The 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has come to an end after over a week of cinematic delights. At the closing night ceremony, The KVIFF President’s Award was presented to both Czech actor Bolek Polívka and Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro, with the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema was presented to Geoffrey Rush.

Before the closing ceremony, the non-statutory awards were announced, where two Czech films, the drama “Borders of Love” and the documentary “Art Talent Show,” were honored by the journalistic FIPRESCI jury at the 56th KVIFF.

Continue reading ‘Summer Of Hope’ Wins The Grand Prize: Full Karlovy Vary 2022 Award Winners at The Playlist.

Set around the infamous trial of Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the mass extermination of Jews during World War II, Jake Paltrow’s latest film, “June Zero,” follows three characters on the periphery of history. The film follows a teenage Libyan immigrant named David, a Moroccan prison guard named Hiyam, and a Polish survivor of Auschwitz who became the chief interrogator at Eichmann’s trial, Micha. As each character finds their lives intertwined in the same strand of history in the making, Paltrow examines the very nature of history itself. 

Continue reading ‘June Zero’: Jake Paltrow & Tom Shoval On Reexamining The History Of A Notorious Nazi Criminal Trial [Karlovy Vary Interview] at The Playlist.

The 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is right around the corner, and today the festival announced its two honorary awards for 2022. In something of a surprise, KVIFF will bestow the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema presented to Geoffrey Rush. The KVIFF President’s Award will be given to Benicio del Toro. Both gentlemen will receive their awards during the festival’s closing ceremony on July 9.

Continue reading Geoffrey Rush & Benicio Del Toro Will Be Honored At Karlovy Vary 2022 at The Playlist.

The summer festival season is off and running and this morning the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival announced their premiere selections for this July’s 2022 edition. Outside of it’s long running Crystal Globe competition, KVIFF revealed a new section, the Proxima Competition, for younger and first-time filmmakers. Eastern European films always dominate KVIFF, but, intriguingly, this year will feature Jake Paltrow’s latest endeavor, “June Zero.” His last narrative directorial effort was “Young Ones” in 2014.

Continue reading Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2022 Includes Jake Paltrow’s ‘June Zero’ at The Playlist.

The global film community is in a strange place and, frankly, that’s impacting everything.  The advent of streaming giants hasn’t led to an increase of distribution for quality films as expected and in the U.S., at least, the industry is fretting over audiences only heading to their local multiplex for anything associated with a Disney or Marvel title card.  The latter might be a bit of an exaggeration (or not), but it’s a tension that’s being felt pretty much everywhere.

Continue reading 5 Things That Popped At the 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – The 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival has been bookended by “Far From Heaven.” Both Julianne Moore and Patricia Clarkson, who starred in Todd Haynes’ 2002 classic, have been honored with the festival’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Achievement in World Cinema. Moore received hers at the opening ceremony last week, and Clarkson will be honored at the closing ceremony tomorrow. The former sat down with the media for a press conference (broadcast on Czech television, no less) to discuss her career and other honors potentially down the road.

Continue reading Patricia Clarkson Admits She’s Superstitious Over Landing An Emmy Nod for ‘Sharp Objects’ at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – When Oscar-winning talent agrees to sit down for an hour-long Q&A it’s always worth taking the time to stop by and see what they have to say. Especially when the talent is none other than Casey Affleck. This was Affleck’s second trip to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in three years and while he seemed uncomfortable during a press conference on his previous visit, he was much more forthcoming this time around.

Continue reading Casey Affleck Says Indie Film Isn’t Dead But His Kids Don’t Want To Go To The Movies [Karlovy Vary] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – Henry Golding will tell you he never intended to be an actor. He spent a majority of his professional career as a television host before a surprise audition for last summer’s “Crazy Rich Asians” made him a global superstar. A role in Paul Feig’s underrated “A Simple Favor” quickly followed, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to display his talents beyond mostly traditional studio fare.

Continue reading Henry Golding Finds Himself A Stranger In A Modern Vietnam In ‘Monsoon’ [Review] at The Playlist.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is known by many as a Cannes catch up fest and for its star-filled tributes, but there is a fantastic competition that takes place with films such as “Zoology” and last year’s winner, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians” recently making their debuts.  It also ends up as the defacto premiere for a number of nation’s International Film Oscar submissions (last year Israel’s “The Cakemaker,” Czech Republic’s “Winter Flies,” Belarus’ “Crystal Swan” and the aforementioned Romanian “I Do Not Care” were all Karlovy Vary premieres).  

