Festival In Focus: Why The Karlovy Vary Int’l Film Festival Remains A Top European Destination For Cinephiles & Global Talent

A film festival is about more than just the films and the festival center. It is about the location, the journey, the experience. Here on Deadline, we’ll be bringing you updates on what it’s like to be on the ground at the Venice Film Festival, which continues on schedule for a second year in a row despite the pandemic disrupting other events.

Marta Balaga Chosen as this year’s recipient of the President’s Award at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Ethan Hawke met with journalists at the Czech event to discuss his career, projects and the ongoing pandemic.“I have just worked in Hungary. You could write an entire essay about their government but they haven’t politicized the vaccine.

Johnny Depp and Ethan Hawke got a very warm welcome at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival!

Will Tizard ContributorMigration drama “As Far as I Can Walk,” directed by Stefan Arsenijevic, won the top prize at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Saturday, commended by the critics for its nuanced portrayal of the realities of refugees’ lives.The joint Serbia/France/Luxembourg/Bulgaria/Lithuania production, starring Ibrahim Koma and Nancy Mensah-Offei and inspired by a Serbian medieval epic poem, also won the $25,000 Crystal Globe prize, best actor award for Koma, special

The 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival came to a close today with the awarding of its various prizes.

Special Jury Mentions went to “The Staffroom,” actress Vinette Robinson for “The Boiling Point” and cinematographer Jelena Stankovic for “As Far as I Can Walk.”In the East of the West competition, a separate slate of films from Eastern Europe, the winner was “Nuuccha,” with a special jury prize to “Sisterhood” and a special mention to the documentary “Intensive Life Unit.”The jury that chose the main awards consisted of Argentinian producer Benjamin Domenech, Danish filmmaker Eva Mulvad, Polish

Marta Balaga Returning after not one but two cancellations caused by the pandemic, Karlovy Vary Film Festival moves into its final days, with artistic director Karel Och already looking back on the 55th edition, pushed back to Aug. 20-28.“It was a good decision to postpone,” he tells Variety, noting that the streamlined program, with 25 fewer titles than usual, helped satisfy the audience’s needs.

Will Tizard ContributorDespite an apparent last-minute sense of concern by Karlovy Vary fest organizers over international press coverage of Johnny Depp and his ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard over domestic abuse allegations, the rocker/actor/producer made his appearances without much fuss and introduced the docu he co-produced, “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan” to welcoming crowds on Friday.Depp’s other project at the Czech fest, the Japan-set thriller “Minamata,”

Will Tizard ContributorThe 55th edition of the Karlovy Vary Intl.

KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic (Reuters) - Stars returned to the Czech town of Karlovy Vary for its annual film festival for the first time in over two years on Friday, as central and eastern Europe's leading film industry event got back into action after a COVID hiatus. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival opened with two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine walking the red carpet.

th festival in the picturesque spa town 80 miles west of Prague — “like half a jubilee,” he said. It’s also the first in more than two years, with last year’s festival canceled because of the pandemic and this year’s delayed from early July date to late August out of caution.The spread of the Delta variant made the August 20-28 dates tricky as well, but the feeling as the festival launched was less one of caution than of celebration.

Alissa Simon Film CriticFuture Frames is a next generation showcase comprised of short works by students and recent graduates of European film schools, curated by the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in cooperation with European Film Promotion. The selected directors and their films will be introduced to on-site festival audiences from Aug.

Alissa Simon Film CriticAfter winning Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s Crystal Globe for best director in 2018 for “Winter Flies,” the Slovenian-born Czech director Olmo Omerzu returns to its competition with the world premiere of his fourth feature “Bird Atlas.” It is co-written with his “Winter Flies” collaborator Petr Pýcha.

Alissa Simon Film CriticCompeting for the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, director-writer Sonja Tarokić’s impressive debut drama “The Staffroom” tackles the psychology of the workplace as experienced by idealistic, new primary school counselor Anamarija (Marina Redžepović).

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorVariety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for “Wars” (Guerres), which plays in the main competition at Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Sales on the film are being handled by Be For Films.The Canadian film, based on a screenplay by Cynthia Tremblay, centers on 20-year-old Emma, who decides to join the army, following in her father’s footsteps.

Will Tizard ContributorOpening night premiere honors at Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival this year go to Special Screenings film “Zátopek,” David Ondříček’s stirring drama chronicling the remarkable life of four-time Olympic gold-winning runner Emil Zátopek.

While the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival prides itself on showcasing choice European fare to global cinephiles, the last six years has seen the festival build its industry strand into one of the most attractive places in Central Europe to source regional talent.

Will Tizard ContributorBouncing back in live form after two cancellations caused by COVID safety measures last year, the 55th edition of the Karlovy Vary Intl.

Will Tizard ContributorInnovative, diverse and personal stories won the awards of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises industry program on Monday, taking honors in three sections focused on emerging filmmakers in both narrative and docu genres.Karlovy Vary industry head Hugo Rosak said the decision by Eastern Promises to allow fiction and non-fiction films to compete alongside each other – a new approach that parallels the fest’s newly reformatted main competition

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorLondon-based sales agency Alief has come on board “Runner,” directed by Andrius Blaževičius, which world premieres in the East of the West Competition at the Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival.The film stars Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė, who was selected for Shooting Stars, European Film Promotion’s prestigious program for rising European actors, at this year’s Berlinale.