Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Four Film Festival Advertisements You Must Watch

Dana Harris — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:55:43 GMT

In the annual movie-awards hoopla over who's got the best what, it's easy to overlook one of the best bests: Best Film Festival Advertisement.

They're tricky to produce: The ads must convey a sense of what the festival's about and what makes it unique while steering clear of the temptation to go the pomp-and-glam route. Because while festivals sound glamorous, and some can be, they're all going to look shabby next to what Hollywood can provide.

Better to highlight your quirks (festivals specialize in indie film, after all). And best of all if the festival has the courage to not take itself too damn seriously.

That last bit must be one of the hardest hurdles to overcome because festivals have many voices and it's easy for a great idea to be crushed in committee. Here's four that weren't.

Adweek highlighted three ads from the just-ended Whistler Film Festival, but this one is my favorite as it renewed my faith in princesses:

I wrote about this one, from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, in February. Festival director Roger Durling loved it, but apparently, some Santa Barbara board members were not amused to see this play in front of the 2011 films.

There's also John Malkovich in excellent form in this 2010 ad for the Karlovy Vary Film Festival:

And this one with a genius cameo by -- not going to spoil it.

Karlovy Vary Film Festival Honors "Restoration" & More

Brian Brooks — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 10:41:17 GMT

Israeli director Joseph Mahmony's "Restoration" won the Crystal Globe, the top prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, over the weekend, taking nods with France's Pascal Rabate for "Holiday's by the Sea," which earned the director the Czech film even't Best Director Award.

Also taking home prizes this weekend in the resort town's fest were David Morse (Best Actor Award, "Collaborator"), Stine Fischer Christensen (Best Actress Award, "Cracks in the Shell"), "The Good Life," by Eva Mulvad (Best Documentary over 30 min.), and Czech film, "Nicky's Family" by Matej Minac.

The 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival took place June 29 - July 7 in the Czech Republic resort city.

Full list of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival winners wtih information and descriptions provided by the event:

Grand Prix - Crystal Globe:
"Restoration," directed by Joseph Madmony (Israel)

Best Director: "Pascal Rabate," for "Holidays by the Sea"

Special Jury Prize:
"Gypsy," directed by Martin Sulik (Czech Republic)

Best Actress: Stine Fischer Christensen for her role in the film "Cracks in the Shell" / Die Unsichtbare

Best Actor: David Morse for his role in the film "Collaborator," by Martin Donovan

Best Documentary Film over 30 minutes: "The Good Life," directed by Eva Mulvad (Denmark)

Best Documentary Film under 30 minutes: "Declaration of Immortality," by Marcin Koszalka (Poland)

[For a full list of awards, visit Karlovy Vary's website.

Triumph of the Woman! 'Chick Flicks' Abound at Karlovy Vary Fest

Basil Tsiokos — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:23:25 GMT

The weather may have been unseasonably chilly for the first half of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, but it didn't have a noticeable impact on the enthusiasm of the crowd. The event takes place in a small spa town and draws thousands of attendees, many of them student backpackers from all over Eastern Europe and beyond. As a result each public screening attended was packed, with student pass holders filling every empty seat and then spilling into the aisles. When not in cinemas, these young audience members, many of whom set up a tent city in a nearby stadium for their stay in Karlovy Vary, would drink and carouse through the early morning hours on both banks of the Teplá River that runs through the heart of the town. Add significant attendance by international and local press and industry, and the festival cuts an impressive figure in the international film festival landscape.

In conversations with other international press and industry professionals attending Karlovy Vary this year, many noted what seemed to be an increased presence of films centering on women. Attending the Czech Republic's most celebrated cultural event for the first time, I can't easily determine if this female focus is in fact unusual or not. Some prior attendees did note that it was interesting that these women's films come into prominence in the first year of longtime fest programmer Karel Och new role as Artistic Director, taking over the position from Eva Zaoralová, who instead served this year as Artistic Consultant.

Regardless of whether this was a deliberate programming move or just happenstance, femme feature-length films were represented in virtually every section of the 46th annual event. Also noteworthy is that, of the roughly two dozen titles that featured female protags, about half were also directed or co-directed by women.

Perhaps presaging the fest embrace of the distaff side, Karlovy Vary launched last Thursday night with Cary Joji Fukunaga "Jane Eyre," which also spotlighted a strong performance from this year's Crystal Globe Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dame Judi Dench, who was in attendance opening night to accept the honor. The fest will come to a close tomorrow night with Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris."

Among the women's pictures screening here that have already generated attention at other events over the past several months are Eva Mulvad "Grey Gardens" redux, "The Good Life;" Athina Rachel Tsangari deliciously provocative "Attenberg;" Wim Wenders tribute to the legendary Pina Bausch, "Pina;" Abdellatif Kechiche controversial Venice competition title "Black Venus;" Ole Giaever Sapphic "The Mountain," which premiered in Berlin; Lisa Aschan coming of ager, "She-Monkeys;" Alice Rohrwacher Director's Fortnight title "Corpo Celeste;" Jannicke Systad Jacobsen Tribeca screenplay winner, "Turn Me On, Goddammit;" Joe Wright's teen girl assassin pic "Hanna;" and Andrey Zvyagintsev Un Certain Regard closer (and jury award winner), "Jelena."

Other Karlovy Vary films spotlighting the fairer sex that I didn't get a chance to screen include Christian Schwocow "Crack in the Shell," referred to by many here as "the German 'Black Swan;" Montxo Armendáriz "Don't Be Afraid," a disturbing story about child abuse; Joshua Moore's Cassavetes-inspired relationship drama, "I Think It's Raining;" Urszula Antoniak sophomore effort, "Code Blue," a portrait of an emotionally disturbed nurse; Zuzana Liová's "The House," about a daughter's conflict with her father's expectations; Andreas Horvath & Monika Muskala's documentary competition title, "Arab Attraction," profiling a feminist who becomes the second wife of a younger Yemeni man; and a retrospective screening of Barbara Loden's 1970 Venice award-winner, "Wanda," her only film.

The women-centered films I did view at the festival display a wide range of tones and approaches, though most share a certain bleakness that seems especially fitting for an Eastern European festival.

