{"id":9506,"date":"2018-06-25T12:15:50","date_gmt":"2018-06-25T10:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/?p=9506"},"modified":"2018-06-25T12:20:18","modified_gmt":"2018-06-25T10:20:18","slug":"53rd-karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-female-filmmakers-from-eastern-europe-and-iranian-cinema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/2018\/06\/53rd-karlovy-vary-international-film-festival-female-filmmakers-from-eastern-europe-and-iranian-cinema\/","title":{"rendered":"53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, female filmmakers from eastern Europe and Iranian cinema"},"content":{"rendered":"
Armanshahr | 40Braids<\/strong>
\nShahla Rostami<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival<\/a> is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious one in Central and Eastern Europe. It is incidentally one of the oldest. \u00a0A-list film, which means a category equal to the festivals of Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastian, Moscow…. Among filmmakers, buyers, distributors, sales agents, and journalists, KVIFF is considered as the most exciting event in Central and Eastern Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The concept of the Karlovy Vary IFF is not only based on the advantageous geopolitical location of the Czech Republic on the border between Eastern and Western Europe, but also the policy of attracting famous stars on one hand and many money less young people and cinema lovers on the other. It is thus visited by thousands of festival goers of all ages who can also cross distinguished foreign guests in the city’s streets. Some also seize the occasion to take a dip in one of the numerous absolutely unique curative hot springs in the world.\u00a0The Karlovy Vary IFF presents annually for the first time in the Czech Republic more than 200 new films from the whole world and numerous exciting side events.<\/p>\n

53rd edition kicks-off on 29 June<\/strong><\/p>\n

12 films \u00a0have been selected by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for the main competition program. They include films from Romania, Poland, Canada, Czech Republic, Israel, Turkey, Dominican republic, Russia, Argentina, Austria and Slovenia.<\/p>\n

In the very attractive \u00a0East of the West competition program, we can see “Amir”, by “Nima Eghlima”, Iranian director who will compete with other filmmakers coming from eastern european countries.<\/p>\n

Iranians other than Asghar Farhadi’s most recent film “Everbody knows” (which was also present in the main competition program in Cannes film festival),\u00a0 are also present in the Another View section. They include\u00a0 “The Border”, prize winner of “Un Certain Regard”, by Ali Abassi (From Denmark), “Invasion”, by Shahram Mokri and “Oblivion Verses”, by Alireza Khatami, should be mentionned.<\/p>\n

Films from around the world compete in several categories<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best selected film is awarded the\u00a0Crystal Globe<\/strong> at the\"\"<\/a> final closing ceremony. Awards are also given for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor, and many more and many famous celebrities walk down the red carpet. Best films however are not only reviewed by a jury, but also by the audience itself.<\/p>\n

Although its form has often changed the Crystal Globe<\/a> has been since 1948, the Grand Prize. As of the 35th Karlovy Vary IFF in 2000, \u00a0the Crystal Globe has taken on a new look: the figure of a woman raising a crystal ball (artistic concept developed by Tono Stano, Ale\u0161 Najbrt, Michal Caban, and \u0160imon Caban).<\/p>\n

Milo\u0161 Forman celebrated<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will honour the memory of the recently deceased Milo\u0161 Forman at its opening ceremony. The opening film of this year\u2019s festival will be Forman\u2019s legendary comedy \u201cLoves of a Blonde\u201d.<\/p>\n

The opening concert in front of the Hotel Thermal will include a block of music from the Milo\u0161 Forman\u2019s films. The audiences will hear the Czech National Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Libor Pe\u0161ek,\u00a0perform music from The Firemen\u2019s Ball<\/em>, <\/em>Taking Off<\/em>, <\/em>Valmont<\/em>, <\/em>Amadeus<\/em> and <\/em>Hair<\/em>. Music from of his friends and contemporaries films is also programmed<\/p>\n

\u201cLoves of a Blonde\u201d, which is a key work of the Czechoslovak New wave, was a hit at numerous festivals in the late 1960s, during the cold war era. Among other things, it was the opening film at a 1966 film festival in New York, and the following year it was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.<\/p>\n

\u201cMilo\u0161 Forman was not only an excellent filmmaker, but also a great friend of the Karlovy Vary festival. We have decided to remember him not through laudatory speeches, but through what he symbolized \u2013 film. And although local audiences will know Loves of a Blonde from its numerous showings on television, they will surely appreciate the chance to see it on the big screen. We are also convinced that our foreign guests who do not often get the chance to see Forman\u2019s Czech films \u2013 which significantly influenced the direction taken by Czech cinema \u2013 will welcome the screening as well,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>says KVIFF\u2019s president Ji\u0159\u00ed Barto\u0161ka<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The film was shot in an authentic location in Zru\u010d nad S\u00e1zavou, which at the time was home to a shoe factory whose workers were overwhelmingly women. Many of the locals appeared in the film, and Forman showed his excellent ability to work with a combination of actors and non-actors.<\/p>\n

