Iran’s coming-of-age story “Summer With Hope”The 56th Karlovy Vary Intl. awarded the top prize. Film Festival. The film about Omid, a young competitor swimming in the ocean, won over the Crystal Globe jury.
Sadaf Foroughi, Iranian-Canadian, has directed and written the film. This follows up on her 2017 teen drama. “Ava.”The Karlovy Vary prize is worth $25,000.
Spanish friends study in a lively, but not too serious way “You Have to Come and See It,” directed by Jonás Trueba, won the special jury prize and $15,000 for its ironic, philosophical portrayal of a country outing by Madrid city folk.
Czech filmmaker Beata Parkanová won the director prize for “The Word,” a Czech/Slovak/Polish co-production and her original story of a small-town notary – Martin Finger, who also took the actor prize – and his wife, Gabriela Mikulková, who stand up to political pressure under the repressive pre-1989 regime, at great personal cost.
Mariam Khundadze of Georgia and Taki Mumladze from Georgia won the best actress award for their roles as young, restless women who struggle with claustrophobia in Ioseb. “Soso” Bliadze’s German/Georgian convention-breaking drama “A Room of My Own.
The nine-day festival, arguably Central Europe’s most spectacular, wrapped Saturday night at the Grand Hall of the storied brutalist pile known as the Hotel Thermal, capping a week of 170 films screened in mostly packed halls and appearances by actors Geoffrey Rush and Benicio Del Toro, who wowed crowds at an event that attracted 10,000-plus visitors.
The fest signed off with both Rush and Del Toro on stage, the former honored with a contribution to global cinema Crystal Globe while the latter was handed the prize of fest president Jiří Bartoška. Bolek Politka, Czech comedian, received a lifetime achievement award.
The Právo audience award went to Czech rockumentary “PSH Neverending Story,” Štěpán FOK Vodrážka’s free-wheeling account of three Prague rapper heroes, Orion, Vladimir 518 and Mike Trafik, who as Peneři strýčka Homeboye (Uncle Homeboy’s Hoboes), made waves for decades in local clubs, parties and tabloid headlines.
The Karlovy Vary fest’s new Proxima competition – which has evolved from the former East of the West section, opening it up to global indie filmmakers doing remarkable work – honored the Czech doc “Art Talent Show,” directed by Adéla Komrzý and Tomáš Bojar, the chronicle of art school competitive spirit, with its top prize and $15,000.
It was also awarded a FIPRESCI award and an Official Selection film. “Borders of Love,” an offbeat Czech/Polish look at open relationships directed by Tomasz Wiński.
“La Pietà,”Eduardo Casanova directed a Spanish/Argentinian perspective on home life in hell. He also won $10,000 and the Proxima special jury prize. The family story was set in Croatian/Serbian 80s. “The Uncle,” directed by David Kapac and Andrija Mardešić, had a special jury mention.
The observational doc received the Ecumenical Jury Award. “A Provincial Hospital,”A German/Bulgarian production was directed by Ilian Metev and Ivan Chertov, while Zlatina Teneva received the Europa Cinemas Label Award for Polish holiday polemic. “Fucking Bornholm,”Directed by Anna Kazejak