"Women With Cows"
One of three documentaries screened with a female focus, Swedish director Peter Gerdehag's portrait of sisters Britt and Ingrid makes its international premiere here in the documentary competition. The film is a sort of mix of "Old Partner" and "Grey Gardens" - but instead of oxen and a mother-daughter pair, Gerdehag profiles a pair of sisters and their relationship to the cows on their family farm. Britt loves cows - she has essentially given up her life for them, putting off marriage until it was too late so she could tend to the farm she inherited from her father. Walking literally doubled over due to a badly healed back injury sustained from tending to her beloved bovines, she appears to be grazing alongside her thirteen cows when she walks. Her physical limitations and advanced age make it difficult for her to keep up with the farm work - half of the milking she does ends up outside of the bucket - so she depends on her younger sister, Ingrid, who decidedly doesn't share Britt's enthusiasm for cows, but begrudingly helps out. When Ingrid's own health is threatened, she refuses to work the farm any longer, leading to difficult decisions for Britt's animals. Gerdehag's film is as modest as Britt's farm, which is to its advantage. It presents a portrait of sisterhood, stubbornness, and frailty which is sometimes humorous and sometimes deeply poignant, and made it one of the most memorable of the films I saw at the fest.

"Coal in the Soul"
Martin Dusek & Ondrej Provaznik's documentary also focuses on two women - but in this case, what connects them is not family ties, but coal. Brown coal deposits under Horni Jiretin may mark the end of the small Czech village in northern Bohemia. Libena, a mother of two and a spokeswoman for the coal company that aims to flatten the village to get access to the resources, is almost disturbingly enthusiastic about her job and the benefits mining has brought to her life and to the region. In decided contrast, Hana, a resident of Horni Jiretin and the warden of a castle, is resolute in wanting to preserve her home and its cultural landmarks, and wary of the company's claims of environmental stewardship and recultivation. Both women are clear in their convictions, resulting in an engaging and very personal approach to an issue-oriented project. Dusek and Provaznik's hour-long film claimed the Best Czech doc at Jihlava last year.

"Marija's Own"
On the sixth anniversary of their grandmother Marija's death, director Zeljka Sukova and her two sisters organize a commemorative celebration in this Croatian film included in the fest East of the West competition section spotlighting Eastern European cinema. After Marija's granddaughters introduce themselves to the camera, one of the sisters reveals that she is in fact an actress playing the part of Sukova's sister, signaling that this is a hybrid documentary. Attending their party are a half dozen of Marija's relatives and old friends, and in between drinking, eating, and reminiscing about the departed, they enjoy the bizarre song stylings of a famous Czech band, Midi Lidi, and are challenged to come up with the gravestone decoration, which was left blank at Marija's burial. The pitching sessions (and crude drawings) for the latter are truly remarkable and hilarious, especially a couple of the older women's suggestions involving an invalid Pope John Paul and some pigeons. While the viewer may not be completely clear on where the reality ends and the fiction begins (and I'm not sure why the fiction might be needed at all), there's something that works more often than it doesn't in this odd duck of a film, and attains a level of genuine affection that cuts through whatever artifice is brought into play.

Ziska Riemann's "Lollipop Monster." Image courtesy of Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

"Belvedere"
Bosnia & Herzegovina's Ahmed Imamovic also brings his film to Karlovy Vary for its European premiere in the East of the West competition, and, like Sukova's film, centers on dealing with the loss of a loved one. The film's protagonist, Ruvedja, is a widow, living as a refugee from the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Though she has family around her, including her paraplegic brother Alija, she feels the haunting presence of her husband, leading her to stand vigil with other war widows seeking information on the location of their lost husbands' and children's bodies, and, most significantly, to stalk the man she blames as the perpetrator of the massacre. Meanwhile, her nephew, Ado, reflects the desires of a younger generation to move past the war and escape his surroundings, winning a spot on the local version of the "Big Brother" reality show, much to his mother's consternation. Shooting in stark black and white - counterpointed with the glossy, color "Big Brother" sequences - Imamovic evokes a classical atmosphere that lends both weight and timelessness to Ruvedka's tragedy.

"Salt White"
The final East of the West competition title with strong female leads is Georgian director Ketevan Machavariani's "Salt White," making its world premiere at Karlovy Vary. Two of its three protagonists are female - the waitress Nana and the young homeless girl, Sopo, joined by Abkhazian refugee-turned-policeman, Niko. On the coast of the Black Sea, their lives intersect as they try to make peace with their pasts, break free from the constrictions of their present routines, and forge a better, or at least different, future. For her feature debut, Machavariani has chosen a story that appears simple on its surface, but the characters bear the imprint of decades of political and ethnic turmoil. The monotony and hopelessness of their day-to-day lives are a result, and what "Salt White" tries to explore, to some success, is what happens when circumstances force them to seek an escape and consider the possibility of something different somewhere. It perhaps takes a bit too long to get there, but that in itself echoes the realities of its characters.

"Bedouin"
Looking to the festival's main Competition, this international premiere by Russian director Igor Voloshin follows a Ukrainian woman, Rita, to St Petersburg, to act as a surrogate for a gay Russian couple. While she attempts to act businesslike with her clients, calls from her frenzied mother reveal Rita's motivations for taking on this job - her daughter, suffering from leukemia, is in need of costly medical treatments to have even a slim chance of surviving. As her daughter's condition worsens, Rita must quickly adapt to rampant corruption and crime to achieve her goals, and ultimately take her chance on a last, desperate hope. While the film as a whole just didn't work for me, the main performance is certainly notable - lead Olga Simonova makes for a striking, if dour, presence in the film, willing to go to what few would argue are unlikely lengths to save her child, but her doggedness does carry the audience through the story, despite its at times far-fetched developments.

"Lollipop Monster"
Also screening in the main Competition, and also uneven, German Ziska Riemann's debut brings together a pair of teenage girls - alternative, dark-haired stunner Oona and the more strait-laced blonde Ari - in an unexpected but organic friendship. Oona's bohemian artist family is shaken up after her mother's infidelity leads to her father's suicide. Ari's home life is just slightly better - her clueless mom coddles her malingering brother while her ineffectual father looks on - leading her to rebel first by acting out sexually, and later by adopting some of her new friend's darker trappings. Additional betrayals push both characters past the brink in a not-entirely-convincing climax, but despite some significant missteps in plot, tone, and character (all of the adults are either willfully or ignorantly thoughtless and inconsiderate to the leads), Riemann and her young actresses bring a welcome injection of energy and brashness to the proceedings.

"Stranger Things"
Nearer the opposite end from "Lollipop"'s comic-book pop stylization is the reserved kitchen sink realism of Eleanor Burke & Ron Eyal's film, which made its international premiere in the Forum of Independents section. Coming off a Grand Jury win at Slamdance at the beginning of the year, "Stranger Things" tells the significantly more subdued story of another, much less flashy Oona - this one a dowdy thirty-something daughter who is also dealing with a parent's death (clearly another theme in the fest lineup). Cleaning up her eccentric mother's home to put it on the market, Oona, a would-be anthropologist, slowly begins to come to terms with missteps she's made in her life after she encounters Mani, a homeless man who attempts to take refuge in the empty house. A quiet film that may be just a bit too slight for some viewers, "Stranger" impresses with its deliberate sense of pace and very believable, convincingly awkward performances that impart an authenticity that pays off for patient audiences, despite an ending that doesn't quite ring true.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Basil Tsiokos is a Programming Associate, Documentary Features for Sundance, a documentary film and festival consultant, and a regular contributor to indieWIRE. Follow him on Twitter (@1basil1) and visit his blog (what (not) to doc).

