Karlovy Vary International. The Film Festival, the leading film event in Eastern and Central Europe, has unveiled its collection of new works by Pascal Plant, Stefan Komandarev, Tinatin Kagrishvili and Babak Djalali at the Crystal Globes competition. They will be competing against the films of rising newcomers Ernst de Geer, Itsasu Arana and Cyril Aris. The division has nine world premieres and two international premieres. Oscar-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson is one of the jury members.
Proxima, which debuted at KVIFF last year, presents what the festival defines as “daring works,” directed by young filmmakers and established directors alike. The division consists of 10 world premieres and two international premieres. “Fun, bravery and freshness can be found,” says the festival, in new films by Swiss director Thomas Imbach, Poland’s Olga Chagdas, Cypriot-born Kyros Papavasilou, French director Emilie Brisavoin and Romanian documentarian Alexandru Solomon, among others.
Eight films will be shown in the Specials section, which KVIFF said is “rich in its thematic, stylistic and genre diversity”. It contains five fictional features and three documentaries, which were shown either at their world premieres or in Europe. French documentary filmmaker Jean-Gabriel Beriot will present the world premiere of “Facing Darkness,” while Marija Kavtaradze’s Sundance Award-winning film “Slow” will have its European premiere.
“empty networks”
Courtesy of Hamid Janipur
Karel Och, Artistic Director of KVIFF, said: “It was a great adventure for the programming team to learn about the state of art cinema this year through nearly 2,000 entries. We are proud of our selection and can’t wait to share it with the public.”
The Crystal Globes jury includes Clarkson, producer Dora Bouchoucha, Sundance Film Festival programmer John Nin, director Olmo Omerzo and actor Barry Ward.
The Proxima jury consists of Dana Linsen, critic, writer, curator, producer Maria Razgotto, documentary filmmaker Simone Safrank, Barbara Wurm, new chair of the Berlinale, and producer Meng Xie.
CRYSTAL GLOBE COMPETITION
“The Red Rooms”
Director: Pascal Plant, Canada, World Premiere
“The girls are fine” (“The girls are fine”)
Directed by: Itsasu Arana, Spain, World Premiere
“sensitive person”
Director: Tomasz Klein, Czech Republic, Slovakia, World Premiere
“Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano”
Directed by: Cyril Aris, Lebanon, Germany, World Premiere
Fremont
Directed by: Babak Jalali, US, International Premiere
“Hypnosis” (“Hypnosis”)
Directed by: Ernst de Geer, Sweden, Norway, France, World Premiere
“Where the Wind Blows” (“Where the Wind Blows”)
Directed by: Marco Reggie, Italy, World Premiere
“Mokalake Tsmindani” (“Citizen Saint”)
Directed by: Tinatin Kagrishvili, Georgia, France, Bulgaria, World Premiere
“Toorhaye khali” (“empty nets”)
Director: Behrouz Karamizadeh. Germany, Iran, International Premiere
“Urotcite na Blaga” (“The Lessons of Blaga”)
Director: Stefan Komandarev. Bulgaria, Germany, World Premiere
“Úsvit” (“We’ve Never Been Conversed”)
Director: Matoj Klopacek, Czech Republic, Slovakia, World Premiere
PROXIMA CONTEST
“Arsenie. An Amazing Afterlife” (“Arsenie. An Amazing Afterlife”)
Director: Alexandru Solomon, Romania, Luxembourg, International Premiere
“birth”
Director: Ji Young Yoo, South Korea, International Premiere
“Brutal Heat” (“Brutal Heat”)
Director: Albert Hospodářský, Czech Republic, Slovakia, World Premiere
“El canto del Auricanturi” (“The Auricanturi Song”)
Director: Camila Rodríguez Triana, Colombia, Argentina, World Premiere
“embryonic butterfly caterpillar”
Directed by: Kyros Papavassiliou, Cyprus, Greece, World Premiere
“Lost Children”
Directed by: Michel Jacob, Belgium, World Premiere
“Jurass”
Director: Sourav Rai, India, Nepal, World Premiere
“imago”
Director: Olga Chajdas, Poland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, World Premiere
“In camera”
Directed by: Niqash Khalid, UK, World Premiere
“Maade Tarik” (“Dark Matter”)
Directed by: Karim Lagzadeh, Iran, World Premiere
“save mom”
Directed by: Amelie Brissavoine, France, World Premiere
“Say goodbye God”
Director: Thomas Embach, Switzerland, World Premiere
special offers
“restore point”
Directed by: Robert Helleus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Serbia, European Premiere
“Facing the Dark”
Director: Jean-Gabriel Berio, France, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, World Premiere
Gemilani Sakartvelo (Smiling Georgia)
Director: Luca Piradzi, Georgia, Germany, World Premiere
“snake gas”
Directed by: David Giap, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, World Premiere
“she came in the night”
Director: Tomáš Pavlíček, Jan Vejnar. Czech Republic, World Premiere
“Richelieu” (“The Tempors”)
Director: Pierre-Philippe Chevigny, Canada, France, European Premiere
“slow”
Director: Marija Kavtaradze, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, European premiere
“All men become brothers.”
Director: Robert Kirchoff, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, World Premiere
