 – 4. The talent was selected by critics from the international trade magazine Variety. Most of them are first- and second-time directors and prize-winners from the international film festival circuit. The MEDIA Programme of the EU and the ten participating EFP member organisations are supporting the event. This year again sees HBO in the Czech Republic serving as the main sponsor.

Judi Dench to receive the Crystal Globe

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:40:00 +0200

Distinguished British film and stage actress and Academy Award-winner Judi Dench will be presented with the Crystal Globe Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF.

Since playing Ophelia in Hamlet at The Old Vic Theatre over 50 years ago, Judi Dench has garnered wide popular and critical admiration for a career marked by outstanding performances in both classical and contemporary roles. She has won numerous major awards – including an Academy Award, nine BAFTA Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards – for work which has encompassed stage and screen. In recognition of her many achievements, she received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1970, became a DBE (Dame of the British Empire) in 1988, and in 2005 was awarded a Companion of Honour.

Her distinguished list of film credits include iconic performances as Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown (1997, dir. John Madden), for which she won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award, and Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love (1998, dir. John Madden), for which she received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is also known internationally for her role as ‘M’ in the latter Bond films – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997, dir. Roger Spottiswoode), The World Is Not Enough (1999, dir. Michael Apted), Die Another Day (2002, dir. Lee Tamahori), Casino Royale (2006, dir. Martin Campbell), and Quantum of Solace (2008, dir. Marc Forster).

Jude Law features in a new trailer for the KVIFF

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:38:00 +0200

A few years back a new tradition emerged at the Karlovy Vary IFF, whereby major names in world film, who are holders of awards presented at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, appear in Karlovy Vary festival trailers.

The basic portfolio is expanded each year to include new actors and filmmakers, and festival audiences will certainly welcome the news that a new trailer for the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF was filmed at the beginning of May featuring last year’s guest and holder of the KV IFF President’s Award, British actor Jude Law.

World premiere of the digitally restored copy of the film Marketa Lazarová

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:02:00 +0200

On 2 July 2011, the 46th Karlovy Vary IFF will be holding the world premiere of the digitally restored copy of the most important Czech film in the country’s history – František Vláčil’s drama Marketa Lazarová.

THE KV IFF CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE PROJECT
One of the important cinematic trends we have noted over the last few years, particularly in Europe, is the digital restoration and renovation of major films which fundamentally changed the face of film history. These are films by some of the world’s most distinguished directors whose message extended far beyond the era of their genesis; not only are these films part of the gold collection of world cinema, but even today they have something to say to new generations of viewers.
For a number of years, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has endeavoured to bring the best classic film works to contemporary audiences. The programme for the 45th Karlovy Vary IFF gave a highly successful presentation of the digitally restored version of Luchino Visconti’s legendary drama The Leopard and also the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, The Red Shoes. Thanks to comprehensive digital restoration work instigated by Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker, audiences were given an opportunity to appreciate a Technicolor spectacle which came very close to the original vision of Powell, Pressburger and their colleagues.

István Szabó to preside jury at Karlovy Vary IFF 2011

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:00:00 +0200

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is honored to announce that multiple Oscar-nominee and -winner Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó will preside the international jury at the 46th KVIFF.

"Nine years after having presented his film Taking Sides at the 37th KVIFF, Mr. Szabó will be back at the Festival. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have such a distinguished and legendary artist heading the Festival's jury, " said Karel Och, KVIFF’s Artistic Director.

Being the only Hungarian director with an Oscar-winning film (Mephisto, 1981), Szabó has been acclaimed by the international press from the very beginning of his career. At that time he drew on the experience of his own generation and Hungary’s recent cinematic history: Father (1966), Lovefilm (1970), and 25 Fireman’s Street (1973). In 1980, the Silver Bear Winner Confidence (1979) was subsequently nominated for an Oscar.

KVIFF 2011 unveils first programming details

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:34:00 +0100

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is proud to announce the initial programming details of this year’s edition – the first year under recently appointed Artistic Director Karel Och, with Eva Zaoralova still closely involved in a programming capacity as Artistic Consultant: a first complete retrospective on the much acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve; a tribute to the legendary Samuel Fuller, and a spotlight on young Greek directors.

“Denis Villeneuve, Sam Fuller and the young Greek directors all have one thing in common: in their unique body of work, a highly personal approach shapes strong statements about society, both decades ago and now. These are filmmakers who surpass expectations and are unafraid of shaking conventions,” says Och. “Through an edgy programme that thrives on taking chances, KVIFF aims to nurture cinephilia by giving exposure to original storytellers who have – and still are – passionately struggling to bring their vision.”

One of the most highly regarded figures of contemporary Canadian cinema, Denis Villeneuve will be on hand at the 46th KVIFF to introduce a complete retrospective of his work. Both Maelström (2000) and Polytechnique (2009), earned Genies, Canada’s highest domestic award. The searing Incendies (2010) is vying for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Also showcased in the Villeneuve retrospective are two of his shorts, including Cannes winner, Next Door (2008).

Prague Short Film Festival

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:37:00 +0100

The films competing for the main prize of EUR 5 000 and two Special Jury Mentions in the International Competition of the sixth Prague Short Film Festival, held from January 19 to January 23, 2011, will in addition to western countries include representatives from such exotic destinations as India, Iran or Thailand. The festival’s non-competition sections will showcase short films from the French-speaking Belgium and Israel that have been collecting awards at prestigious film festivals.

The Musical Express section will offer very original musicals, while A love Less Ordinary will take a tongue-in-cheek look at romantic love. Every year, the Lab section will be dedicated to experimental film and First Service to short films made by today’s famous directors. Award-winning films featured in the Panorama section will include the winner of the short film category at the 2010 Berlinale, Incident by a Bank directed by Ruben Östlund, and Oscar winner The New Tenants directed by Joachim Back. This year’s section presenting world festivals will focus on the International Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and its short film program Accelerator showcasing a collection of the most promising short films from Australia and New Zealand.

More awards for the winner of the 45th Karlovy Vary IFF

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:12:00 +0100

The Spanish film The Mosquito Net (La Mosquitera, dir. Agustí Vila), which saw its world premiere at the 45th Karlovy Vary IFF where it won the Crystal Globe, continued its successful run at other festivals. It took major awards in Batumi, Georgia; Montpellier, France; and Valladolid, Spain. In late 2010, it was nominated for five Gaudí awards by the Catalan Film Academy: Best Film in Catalan, Best Screenplay (Agustí Vila), Best Actress (Emma Suárez), Best Actor (Eduard Fernández), and Best Supporting Actor (Fermí Reixach).

Congratulations to the filmmakers and to Eddie Saeta productions.