John Malkovich Will Present His Fashion Line at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:02:07 GMT

Buried in the lineup for the 46th Annual Karlovy Vary Film Festival was an announcement that John Malkovich will hold a fashion show for Technobohemian, his "nontraditional" men's clothing line, using top Czech actors as his catwalk models.

Explaining the title on the Technobohemian website, Malkovich says,"'Technobohemian' is a phrase I read in a yet unpublished Italian novel. I lift it with the author's permission and I will endeavor to use it well."

Malkovich, who launched the line in 2009, said in a statement to the film festival:

Sometimes I draw inspiration from the cinema, sometimes I look at people on the street. There is a strong correlation between the job of the designer and the actor who takes on different roles each time transforming itself. I like to experience the transformation even in the clothes we design, every transformation is basically a confirmation that we are constantly being born."

In 2009, Malkovich was honored with the Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

"Jane Eyre" and Woody Allen to Bookend Karlovy Vary; Competition Announced

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:15:23 GMT

It was announced today that Cary Fukunaga's acclaimed adaptation of "Jane Eyre" will open the 46th Annual Karlovy Vary Film Festival at a screening presented by Dame Judi Dench. The festival will close with Woody Allen's popular "Midnight in Paris." The Czech fest will run from July 1-9, 2011.

The complete list of narrative competition titles with descriptions provided by the festival is below. For information on the complete lineup of films from the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, click here.

Bedouin / Beduin
Director: Igor Voloshin
Russia, 2011, 90 min
A Ukrainian woman named Rita heads for Petersburg to become a well-paid surrogate mother for a gay couple because she needs a large sum of money to pay for her daughter’s leukemia treatments. Igor Voloshin, a highly original Russian filmmaker, once again turns in a surprising effort, this time through a combination of melodrama and a realistic look at modern-day Russia.
Collaborator / Collaborator
Director: Martin Donovan
Canada, USA, 2010, 86 min
Dramatist Robert has things to think about – his plays bear the brunt of heavy criticism and he vacillates in his relations to two women. And then an unexpected event happens which forces him to see things completely differently. In his directorial debut, actor Martin Donovan is joined by fellow thespians David Morse, Olivia Williams, and Melissa Auf der Maur.
Crack in the Shell / Die Unsichtbare
Director: Christian Schwochow
Germany, 2011, 113 min
The heroine of this psychological drama set in the world of the theater is an introverted, novice actress named Fine, whom, to everyone’s surprise, a renowned director casts in the main role of a student production of Camille. Fine’s new identity, which could not be further from her true self, is at once seductive and dangerous.
Don't Be Afraid / No tengas miedo
Director: Montxo Armendáriz
Spain, 2011, 90
One day, six-year-old Silvia’s carefree childhood comes to an end when she is left at the mercy of her loving father.... Veteran Spanish filmmaker Montxo Armendáriz, whose film Secrets of the Heart was nominated for an Academy Award, returns after a six-year hiatus with a movie on the nausea-inducing topic of child abuse.
Gypsy / Cigán
Director: Martin Šulík
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011, 107 min
This tale of 14-year-old Adam who, after the death of his father, tries to find his way in life, bears the typical traits of the stories of dozens of adolescent Roma who grew up in the poor settlements of Eastern Slovakia. Adam’s responsibility as new head of the family, which he is prepared to assume at the cost of personal sacrifice, is taken away by a person for whom Adam has no respect. When everything he believed in collapses around him and he is left alone to struggle with evil, he simply cannot find a way out.
Heritage / Księstwo
Director: Andrzej Barański
Poland, 2011, 124 min
Since he was young, Zbyszek’s father has been telling him that he can escape from the crippling conditions in the village and strive to attain some kind of harmony. But Zbyszek fails: he’s expelled from law school in the city, and there is no money to be had.... Director Andrzej Barański has brought to the screen one of the most original characters Polish film has created in recent years.
Holidays by the Sea / Holidays by the Sea
Director: Pascal Rabaté
France, 2011, 77 min
In this original comedy describing how ordinary people spend their weekend, the stories of a wide range of characters intertwine although not all of them know each other. The incidents are connected by an absence of dialogue: the characters communicate through gestures, without any words. Filmmaker Pascal Rabaté is known in France for his comics, and, as with his second movie, he based his popular, critically-acclaimed first feature, Les petits ruisseaux (2010), on one of his comic books.
The Jewel / Il gioiellino
Director: Andrea Molaioli
Italy, France, 2010, 110 min
The second film by Andrea Molaioli (The Girl by the Lake) is a dramatic reconstruction of a financial scandal involving a major food processing company (inspired by the actual case of the dairy giant Parmalat) run by prominent entrepreneur Rastelli and his trusted accountant Botta (the outstanding Remo Girone and Toni Servillo).
Lollipop Monster / Lollipop Monster
Director: Ziska Riemann
Germany, 2011, 96 min
Ari is a Lolita-like blonde, Oona is a taciturn wraith in black. Nevertheless, they share the same problems, living in families that refuse to face reality. And it is just such hypocrisy that drives the girls to seek freedom. Their friendship, however unlikely, is their source of salvation until one of them betrays the other....
Restoration / Boker Tov, Adon Fidelman
Director: Joseph Madmony
Israel, 2010, 105 min
After the death of his business partner, Mr Fidelman’s antique furniture restoration shop finds itself in difficulties; the same could be said about his relationship with his son. The film is a carefully played psychological study about characters in contemporary Israeli society. Is it better to persist with one’s plans, come what may, or might it help to try to understand others?
Romeo Eleven / Roméo Onze
Director: Ivan Grbovic
Canada, 2011, 89 min
The intimate portrait of a young man struggling to find his footing in life while coping with a physical disability and trying to live up to his father’s expectations. A trail of lies slowly catches up with him as he tries to become Romeo Eleven. This visually compelling and sensitive debut by Ivan Grbovic tells of a young man’s desire to overcome social bias and his own prejudices.
Room 304 / Værelse 304
Director: Birgitte Stærmose
Denmark, Croatia, 2011, 88 min
Director Birgitte Stærmose’s multi-layered drama takes place over the course of three days in a Copenhagen hotel and revolves around a mysterious gunshot. The director succeeds in skillfully articulating the movie’s visual style in concord with the individual stories of the protagonists, who feel constricted not only by their own lives but also within the closed walls of the hotel.