The 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF will close its work with the French comedy film” Sink or Swim” by Gilles Lellouche.<\/p>\n

Interview – Artistic director Karel Och<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Karel Och<\/p><\/div>\n

Regarding the 53rd KVIFF,\u00a0 I needed to ask some question from the artistic director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Karel Och, who has been in charge of the most important part of the festival, the artistic choice, since 2010.<\/p>\n

Shahla Rostami: In spite of the fact that women have been in the centre of many discussions world-wide and especially very present in the 2018 Cannes film festival, the number of female filmmakers in your main competition section is limited to only 3 out of 12 films: Ana Katz,\u00a0 Natalia Cabral and Sonja Prosenc. Why ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karel Och: While we support the discussion which should lead towards bigger participation of female filmmakers in the landscape of film festivals, we refuse to approach the selection with the idea of gender quotas. The facts you mention correspond to gender (dis) balance of the group of films from which we selected. Artistic qualities have been the main criterion of our selection and the line-up of the main section.<\/p>\n

The selection of films for the East of the West section \u00a0seems to be more balanced : 7 out of 12 films made by women ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0There are 7 films directed by women in the East of the West competition, out of 12 competing films. Again, it is only after selection was locked that we realized \u00a0what the numbers were. This offers intriguing food for thought concerning the condition of a female filmmaker in Central and Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n

In the past years, a section was dedicated to films presented in Cannes but not this year. How come ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0It was a temporary (2007 \u2013 2010) solution \u00a0on how to secure the visibility of films from Cannes in the festival\u00b4s program. During the first years following my appointment as artistic director, we did a partial facelift of the program and it was not necessary to dedicate a special section to Cannes films. We are no less happy to present films from Venice and Berlin. Yet, in different sections of the line-up, \u00a0we present more than 20 films every year.<\/p>\n

In the last four years, outstanding young directing talents from Europe have been put in the spotlight through the EFP Future Frames.<\/strong> This edition of the Festival presents ten films by students and graduates and their award-winning work. What have been the \u00a0results of this encouragement and visibility given to young talents ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0Some of the students we have been highlighting through the EFP Future Frames program are preparing their first feature films. One example is \u201cVia Carpatia\u201d by the Future Frames alumna and Student Academy Award winner Klara Kochanska (co-directed by Kaspar Bajon) premiering this year in the East of the West competition.<\/p>\n

Except for this example<\/strong>, have other young filmmaker candidates gone far ? <\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0The EFP Future Frames program is focused on the film students in different stages of their studies (not only graduates). Many of them continue their studies and we believe that the Karlovy Vary experience will have a significant impact on their future careers.<\/p>\n

Why only chose talented young directors from Europe and not worldwide?\u00a0 Is this not the role of an international festival ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : As the name EFP Future Frames suggests, we are organizing the program together with our long-time partner European Film Promotion, which is a unique network of 38 European organizations focused on promoting their respective national film production.<\/p>\n

Barry Levinson, who won an Academy Award for \u201cRain Man\u201d, will receive the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema.\u00a0 What was the reason behind this choice ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0Karlovy Vary IFF is known also as the filmmakers\u00b4 festival, inviting tens of interesting directors to present their films to our audience. Every year we bring one of the legends among filmmakers to underline the importance of such personality and his or her impact on contemporary cinema. After William Friedkin and Ken Loach, among others, we are incredibly honoured that Barry Levinson (screenwriter-producer-director ) <\/strong>has accepted our invitation.*<\/p>\n

Once again, Iranian cinema, which was very present in Cannes Film festival this year, is absent from the main competition. Only “Amir”, by Nima Eghlima, Iranian director, participates in the East of West competitive section.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u201cAmir\u201d is an outstanding debut film which is showing Iran the way most of the spectators do not know about. It offers a strong auteur vision and as such it has its place in the East of the West competition , which as of this year is open to films from the Middle East as well.<\/p>\n

What are the highlights of this 53rd<\/sup> edition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

K.O : \u00a0There are 9 world premieres of Czech films across the official selection, which is a record \u00a0I believe. We\u00b4re excited to present new talents coming from our country.<\/p>\n

__________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

* Other than, Barry Levinson, KVIFF will present a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema to actor, director, screenwriter, producer and musician Tim Robbins, who won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in \u201cMystic River\u201d (2003).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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