KVIFF

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

{youtube:Z98BPjSEICI}

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.

{youtube:wsn2gJGvlos}

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.

{youtube:i71JMydo6rc}

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

{youtube:fD7PIAaTenY}

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.

{youtube:BXMlWQZd-_s}

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.

{youtube:cPN8-9y5uJM}

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

{youtube:wbp47w7Ax9E}

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.

{youtube:xUi-c2C7W3A}

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.

{youtube:dI2uI_VL1p0}

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.

{youtube:KvZlaskl0R0}

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.