10 European Directors to Watch to Get Karlovy Vary Spotlight

Brian Brooks — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:31:58 GMT

Two Tribeca Film Festival winners, including best feature winner Lisa Aschan ("She Monkeys") and best screenplay winner Jannicke Systad Jacobsen ("Turn Me On Goddammit") are among the filmmakers named by film group European Film Promotion as one of the 10 European discoveries to watch. The group will be featured at the upcoming Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the sidebar, "Variety's Ten Euro Directors to Watch," at the invitation of the festival and EFP July 3 - 4, coinciding with the festival. This year's ten were selected by Variety's international critics.

The ten European directors to watch with descriptions and credits provided by European Film Promotion and written by Variety's Alissa Simon:

Lisa Aschan ("She Monkeys," Sweden) - Delivering one of the most intense and complex feature debuts to come from Sweden since Lukas Moodysson's "Show Me Love," director Lisa Aschan thrillingly subverts the coming-of-age genre, political correctness, gender roles and just about everything to do with the depiction of developing sexuality in the taboo-breaking She Monkeys. Winner of the Gothenburg fest's Nordic film prize and critics' award, and Tribeca's Best Narrative, the film plays with traditional expectations in an unsettling manner that feels tantamount to dangerous..."Monkeys" centers on sisters Emma, a talented teen gymnast, and Sara, a precocious 7-year-old. When Emma joins a riding stable where girls train to perform acrobatics on horseback, she meets the slightly older Cassandra and the two begin a relationship fraught with physical and psychological challenges.

Delivering one of the most intense and complex feature debuts to come from Sweden since Lukas Moodysson's "Show Me Love," director Lisa Aschan thrillingly subverts the coming-of-age genre, political correctness, gender roles and just about everything to do with the depiction of developing sexuality.

Claudio Cupellini ("A Quiet Life," Italy) - A psychological thriller of unusual depth, "A Quiet Life" represents a significant leap forward for sophomore helmer Claudio Cupellini, revealing a level of stylistic control and narrative force that should catapult him onto the list of Italian directors to watch. A rare international co-production that feels organically right, the pic boasts the considerable thesping talent of Toni Servillo as a marked man hiding from his mob past. In the quiet forests near Wiesbaden, Germany, Rosario runs a restaurant-hotel with his German wife, Renate. Out of the blue, two young Italians show up... The choice of Hungarian d.p. Gergely Poharnok (Hukkle, Taxidermia) was inspired, as the talented lenser provides elegant yet chilly (and chilling) visuals that expertly play with setting characters together and apart.

A psychological thriller of unusual depth, stylistic control and narrative force, "A Quiet Life" is that rare international co-production that feels organically right It boasts the thesping talent of Toni Servillo as a marked man hiding from his mob past in the quiet forests near Wiesbaden, Germany.

David Dusa ("Flowers of Evil," France) - Capturing the energy and potential of the Internet and social media in an innovative and powerfully visceral way, ambitious experimental drama "Flowers of Evil" organically incorporates YouTube documentation of Iran's 2009 post-election demonstrations and the government's brutal reprisals into a tender love story set in Paris...An attraction blooms when footloose Parisian hotel clerk Rachid meets Anahita, a Tehrani college student exiled to the City of Light by overprotective parents who fear her political participation. But Anahita's worries over the rapidly unfolding events in her homeland, which she follows obsessively on her computer and smartphone, prevent her from participating wholeheartedly in the relationship. Director/co-writer David Dusa brilliantly uses the Internet as a narrative, structural and emotional tool.

Capturing the energy and potential of the Internet and social media in an innovative and powerfully visceral way, this ambitious drama organically incorporates YouTube documentation of Iran's 2009 post-election demonstrations and the government's brutal reprisals into a tender love story set in Paris.

Jannicke Systad Jacobsen ("Turn Me On, Goddammit," Norway) - A frank portrayal of adolescent eroticism, female division, which seldom gets portrayed onscreen at all, much less at the affectionately candid level explored here, the film is set in a less-than-vibrant burg of western Norway that everyone seems to hate; Alma and her pal Sara ritually flip off the sign that bears its name, Skoddeheimen, each time their school bus passes it. "Turn Me On," Goddammit concerns itself with a number of the usual teen-movie tropes, including the loyalty of best friends, the cruelty of adolescence and the torture inflicted on the young by their parents. The paramount issue, however, is Alma's burgeoning lust. Helmer Jannicke Systad Jacobsen interweaves Alma's fantasies, which involve just about anyone, with her day-to-day routine around the curiously named Skoddeheimen and her floundering flirtations.

An affectionately candid portrayal of female adolescent eroticism, which seldom gets portrayed onscreen, "Turn Me On, Goddammit" also concerns the loyalty of best friends, the cruelty of adolescence and the torture inflicted on the young by their parents. Best Screenplay, Tribeca Film Festival.

Zuzana Liová ("The House," Slovak Republic) - Small in scale but perfectly proportioned, contemporary drama "The House" marks talented Slovak director-writer Zuzana Liova as the equal of regional contemporaries such as Bohdan Slama and Alice Nellis when it comes to making universal the small, poignant moments of everyday life. Remarkable for its depth of characterization, this sensitively observed, intelligently made realist tale of generational conflict, is set in a remote Slovak village where old grudges die hard. Ambitious teen Eva is about to graduate from high school and eager to experience the world outside her pokey hometown. Meanwhile, her dour, controlling father is painstakingly building her a house on the family property. Liova's tightly constructed screenplay makes meaningful looks and repeated gestures speak louder than words about expectations and desires.

Ambitious teen Eva is about to graduate high school and eager to experience the world outside her pokey hometown. Meanwhile, her dour, controlling father is painstakingly building her a house on the family property. This contemporary drama makes universal the small, poignant moments of everyday life.

Alexandru Maftei ("Hello, How Are You?" Romania) - The antithesis of the grim naturalism of the best-known new Romanian cinema, helmer Alexandru Maftei's bittersweet romantic comedy "Hello! How Are You?" feels like a breath of fresh air, proving that even more commercial films can deliver emotional epiphanies. This witty, stylishly crafted tale centers on a husband and wife whose 20-year marriage has long since lost its zing, making them vulnerable to the enticements of an Internet chatroom. Musician Gabriel and dimpled dry-cleaning proprietress Gabriela live like two strangers who no longer see each other. But in humorous contrast to their staid, passionless lives, they are surrounded with characters in a constant state of sexual arousal. Maftei's striking, always-inventive compositions find visual equivalents for the fog of love and frustration his characters feel.

