The
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a
film festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by...
held annually in July in
Karlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
(Carlsbad),
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's major film events.
The Karlovy Vary film festival is one of the oldest in the world. The pre-war dream of many enthusiastic filmmakers materialized in 1946 when a non-competition festival of films from seven countries took place in
Mariánské LázněMariánské Lázně is a spa town in the Carlsbad Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is an exquisite mosaic of parks and noble houses...
and
Karlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
.
The
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a
film festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by...
held annually in July in
Karlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
(Carlsbad),
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's major film events.
History
The Karlovy Vary film festival is one of the oldest in the world. The pre-war dream of many enthusiastic filmmakers materialized in 1946 when a non-competition festival of films from seven countries took place in
Mariánské LázněMariánské Lázně is a spa town in the Carlsbad Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is an exquisite mosaic of parks and noble houses...
and
Karlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km west of Prague. It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
. Above all it was intended to screen the results of the recently nationalized
CzechoslovakCzechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
film industryThe film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film...
. After the first two years the festival moved permanently to Karlovy Vary.
For several decades after the Communist takeover in February 1948 the festival was entirely under the control of the then current political establishment. The period in which the selection of films, the conferral of awards, and the invitation of guests took place in the spirit of Communist
propagandaPropaganda is communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience...
alternated with other less restrictive eras such as the sixties in which the festival program was able to offer the latest artistic trends making their way in both Czechoslovak and world cinematography (including the West). Legendary festivals filled with stars and absolute gems of films gave way to other years which, due to the bombastic and ubiquitous socialist rhetoric, nearly caused the complete loss of the festival audience.
With regard to the Karlovy Vary IFF, the great social and political changes that took place after the
Velvet RevolutionThe Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the Communist government. It is seen as one of the most important of the Revolutions of 1989.On November 17, 1989, a Friday, riot police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration...
in November 1989 pushed concerns about organizing the festival to the background. The program for 1990 was saved by the release of a collection of Czechoslovak films which had been locked up for years in a storage vault. And the appearance of a number of important international guests such as
Miloš FormanJan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech film director, screenwriter, actor and professor. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both garnering him the Academy Award as a director. He was also...
,
Lindsay AndersonLindsay Gordon Anderson was an Indian-born English feature film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave...
,
Annette BeningAnnette Francine Bening is an American actress.-Early life:Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Shirley, a church singer and soloist, and Grant Bening, a sales training consultant and insurance salesman. Her parents, natives of Iowa, were practicing Episcopalians and conservative...
and
Robert De NiroRobert Mario De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer.De Niro is well-known for his method acting and portrayals of conflicted, troubled characters and for his enduring collaboration with director Martin Scorsese...
helped as well. Future festivals were in doubt. Financial problems and a lack of interest on the part of the government, organizers and viewers almost ended the festival's long tradition in 1992.
In 1994 the 29th Karlovy Vary IFF inaugurated an entirely new tradition. After nearly forty years of alternating with the
Moscow IFFMoscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival...
, the festival began once again to take place every year. The Karlovy Vary Film Festival Foundation was set up in 1993 co-created by the Ministry of Culture, The City of Karlovy Vary, and the Grand Hotel Pupp. Actor Jiří Bartoška was invited to be the festival's president, and Eva Zaoralová became program director in 1995. Since 1998 the organization of the festival has been carried out by Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary, a
joint stock companyA joint stock company is a type of business entity: it is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more legal persons. Certificates of ownership are issued by the company in return for each financial contribution, and the shareholders are free to transfer their ownership interest at...
.
Program
The core of the program is the
feature filmIn the film industry, a feature film is a film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening...
competition; in accordance with
FIAPFThe FIAPF based in Paris, created in 1933, is an organization composed with 31 member associations from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries...
regulations only those films which have not been shown in competition at any other international festivals can be included. The documentary competition is another important festival event. The extensive informative program features both distribution pre-premiers and films awarded at
other festivals. But it also includes discoveries of artistic creations by independent directors, productions coming out of little known film industries, retrospectives, and an overview of
Czech filmThe Czech Republic was a seedbed for many acclaimed film directors.Three Czech/Czechoslovak movies that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film were The Shop on Main Street by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos in 1965, Closely Watched Trains by Jiří Menzel in 1967 and...
output during the past year. For the tenth straight year the festival will present Variety Critics' Choice: new and interesting films of mainly European production selected by critics working at this prestigious magazine.
