Karlovy Vary-Bound Military Drama ‘Wars’ Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorBerlin-based sales agency Picture Tree International has boarded “Farha,” the debut feature from Jordanian writer-director Darin J. Sallam, which world premieres in the Discovery section of Toronto Film Festival.

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,”

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorVariety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari’s satirical, surrealistic film “Land of Dreams,” which opens the Horizons Extra section of the Venice Film Festival. The filmmakers won the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival for their first feature film, “Women Without Men.”“Land of Dreams” stars Sheila Vand, Matt Dillon, William Moseley and Isabella Rossellini.

Christopher Vourlias Heretic, the Athens-based boutique production company and sales agent, has acquired world sales rights for “Vera Dreams of the Sea,” the feature-length debut of Kosovan director Kaltrina Krasniqi, which will have its world premiere in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.

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).

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.

It is said that with age comes wisdom and that adage feels strikingly true when it comes to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The prominent Central European event is the one of the world’s oldest film festivals, founded in July 1946, a month before Locarno launched its first festival and few months before the Cannes Film Festival unveiled its first edition in September that same year.