The antithesis of the grim naturalism of the best-known new Romanian cinema, the witty, stylishly crafted "Hello! How Are You?" centers on a husband and wife whose 20-year marriage has long since lost its zing, making them vulnerable to the enticements of an Internet chatroom.

Valdís Óskarsdóttir ("King's Road," Iceland) - In this agreeably quirky sophomore feature from Valdis Oskarsdottir, 30-something Junior has returned to Iceland from Germany after several years, with a mysterious German acquaintance in tow. Junior hopes his dad, Senior, might help him out financially, though the new villa of the former multimillionaire and full-time embezzler turns out to be a tiny mobile home in a trailer park at the end of the eponymous road. Senior's new wife, a former beauty queen, and Junior's grandmother, who keeps a stuffed seal as a low-maintenance pet, complete the crackpot family picture. However, they hardly qualify as the weirdest inhabitants of this Nowheresville trailer park, which is overseen by oft-furious, always-uptight janitor BB. The montage maestro of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind offers further evidence that she's a name to watch.

Thirty-something Junior returns to Iceland from Germany after several years, with a mysterious German acquaintance in tow. Junior hopes his dad, Senior, might help him out financially, though the new villa of the former multimillionaire and full-time embezzler turns out to be a tiny mobile home in a trailer park at the end of the eponymous road.

Yasemin Samdereli ("Almanya," Germany) - A breezy, colorfully styled comedy, Almanya centers on multiple generations of a German-Turkish clan and marks the feature debut of German helmer Yasemin Samdereli, who, along with younger sister/co-scribe Nesrin, wrote episodes of the popular Teuton soap "Turkish for Beginners." Deriving its broad humor from cultural misunderstandings and the question of what constitutes national identity, the narrative is neatly structured into two interwoven time frames. The first, set in the present, introduces the Yilmazes in their German home, as patriarch Huseyin insists that his family accompany him for a holiday in Turkey. The second strand follows young Huseyin in distant Anatolia, his arrival in 1964 Germany as the 1,000,001st Gastarbeiter and his family's gradual acclimatization -- if not assimilation.

Neatly structured into two interwoven time frames, breezy, colorfully styled comedy Almanya centers on multiple generations of a German-Turkish clan, and derives its broad humor from cultural misunderstandings and the question of what constitutes national identity.

Hans Van Nuffel (Oxygen," Belgium) - A touching portrait of youth facing mortality far too soon, "Oxygen" centers on Tom, a teen with cystic fibrosis, who rebels against the condition he and his elder brother Lucas were born with. While Lucas endures his more seriously challenged health with patience ("It could be worse. We could be sick in America. Or gay in Iran."), 17-year-old Tom hangs out with a group of ne'er-do-wells between hospital stays, taking part in their petty thefts and general rabble-rousing as an escape from dwelling on the fact that his life is likely to be short. Still, Tom's condition makes periods of confinement unavoidable. During one hospital stay, he meets fellow CF sufferer Xavier, a 30-ish guy who seems to have achieved the dream adulthood Tom might never reach: cool job (underwater photographer), cool car and hot girlfriend.

"Oxygen" centers on a teen with cystic fibrosis rebelling against the condition he and his elder brother were born with. This very personal film, one of the most awarded of the year, smartly skirts disease-of-the-week clichés to show appealing human beings trying to embrace life in spite of chronic illness.

Ben Wheatley "(Kill List," U.K.) - Displaying both a nasty edge and a playful sense of humor -- but thankfully, never at the same time - "Kill List" is several cuts above its fellow midbudget horror brethren. Artfully made and sensitively acted, this is a slippery, teasing thriller that trusts its audience to follow the kitchen-sink marital quarrels as closely as the things going bump in the night. Though a left-field final reel might divide audiences, it's an effectively twisted piece of work. Director/co-writer Ben Wheatley (making his second feature after genre-fest favorite "Down Terrace") takes a thoroughly nontraditional approach to the horror genre, breaking its rules just as often as he hits its marks. One of the film's most squirm-inducing scenes occurs at the very beginning and involves nothing bloodier than a phenomenally uncomfortable dinner party.

Taking a thoroughly nontraditional approach to the horror genre, "Kill List" is artfully made and sensitively acted. Displaying both a nasty edge and a playful sense of humor, this slippery, teasing thriller trusts audiences to follow marital quarrels as closely as things going bump in the night.

Karlovy Vary Names Renowned Hungarian Director Head of Jury

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:21:28 GMT

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has announced that Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó (the Oscar-winning "Mephisto," "Being Julia") will serve as the head of the international jury at this year's festival. The 2011 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 1-9.

The full release follows below...

István Szabó to preside jury at 2011 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
April 6, 2011

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.

Szabó’s international reputation grew with his next three films, a historical trilogy inaugurated by Mephisto. The film was honored with an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as well as Best Screenplay at Cannes. The following two films in the trilogy, "Colonel Redel" (1985) and "Hanussen" (1988), were subsequently nominated for an Oscar.

With this newfound fame, István Szabó began working in the West and with numerous acclaimed Western European and American actors from: Glenn Close in "Meeting Venus" (1991); Stellan Skarsgård in "Taking Sides" (2001); Annette Bening in "Being Julia" (2004); and most recently, Dame Helen Mirren in the yet-to-be-released "The Door" (2011).

Karel Och On Top at Karlovy Vary

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:04:01 GMT

The Karlovy Vary Film Festival (KVIFF) has appointed longtime KVIFF programmer Karel Och as the new Artistic Director of the event. Current head of programming Eva Zaoralova will meanwhile remain closely involved with KVIFF by becoming the festival's Artistic Consultant.

"I have been taking Karel Och for my successor for a long time," said Zaoralova in a statement. "I respect him very much as a cinema connoisseur and aficionado, as well as a human being. I look forward to continue working for the festival with which I have been connected for so many years."

Och has been with KVIFF since 2001 as a programmer, and for the past year he has served as the festival's program director.

"I couldn't have had a better mentor in festival programming than with Mrs. Zaoralova," said Och in a statement. "Our discussions on cinema have always been thought-provoking and illuminating. And I’m thrilled that this close collaboration will go on with her continued involvement with KVIFF. I will keep on building on what makes KVIFF a truly distinctive event – a combination of modern and classic, the co-existence of new ways of storytelling with a fresh look on film history's crucial moments."

