The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will present a total of 34 films, including 13 debuts. Two Czech productions will compete in the main competition, while other national entries will feature in the Proxima and Special Screenings sections. The festival will also honour the late president Jiří Bartoška and place human closeness at the centre of its visual concept.
From 4 to 12 July, Karlovy Vary will once again become the centre of international film: the 59th edition of the festival will showcase 34 films – including 13 debuts – across the competition sections ‘Main Competition’ and ‘Proxima’, as well as in the non-competitive ‘Special Screenings’. Two Czech productions will compete in the Main Competition.
Ondřej Provazník’s drama Sbormistr (The Choirmaster), loosely inspired by the controversial affair surrounding the children’s choir ‘Bambini di Praga’, is attracting particular attention. ‘The film is about the collision of innocence with an authority that can abuse its power,’ says KVIFF programme director Och.
The second Czech entry in the main competition is Raději zešílet v divočině (Better to Go Mad in the Wilderness), a film adaptation of the book of the same name by Aleš Palán and Jan Šibík, directed by Slovak filmmaker Miro Remo. The film tells the story of people who have chosen to live outside civilisation.
Proxima: A stage for new talent
The Proxima section, dedicated to new voices and directions in world cinema, will screen 13 films. Filmmakers from countries such as Bangladesh, Lithuania, Norway, and Colombia will present their films at the festival. The Czech Republic is represented here by the feature film Na druhé straně léta (On the Other Side of Summer) by Vojtěch Strakatý – a sensitive study of growing up and the longing for a different reality.
Among the world premieres at the festival is the Slovak film Duchoň by Peter Bebjak – a portrait of the legendary singer Karol Duchoň. The main jury includes Czech director and actor Jiří Mádl, whose film Vlny (Waves) won the audience award last year and was shortlisted for the Foreign Language Oscar.
This year’s President’s Honorary Award will go to renowned editor Jiří Brožek. As is tradition, a digitally restored Czech film will also be presented – this time Ecce homo Homolka by Jaroslav Papoušek.
Remembering Jiří Bartoška
Long-time festival president Jiří Bartoška, who had a decisive influence on the character of the festival, will be honoured posthumously. The position of president remains vacant; former managing director Kryštof Mucha has taken over management. Jiří Bartoška passed away on 8 May at the age of 78.
Festival design with a human touch
The visual leitmotif of this year’s festival is a simple, universal symbol of humanity: the embrace.
A complete list of the official film selection for the 59th Karlovy Vary IFF can be found here.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
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