Seminars focusing primarily on European film are another important part of the festival.
Thousands of visitors and the great variety of films testify to the effectiveness of the program team with program director Eva Zaoralová at its head. Due to their valiant efforts many films will be purchased at the festival for wider distribution or, thanks to receiving a festival award, will attract the attention of major producers, distributors, and the media.
The festival program has the following sections:
- Competition of feature-length films – films never before shown in competition at any other international festival.
- Documentary Film Competition – a competition divided into two parts: documentaries
Documentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
less than and longer than 30 minutes.
- Horizons – pre-premieres of films bought for wider distribution, and films awarded at other festivals.
- Another View – works experimenting with form and content, or those revealing an uncommon creative approach.
- Forum of Independents – more than just "independent" American filmmakers.
- East of the West – films from the former socialist bloc.
- Czech Films – an overview of Czech films made during the past year.
- Retrospectives – several thematic retrospectives presenting the work of a certain world-renowned film personality, a particular period, or a selection of works chosen according to specific criteria.
Awards
The Karlovy Vary IFF first held an international film competition in 1948. Since 1951, an international jury has evaluated the films. The Karlovy Vary competition quickly found a place among other developing festivals and by 1956
FIAPFThe FIAPF based in Paris, created in 1933, is an organization composed with 31 member associations from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries...
had already classified Karlovy Vary as a category A festival. Given the creation of the Moscow IFF and the political decision to organize only one "A" festival for all
socialist countriesIn political science, a Communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule of a Communist party and a professed allegiance to a communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state....
, Karlovy Vary was forced to alternate with Moscow between 1959 and 1993.
Since the very beginning the Grand Prize has been the
Crystal GlobeCrystal Globe is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival first given out in the city of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic, in 1948.In the international competition of films IFFKV presents the following awards:...
– although its form has often changed. As of the 35th Karlovy Vary IFF 2000 the Crystal Globe has taken on a new look: now the figure of a woman stands raising a crystal ball (artistic concept worked out by Tono Stano, Aleš Najbrt, Michal Caban, and Šimon Caban).
The Feature Film Competition is divided into the following main awards:
- Grand Prix – Crystal Globe for best feature film (grand total $20,000)
- Special Jury Prize
- Best Director Award
- Best Actress Award
- Best Actor Award
The Documentary Competition is divided into the following main awards:
- Best Documentary Film in the category for film lasting 30 minutes or less
- Best Documentary Film in the category for film lasting above 30 minutes in length
Each year, the festival also presents the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema.
Crystal Globe Winners – Grand Prix
- 2009 Un ange à la mer /en:Angel at Sea (Belgium/Canada) – director Frédéric Dumont
- 2008 Frygtelig Lykkelig /en:Terribly Happy (Denmark) – director Henrik Ruben Genz
- 2007 Mýrin /en:Jar City
Jar City is director Baltasar Kormákur's fifth film. It is based on the book Tainted Blood by Arnaldur Indriðason...
(Iceland/Germany) – director Baltasar KormákurBaltasar Kormákur is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films 101 Reykjavík, Hafið, A Little Trip to Heaven , and a film based on the book Mýrin by Arnaldur Indriðason.With his movie Mýrin he won the Crystal Globe...
- 2006 Sherrybaby
Sherrybaby is a 2006 drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. It was screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on September 8, 2006.- Plot summary :...
(USA) – director Laurie Collyer
- 2005 Mój Nikifor /en:My Nikifor (Poland) – director Krzysztof Krauze
Krzysztof Krauze is a Polish film director, screenwriter, photographer and cinematographer from Warsaw best known for his 1999 film thriller Debt.-Early years:Krauze was raised by a nanny and his father in Warsaw...
- 2004 Certi bambini /en:A Children's Story
A Children’s Story , also known as Certain Children in Australia, was directed by Andrea and Antonio Frazzi in 2004 and is an Italian film which focuses on the life of an eleven year old boy growing up in an environment of poverty and criminality in Naples...