"Mosquito Net" Tops Karlovy Vary Fest

Peter Knegt — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:49:25 GMT

Agustí Vila's "The Mosquito Net" topped the juried prizes of the 45th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which concluded this weekend in the Czech mountain town. Starring Geraldine Chaplin as a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the Spanish film won the fest's Grand Prix, the Crystal Globe, which comes with a $30,000 USD prize shared between director Vila and producer Luis Minarro. The film additionally won the Don Quijote Prize, given by the International Federation of Film Societies.

Other major winners at the fest included Czech director Jan Sverak's "Kooky," which won the runner-up award and a $20,000 USD cash prize; "Just Between Us" director Rajko Grli, who won best director; Anais Demoustier, who won best actress for her role in Oliver Coussemacq's "Sweet Evil"; and Mateusz Kosciukiewicz and Filip Garbacz, who shared the best actor award for their work in Pawel Sala's "Mother Teresa of Cats."

A complete list of winners is below.

Grand Prix - Crystal Globe (30 000 USD):
"The Mosquito Net" / "La mosquitera"
Director: Agusti Vila Spain, 2010 The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.

Special Jury Prize (20 000 USD)
"Kooky" / "Kuky se vraci"
Director: Jan Sverak Czech Republic, Denmark, 2010 The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.

Best Director Award
Rajko Grli for the film "Just Between Us" / "Neka ostane medju nama"
Director: Rajko Grli Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, 2010

Best Actress Award
Anais Demoustier for her role in the film "Sweet Evil" / "L'enfance du mal"
Director: Olivier Coussemacq France, 2009

Best Actor Award
Mateusz Kosciukiewicz and Filip Garbacz for their roles in the film "Mother Teresa of Cats" / "Matka Teresa od kotow"
Director: Pawel Sala Poland, 2010

Special Jury Mention
"Another Sky"
Director: Dmitri Mamulia Russia, 2010

"There Are Things You Don't Know" / "Chiz-haie hast keh nemidani"
Director: Fardin Saheb Zamani Iran, 2010

Best Documentary Film over 30 minutes long (5 000 USD)
"Familia" / "Familia"
Director: Mikael Wistroem, Alberto Herskovits Svedsko, 2010

Best Documentary Film under 30 minutes long (5 000 USD)
"The River" / "Upe"
Director: Julija Gruodiene, Rimantas Gruodis Lithuania, 2009

Special Jury Mention
"Tinar" / "Tinar"
Director: Mahdi Moniri Iran, 2009

East of the West Award (10 000 USD)
"Aurora"
Director: Cristi Puiu Romania, France, Switzerland, Germany, 2010

Special Jury Mention
"The Temptation of St Tony" / "Pueha Tonu kiusamine"
Director: Veiko Ounpuu Estonia, Sweden, Finland, 2009

Award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema
Nikita Michalkov, Russia
Juraj Herz, Czech Republic

Festival President's Award
Jude Law, United Kingdom

Audience Award
"Oldboys"
Director: Nikolaj Steen Denmark, 2009

Award of International Film Critics (Fipresci)
"Hitler in Hollywood" / "Hitler a Hollywood"
Director: Frederic Sojcher Belgium, France, Italy, 2010

Europa Cinemas Label Award
"Just Between Us" / "Neka ostane medju nama"
Director: Rajko Grli Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, 2010

Independent Camera
"Four Lions"
Director: Christopher Morris United Kingdom, 2010

The Ecumenical Jury Award
"Another Sky"
Director: Dmitri Mamulia Russia, 2010

The Don Quijote Prize (FICC - International Federation of Film Societies)
"The Mosquito Net" / "La Mosquitera"
Director: Agusti Vila Spain, 2010

Netpac Award
"Son of Babylon"
Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji Iraq, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Palestine, UAE, Egypt, 2009

Orion Director:
Zamani Esmati Iran, 2010

World and International Premieres on Tap for 45th Karlovy Vary Film Festival

Brian Brooks — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:37:12 GMT

Six world premieres are on tap for the narrative and documentary competitions at the upcoming Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The 45th edition of the event, which takes place in the Czech resort town of the same name, unspools July 2 - 10, 2010. Additionally, there will be 11 International debuts in the sections, screening work from both the region and around the world.

Scott Cooper's "Crazy Heart," starring Jeff Bridges - who took the Oscar for Best Actor earlier this year - and Maggie Gyllenhaal will open the event, while French director Pascal Chaumeil's "Heartbreaker" will close out the festival. Actor Jude Law will receive this year's "Festival President's Award." Editor and Martin Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker and producer Andrew Macdonald ("Trainspotting") and his brother Kevin Macdonald ("One Day in September") will also be part of the delegation of official guests. The trio will take part in introducing a tribute to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger ("The Red Shoes").

Karlovy Vary will also screen a selection of this year's Cannes winners in addition to other films from around the globe.

Official Competition (with descriptions provided by Karlovy Vary:

"3 Seasons in Hell," Director: Tomáš Mašín
Czech Republic, Germany, Slovak Republic, 2009, 110 min, International premiere
1947. Nineteen-year-old Ivan is the embodiment of the dreams and ideals of the period. The self-satisfied and confrontational poet finds understanding with freethinking Jana, and together they experience the end of hope: after February 1948, the Communist regime reveals its repressive side…. Tomáš Mašín’s debut feature is loosely inspired by the autobiography of leftist underground guru Egon Bondy. The artistically striking retro film took three Czech Lions: Best Camera, Sound, and Actor (Kryštof Hádek).

"Diago," Director: Chi Zhang
China, 2010, 89 min, World premiere
Shot on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the transfer of the Portuguese colony of Macau to Chinese administration. It’s 1999 and the title character is on a personal pilgrimage to discover his Portuguese-Macanese roots, thereby opening up the theme of the individual’s (and an entire society’s) search for identity on the threshold of an uncertain postcolonial existence. The director’s 2008 film The Shaft competed at the 43rd KVIFF.

"There Are Things You Don't Know," Director: Fardin Saheb Zamani
Iran, 2010, 92 min, World premiere
Late-shift taxi driver Ali Mosaffa works the “mean streets” of Tehran and in the process he meets a wide variety of people. The lovely, lonely Leila starts to play an important role among his customers…. With a nod to Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976), debut director Fardin Saheb Zamani’s melancholy, disquieting drama tells of alienation and the various roles which people assign themselves and others.

"Brother & Sister," Director: Daniel Burman
Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, 2009, 105 min, International premiere
They are both alone. They need each other but, at the same time, they despise each other. Siblings Marcos and Susana are unable to heal the old wounds festering within them after the death of their mother. When Susana sells the mother’s flat, she deprives her brother of the home where he had cared for their mother his whole life. Marcos’s need to start living again surfaces when his sister forces him to leave Buenos Aires for Uruguay….