Continue reading New Films Starring Henry Golding & John Turturro Set For Karlovy Vary 2019 at The Playlist.

The 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival kicked off what will be a string of announcements about the annual Cannes-follow up fest this morning highlighted by the news a restored version of the classic Czech film “The Cremator” will be part of the program.

Juraj Herz’s 1969 drama is a seminal work of the Czech New Wave and drew the ire of the communist government of that era.

Continue reading 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Fest Reveals Tributes & ‘The Cremator’ Restoration at The Playlist.

Continue reading Touching Doc ‘Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind’ Celebrates Comedian’s Incredible Life [Karlovy Vary Review] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – As the title not so subtlety indicates, “Miriam Lies” and she lies often.  The soon to be 15-year-old has her reasons, however.  And while the film may take place in the Dominican Republic, this assured narrative diretorial debut of Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada ensures that Miriam’s situation is one that girls (and boys) from mixed race parentage all around the world will be able to relate to.

Continue reading ‘Miriam Lies’ But This Impressive Drama Also Tells The Truth [KVIFF Review] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – Films depicting the political and societal corruption in modern day Russian have become almost commonplace this decade.  It’s almost rare to find a major filmmaker not commenting on it in some aspect.  Even Kirill Serebrennikov, who has been under house arrest since October, found a way to comment in his 80’s period piece “Leto,” which debuted at Cannes in May.  Now, Ivan I. Tverdovsky, who had a strong sophomore effort with the subversive “Zoology” two years ago, returns with perhaps the most blatant example of everyday Russian corruption yet, “Jumpman.”

READ MORE: ‘Zoology’ is much more than the ‘Woman with a Tail’ movie [Review]

The winner of a special Jury Mention at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, “Jumpman” begins with a young Oksana (Anna Slyu, memorable) dropping her baby off at a boy’s orphanage, seemingly unable to raise him on her own.  

Continue reading ‘Jumpman’ Wants To Chronicle Everyday Russian Corruption But Can’t Take Off [KVIFF Review] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – If there is anything we’ve learned by watching “To The Night” which debuted at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival today it’s that Austrian filmmaker Peter Brunner has a strong cinematic eye. He can compose images that startle and beguile. He knows how to construct a sequence that will compel you to either be intrigued or make you want to run screaming from the theater.  There’s real talent there in that respect.  

Continue reading Caleb Landry Jones Commits To Irritatingly Messy ‘To The Night’ [KVIFF Review] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – It may be 2018, but as evidenced by the actions of elected leaders, their followers and the general public, racism and nationalism are as prevalent today as they were almost 80 years ago. That’s the subject director Radu Jude explores in his sophisticated new drama “I Do Not Care If We Go Down As Barbarians” which premiered at the 53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this week. And if that title sounds like a handful, than Jude has succeeded in getting your attention.

Continue reading ‘I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians’ [KVIFF Review] at The Playlist.

KARLOVY VARY – Velya really wants to get out of Belarus. It’s 1996 and the nation is still struggling to transition from a socialist to a free market state. People are unemployed and Velya’s law degree doesn’t amount to much at the moment. So, the 22-year-old spends her nights DJ’ing in Minsk and dreams of traveling to Chicago, the mecca of house music. When she mistakenly puts down the wrong phone number on a visa application she takes a side trip that becomes the narrative thread of “Crystal Swan” which premiered at the 53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this past weekend and its the nation’s official Foreign Language Film Entry for this calendar year.

Continue reading A Belarus House DJ Endures For An American Visa In ‘Crystal Swan’ [KVIFF Review] at The Playlist.

The 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is right around the corner and the Czech Republic institution has some more special guests on deck.  The festival previously announced that Oscar-winner Tim Robbins and the Austin Film Society, with Richard Linklater on hand, will receive tributes.  Terry Gilliam, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer will present new films.  Now, there are even more familiar names making their way to the popular European fest.

Continue reading Robert Pattinson And Taika Waititi Are Headed To 2018 Karlovy Vary Film Festival at The Playlist.

Continue reading Richard Linklater And Austin Film Society To Be Celebrated At 2018 Karlovy Vary Film Festival at The Playlist.