01-07-2008
MFF KV 2008MFF KV 2008

The 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is running from Friday July 4 to Saturday July 12. In the early 1990s the Karlovy Vary festival had become somewhat moribund; however, since being taken over in 1994 by artistic director Eva Zaoralová, president Jiří Bartoška and their team it has enjoyed a great revival, becoming one of the biggest cultural and social events of the year in the Czech Republic.

This year over 220 feature length pictures are being shown. The programme includes a retrospective of Dutch film production, a look back at the American cinema from 1968-1980 (New Hollywood II), the films of Mexican director Arturo Ripstein, the special presentation of Midnight Movies - British horrors from the BFI national archive and some of the most important films from this year's Cannes film festival in the Open Eyes section...

Among the special guests in the pretty west Bohemian spa town this year were actors Robert de Niro, Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Lee, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Nick Nolte, and directors Tom McCarthy, Arthuro Ripstein, Nicolas Roeg, John Saylesand a legend of American documentary filmmaking, Les Blank. Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard were at the festival on July 10, they performed their song from the film Once and also their latest work for their upcoming CD in the hall of the Richmond Hotel.

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Robert de Niro, photo: Štěpánka BudkováRobert de Niro, photo: Štěpánka Budková

'Terribly Happy' wins top prize at Karlovy Vary
The 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival closed on Saturday in traditional fashion with the handing out of Crystal Globe awards. It was a Danish film, 'Terribly Happy', which scooped the out-and-out top prize, though the Czechs were represented in other categories – with the Crystal Globes for best actor and best actress this year remaining firmly on Czech soil.

Ivan Passer: Czech new wave filmmaker at helm of Karlovy Vary jury
My guest for this edition of One on One is Ivan Passer, who this week received a Crystal Globe in Karlovy Vary for his lifelong contribution to world cinema. The president of this year’s festival jury fled communist Czechoslovakia in 1968, after directing what has been voted one of the best Czech films ever made – ‘Intimate Lighting’ is a black-and-white new wave classic telling the story of two friends reunited.

Karlovy Vary: the best of the fest
Karlovy Vary is best-known for its health-giving waters. I'm right now inside the Sprudl Colonnade, or Vridelni kolonada, where people are filling up their special spa water mugs with all types of the hot, sulphurous stuff. But, for eight days a year, the attention shifts elsewhere, and a different crowd comes to Karlovy Vary for the biggest film festival in Central and Eastern Europe. This year, the festival has been bigger, busier and better than ever, here are just a few of the highlights...

Petr Alexander: the man in charge of providing subtitles to movies at the Karlovy Vary festival
The International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary is drawing to a close and film fans are cramming cinema halls to see as much as they can in the remaining 24 hours. But few of those watching the movies get a look behind the scenes or find out how much hard work and preparation has gone into making the festival a success. Some time ago I met with Petr Alexander who is responsible for providing subtitles to the films shown at the festival. For him and his team of translators, the festival starts much earlier than for the rest of us:

New Hollywood classics get rare big-screen airing at Karlovy Vary
The New Hollywood section at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is back due to popular demand. This year, director Paul Mazursky and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond are just two of the big names presenting the festival’s retrospective of 1970s American films. The period, which spawned movies such as ‘Easy Rider’, ‘Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice’ and ‘McCabe and Mrs Miller’, is often thought of as one of Tinseltown’s finest. Variety magazine’s Steven Gaydos helped bring some of these classic Hollywood films to the Karlovy Vary film fest:

‘Karlovy Vary more colourful than ever’ says jury president Ivan Passer
The president of this year’s jury at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival is legendary Czech new wave director Ivan Passer. The man who made his name working with Miloš Forman, and then solo with films like ‘Intimate Lighting’ and ‘A Boring Afternoon’, has accepted the prestigious post and returned to the Czech Republic some 40 years after emigrating to the United States.

"Night Owls" premieres at Karlovy Vary
Photo: CTKPhoto: CTK Monday at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival saw the world premiere of ‘Night Owls’ – one of the two Czech films in this year’s competition. The movie was directed by Oscar-nominated animator, Michaela Pavlátová, and stars the young Czech talents Martha Issová and Jiří Mádl. In the run up to the big screening, Rosie Johnston caught up with Michaela Pavlátová on the terrace at the spa town’s Hotel Thermal.

Robert De Niro opens Karlovy Vary Film Festival
One of the most anticipated stars to appear at this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival was Robert De Niro. Thousands turned out on Friday to catch a glimpse of the actor as he walked up the red carpet at a downtown hotel. De Niro’s star turn marked the opening of the film festival and, as Rosie Johnston reports, there’s more on its way.

Karlovy Vary Film Festival kicks off
It’s lights, camera, action in Karlovy Vary, with the town's 43rd annual film festival kicking off on Friday. Over the next eight days, festival-goers will be treated to screenings of over 220 films, and around 60 premieres. Each year, the population of the picturesque and otherwise tranquil West Bohemian spa town swells to over three times its normal size - as industry bigwigs, stars, and film-lovers flock to Karlovy Vary from all over the world.

Countdown to Karlovy Vary Film Festival begins
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the highlights on the Czech cultural calendar. In this, its 43rd year, the festival promises to be bigger than ever. It all kicks off in two weeks’ time in the pretty Bohemian spa town, but ahead of the grand opening, organizers held a meeting in Prague on Monday, to drop a few hints about what could be expected. I spoke to program director Julietta Sichel about what would be new at the festival this year:

Robert de NiroRobert de Niro
Robert de Niro with his wifeRobert de Niro with his wife Robert de NiroRobert de Niro Robert de NiroRobert de Niro
Brenda BlethynBrenda Blethyn Marek EbenMarek Eben Klára Issová and David OndříčekKlára Issová and David Ondříček
Ivan PasserIvan Passer Bolek PolívkaBolek Polívka Mirek TopolánekMirek Topolánek
Miroslav DonutilMiroslav Donutil J.P. MuchowJ.P. Muchow Jiří MacháčekJiří Macháček
Eva Zaoralová and Armin Mueller-StahlEva Zaoralová and Armin Mueller-Stahl
Robert de NiroRobert de Niro Johanna ter SteggeJohanna ter Stegge Robert de NiroRobert de Niro
Robert de NiroRobert de Niro Robert de NiroRobert de Niro Robert de NiroRobert de Niro
Jiří BartoškaJiří Bartoška Juraj JakubiskoJuraj Jakubisko Robert de NiroRobert de Niro
Les tremblements lointains - Jean-Francois StéveninLes tremblements lointains - Jean-Francois Stévenin Les tremblements lointains - Amélie DaureLes tremblements lointains - Amélie Daure Les tremblements lointains - Boris Van Gils, Amélie Daure, Manuel PotteLes tremblements lointains - Boris Van Gils, Amélie Daure, Manuel Potte
Pretextos - Laia Marull, Antoni CamínPretextos - Laia Marull, Antoni Camín Pretextos - Silvia MuntPretextos - Silvia Munt Děti noci - Jiří Mádl, Marta IssováDěti noci - Jiří Mádl, Marta Issová
Danny GloverDanny Glover
Dr. AlemanDr. Aleman
Karamazovi - Ivan TrojanKaramazovi - Ivan Trojan Karamazovi - Petr ZelenkaKaramazovi - Petr Zelenka Karamazovi - Martin MyšičkaKaramazovi - Martin Myšička

Photo: Štěpánka Budková