"Another Sky," Director: Dmitri Mamulia
Russia, 2010, 86 min, International premiere
When a father and son from the Uzbek steppe move to Moscow in search of the boy’s missing mother they are condemned to the lot of the gastarbeiter. The film presents a record of the lifestyle and livelihood of people on the edge. Just as they don’t notice the intoxicating world of the metropolis, the heterogeneous environment doesn’t notice their painful solitude. They are merely goods on the rapacious work market.

"Sweet Evil," Director: Olivier Coussemacq
France, 2009, 90 min, International premiere
French director Olivier Coussemacq has debuted with a psychological thriller about a 15-year-old girl who imposes upon an older married couple. Is it mere chance that has brought her to the home of Judge van Eyck and his wife? And what is true of what Céline has told them about her past? Is the girl an intruder or a victim?

"Hitler in Hollywood," Director: Frédéric Sojcher
Belgium, France, Italy, 2010, 85 min, World premiere
A bio-doc about Micheline Presle changes into a thrilling investigation of the long hidden truth about European cinema. This mockumentary thriller uncovers Hollywood’s unsuspected plot against the European motion picture industry. Numerous directors and stars appear in the film, making it a choice morsel for all film lovers.

"Kooky," Director: Jan Svěrák
Czech Republic, Denmark, 2010, 95 min, International premiere
Young Ondra has asthma and so his mom throws away his musty old stuffed bear Kooky. That night Ondra dreams that his beloved toy is determined to find his way back home from the dump. In the boy’s fantasy, the bear gets lost in a forest occupied by strange animals and remarkable beings…. In an era of impressive CGI animation that can simulate the natural world, Jan Svěrák has returned to simplicity: similar to his short film Oil Gobblers (1988 student Oscar), he combines handheld puppets with a natural environment.

Mother Teresa of Cats," Director: Paweł Sala
Poland, 2010, 95 min, International premiere
The film is a loose reconstruction of actual events which shook Poland some years ago. Told in flashback, the film searches for the motives for such a twisted crime. How and why did this irrational evil germinate? Did it rise out of family relations, or did the murderers respond to the perverted values of the spirit of the times?

"The Mosquito Net," Director: Agustí Vila
Spain, 2010, 95 min, World premiere
The story of a well situated urban family living under a constant shadow of guilt: the mother feels guilt with regard to her children, the father is guilty because of the home help, and the son feels responsible for all living things, particularly abandoned cats and dogs, which he picks up off the street and then places himself behind a barrier of silence…. Geraldine Chaplin (who plays a silent role in The Mosquito Net) described the film’s screenplay as one of the three best scripts she had ever read.

"Just Between Us," Director: Rajko Grlić
Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, 2010, 89 min, International premiere
Aging but still charismatic Nikola, played by the captivating Miki Manojlović, likes to share his bed with a number of women. But should he be punished for lying to his wife, or for mistreating his lover? A comically outspoken film about complex issues in contemporary society or: slow sperm are always good for a laugh.

"Mourning for Anna," Director: Catherine Martin
Canada,2010,87min, World premiere
The aging but elegant Francoise takes pride in her daughter’s accomplishments, however, the latter meets a sudden and violent death. The devastated woman decides to escape to a secluded place and withdraw into herself. Via a sensitive and aesthetically refined drama, the film reflects upon a difficult life situation, and also considers whether art has the ability to heal.

Documentary Films in Competition (with descriptions provided by Karlovy Vary:

"Notes on the Other," Director: Sergio Oksman
Spain, 2009, 13 min
In his ingeniously constructed documentary, Brazilian filmmaker Sergio Oksman takes us to Pamplona, Spain during the Fiesta of San Fermin where, according to the director’s interesting hypothesis, the famous image was created of Ernest Hemingway as a writer enamored of thrills and adventure.

"The Arbor," Director: Clio Barnard
United Kingdom, 2010, 90 min, European premiere
Debut British director Clio Barnard’s original picture, awarded at this year’s Tribeca festival, reconstructs the life of talented British playwright Andrea Dunbar who died at age 29. After spending two years conducting audio recordings with Dunbar’s family, friends, and neighbors, Barnard filmed actors flawlessly lip-synching the interviews.

"Armadillo," Director: Janus Metz
Denmark, Sweden, 2010, 100 min
Documentarist Janus Metz and cameraman Lars Skee spent six months with a group of Danish soldiers at the Armadillo army base in Afghanistan. The outcome of their work is a gripping and highly authentic war drama that was justly awarded the Grand Prix de la Semaine de la Critique at this year’s Cannes film festival.

"The Mouth of the Wolf," Director: Pietro Marcello
Italy, 2009, 76 min
Using unique archive footage, Italian documentarist and Genoese native Pietro Marcello has succeeded in brilliantly reviving the unique atmosphere of Genoa’s port quarter, which he then uses as a backdrop to unfold a singular love story between a tough but goodhearted Sicilian named Enzo and transsexual Mary. Best Film at the Torino FF.

"Familia," Director: Mikael Wiström, Alberto Herskovits
Sweden, 2010, 82 min
The movie’s main characters are members of a poor Peruvian family. In an effort to ensure a better future for them all, 55-year-old mother Naty heads to Spain to work as a hotel maid. At this year’s Göteborg IFF, this sensitively shot film snapped up the award for Best Swedish Documentary.

Katka," Director: Helena Třeštíková
Czech Republic, 2010, 90 min, International premiere
The main figure in the latest of Helena Třeštíková’s observational documentaries is a junkie named Katka. This powerful story of her 14-year battle with drug addiction culminates in spring 2007 when 30-year-old Katka becomes unexpectedly pregnant and the focal point of the movie shifts to the desperate struggle for the child’s future.

"Love Lust & Lies," Director: Gillian Armstrong
Australia, 2010, 87 min, International premiere
This unique long-term project by renowned Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong superbly charts the apparently ordinary lives of three girls (and later women) from Adelaide, recording them from ages 14 to 47, and offering a singular look at Australian society from the mid-70s till today.

"Mum," Director: Adelheid Roosen
Netherlands, 2009, 20 min
“Now that my mother has developed Alzheimer’s disease, I don’t see her dissolving, I see her appearing. I see her as an Alice in Wonderland: she is falling through time. I fall after her, discover where she is, what she is going through, what she is doing or saying.” By means of an originally stylized movie complete with tenderness and humor, the director undertakes a journey into the world of an ill woman.

"Marwencol," Director: Jeff Malmberg
USA, 2010, 84 min, European premiere
After a brutal attack, Mark Hogancamp was left with permanent memory loss and brain damage. Unable to afford expensive treatment, he created his own. He built Marwencol in his backyard, a precise and colorfully populated miniature Belgian village from the period of the Second World War. Best documentary at the SXSW FF.