(Italy) – director Andrea Frazzi, Antonio Frazzi
- 2003 La finestra di fronte /en:Facing Windows
Facing Windows is a 2003 Italian movie directed by Ferzan Özpetek.Tagline: Desire knows no bounds.-Plot:...
(Italy, GB, Turkey, Portugal) – director Ferzan OzpetekFerzan Özpetek is a Turkish screenwriter and film director who currently resides in Italy.- Biography :Özpetek was born in Istanbul in 1959. He moved to Italy in 1977 to study at the La Sapienza University in Rome...
- 2002 Rok ďábla /en:Year of The Devil
Year of the Devil directed by Petr Zelenka is a 2002 Czech Republic fictional documentary film. In the movie the following musicians acted as themselves: Czech folk music band Čechomor, musicians and poets Jaromír Nohavica, Karel Plihal and British musician and composer Jaz Coleman...
(Czech Republic) – director Petr ZelenkaPetr Zelenka is a Czech writer and director.His most notable work is a black comedy, Tales of Common Insanity , which he personally directed at Dejvické divadlo. He received Alfréd Radok Award for Best Play. The play was later staged in other Czech theatres as well as in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia,...
- 2001 Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain /en:Amélie
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. Its original French title is Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain . Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...
(France) – director Jean-Pierre JeunetJean-Pierre Jeunet is a French film director.-Life and career:Jean-Pierre Jeunet was born in Roanne, Loire, France. He bought his first camera at the age of 17 and made short films while studying animation at Cinémation Studios...
- 2000 Eu tu eles /en:Me You Them
Me You Them is a 2000 Brazilian drama film directed by Andrucha Waddington.-Cast:* Regina Casé - Darlene* Lima Duarte - Osias* Stênio Garcia - Zezinho* Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos - Ciro* Nilda Spencer - Raquel...
(Brasil) – director Andrucha Waddington
- 1999 Hachaverim shel Yana/en:Yana's Friends
Yana's Friends , directed by Arik Kaplun, is an Israeli movie awarded the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1999....
(Israel) – director Arik Kaplun
- 1998 Le coeur au poing /en:Streetheart
Streetheart is a 1998 film that was awarded the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1998...
(Canada) – director Charles BinaméCharles Binamé is a Quebec director. He was born in Belgium and came to Montreal with his family at a young age. In 1971, he began work as an assistant director with the National Film Board of Canada. During the 1980s, he directed commercials in England...
- 1997 Ma vie en rose /en:My Life in Pink (Belgium, France, GB) – director Alain Berliner
Alain Berliner is a Belgian director best known for the 1997 film Ma vie en rose, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 55th Golden Globe Awards in 1998....
- 1996 Kavkazskij plennik /en:Prisoner of the Mountains
Prisoner of the Mountains , also known as Prisoner of the Caucasus, is a Russian war drama film directed by Sergei Bodrov and written by Bodrov, Arif Aliyev and Boris Giller...
(Russia, Kazakhstan) – director Sergej BodrovSergei Vladimirovich Bodrov is an Academy Award nominated Russian filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer.Bodrov was born in Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, USSR . He had a son named Sergei Bodrov, Jr...
- 1995 Jízda /en:The Ride (Czech republic) – director Jan Svěrák
Jan Svěrák is one of the most successful Czech film directors since the Velvet Revolution in 1989. He is the son of the prominent screenwriter and actor Zdeněk Svěrák. He studied documentary filmmaking at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague...
- 1994 Mi Hermano del Alma /en:My Soul Brother (Spain) – director Mariano Barroso
- for older winners (......1946) see Crystal Globe
Crystal Globe is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival first given out in the city of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic, in 1948.In the international competition of films IFFKV presents the following awards:...
.
- for all the winners of 2008 awards see Karlovy Vary Award Winners 2008
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award Winners 2008Grand Prix - Crystal Globe*Frygtelig Lykkelig **Dir. Henrik Ruben Genz**Denmark 2008Special Jury Prize*The Photograph**Dir. Nan T...
.
External links