"The Player," Director: John Appel
Netherlands, 2010, 83 min
As the topic of his latest work, renowned Dutch documentarist John Appel has chosen a very personal probe into the soul of a gambler. Indeed, his own father succumbed to the world of players, where, as one of the characters puts it, “You have no past, just a future where time doesn’t exist and where you can experience an absolutely unique feeling of freedom.”

"Poet of the Elephant House," Director: Anna Juhlin
Sweden, 2010, 29 min, World premiere
Swedish documentarist Anna Juhlin offers a portrait of her grandfather, a Turkish poet who became a passionate photographer of well-known faces from the world of avant-garde art. A movie about an old poet, a man who succeeded in finding the magic of poetry not only in black-and-white photographs but in life itself.

"Little Bride," Director: Lesław Dobrucki
Poland, 2010, 14 min, International premiere
Permeated by an atmosphere of disquiet, Polish director Lesław Dobrucki’s inventively-edited documentary focuses on a Turkish girl who, at the bidding of her family, was forced to marry in Germany at age 13. She barely managed to escape being beaten to death by her brutal husband.

"rise," Director: Visra Vichit-Vadakan
Thailand, 2009, 8 min
In her intriguing documentary essay, Thai director Visra Vichit-Vadakan ponders the universal theme of understanding between parents and their newly adult offspring, who are looking for their own way in life and hope that their parents will understand and respect them.

"Tinar," Director: Mahdi Moniri
Iran, 2009, 72 min, European premiere
In his sensitively constructed and visually sophisticated portrait, Iranian director Mahdi Moniri presents ten-year-old cowherd Ghasem who has been deprived of a carefree childhood. Instead he is forced, under difficult conditions, to take care of himself and the herd of cows entrusted to him.

"The River," Director: Julija Gruodienė, Rimantas Gruodis
Lithuania, 2009, 30 min
This low-key yet highly agreeable movie by Lithuanian filmmaking duo Julija Gruodienė and Rimantas Gruodis introduces us to life in a remote village. Via eloquent, visually striking footage and the villagers’ humorous commentary, the directors acquaint us with a local way of life whose rhythm is set by a river.

"Together," Director: Pavel Kostomarov
Russia, Switzerland, 2010, 52 min, International premiere
In his latest picture, Russian director Pavel Kostomarov introduces a loving relationship between a married couple of artistic bent. Lyudmila and Vladimir have lived and worked together for decades. Set apart from the surrounding world, their small house is filled with their drawings and wooden sculptures inspired by Celtic art.

East of the West - Films in Competition with descriptions provided by Karlovy Vary:

"9:06," Director: Igor Šterk
Slovenia, 2009, 71 min
Police detective Dušan investigates the death of Marjan Ozim – an orderly, middle-aged man who apparently left the world voluntarily, through careful, cold-blooded planning. The investigator becomes more and more obsessed with the case, gradually taking on Marjan’s identity…. Igor Šterk’s movie begins as an ordinary crime drama and ends as a psycho-thriller about a journey to the dark depths of the soul.

"The Albanian," Director: Johannes Naber
Germany, Albania, 2010, 104 min
A young Albanian mountain-dweller ends up in Germany as an illegal immigrant. His dream is to make enough money in order to be able to marry his beloved Etleva. But the “European dream” he cherishes, now that he is stuck in a country with no friends, experience or knowledge of the language, soon turns into a nightmare. In his socio-critical drama, debuting director Johannes Naber envisages his native Germany as a world which has no place for integrity, morality or innocence, at least not for young illegal immigrants.

"Aurora," Director: Cristi Puiu
Romania, France, Switzerland, Germany, 2010, 181 min
At age 42, Viorel is an inconspicuous, newly divorced man living in the suburbs of Bucharest; he is also someone planning to commit murder. The new film by the director of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, a movie that helped promote contemporary Romanian film, ponders murder as something dangerously ordinary.

"Gastarbeiter," Director: Yusup Razykov
Russia, 2009, 88 min, International premiere
Sadyk’s grandson has disappeared in Russia as one of thousands of Uzbeks who travel there for work. The old man sets out for Moscow unaware of the contents of the package he is carrying for his benefactor. Despite a mishap involving drug smuggling, he doesn’t give up his search for his grandson. Vika, a prostitute who’s been around the block, tries to help but she’s on the run from the Mafia….

"The Dolls," Director: Chingiz Rasulzade
Azerbaijan, 2010, 85 min, World premiere
The Soviet Union, Baku, 1989. The breakup of the empire is imminent. A group of young men work while disguised as various characters, allowing passersby to photograph them. The guys wear the masks not only at work, but also at home and in company. It’s no wonder that they try to get rid of all the masks and find their own actual face.

"Don't Look into the Mirror," Director: Suren Babayan
Armenia, 2009, 101 min, European premiere
One day, an aging, none-too-attractive man, whose artistic ambitions faded long ago, looks in the mirror and sees an entirely different person. His life changes into a bizarre series of comic and tragic episodes. Director Suren Babayan based his visually rich, surreal movie on the novel by Perch Zeytuntsyan as an original variation on the classic tale of the mirror double.

"The Abandoned," Director: Adis Bakrač
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, 2010, 88 min, World premiere
14-year-old Alen lives in a Sarajevan orphanage. He’s convinced that he is the son of a French woman and an Englishman who met as war correspondents but were forced by circumstances to part ways. Director Adis Bakrač unfolds the drama of a boy looking for love in a hostile world, and wonders what chance a child has, growing up without parental care among the shadows of the past.

"The Temptation of St Tony," Director: Veiko Õunpuu
Estonia, Sweden, Finland, 2009, 114 min
Tony is returning from the stale and desperate Estonian village where he buried his father to his placidly affluent manager’s life in Tallinn when chance sends him on a surreal, symbolic journey that examines (and calls into question) his notions of good and even of himself.

"Woman With a Broken Nose," Director: Srdjan Koljević
Serbia, Germany, 2010, 104 min, International premiere
Serbian director Srdjan Koljević, in his second film, offers a gentle mosaic of the lives of several lost souls who have to overcome the emotional traumas of their past in order to put their ruined lives back together. Their destinies, however, are linked by a tragic event.

"Dreamers," Director: Jitka Rudolfová
Czech Republic, 2009, 97 min, International premiere
Now in their thirties, the film’s six protagonists, who left northern Bohemia for Prague after graduating from high school, are taking stock of their lives. Is it too soon for a change? Or perhaps it’s too late because it’s hard to jump off a moving train. Jitka Rudolfová’s debut is a generational statement that perceives the relationship problems of today’s 30-somethings with understanding and ironic detachment.