Eighteen films including one non-fiction and one animation will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. Seven films were directed by women.
The Line (2017)
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Berlin Film Festival 2022 Unveils Competition, Encounters, Berlinale Special Lineup
Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver in Call Jane by Phyllis Nagy © Wilson Webb
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53rd Chicago International Film Festival Awards – A SORT OF FAMILY Wins Gold Hugo
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A Sort of Family[/caption]
Diego Lerman’s A Sort of Family took home the top prize at the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival, the Gold Hugo, in the International Feature Film Competition. A Sort of Family, which had its U.S. premiere in Chicago, tells the story of a doctor’s desperate journey to adopt a baby girl.
The Silver Hugo for Best Director was awarded to Joanna Kos-Krause and co-director Krzysztof Krauze for Birds Are Singing in Kigali (Poland), and the Silver Hugo Special Jury Prize was awarded to Félicité, (Senegal, France, Belgium) directed by Alain Gomis. Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand took home top honors in the New Directors Competition with a Gold Hugo for No Date, No Signature, and the Silver Hugo was awarded to Milad Alami for The Charmer (Denmark).
The Roger Ebert Award, presented to an emerging filmmaker with a fresh and uncompromising vision by Chaz Ebert, was awarded to Colombian director Laura Mora for Killing Jesús, and the Chicago Award was taken home by Stephen Cone for Princess Cyd.
The Founder’s Award, given to one film across all categories that captures the spirit of the Chicago International Film Festival for its unique and innovative approach to the art of the moving image, was presented to Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water.
“All of the films competing for prizes this year were outstanding, and I salute our jury for rising to the daunting task of selecting those that received the top honors,” said Festival Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “We are proud to honor such a diverse group of films, shining a spotlight on the extraordinary work being created by men and women throughout the world. This year’s honorees span the globe, featuring talent from almost every continent, as well as one who lives only a few miles from the theater.”
2017 Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners
International Feature Film Competition
Gold Hugo A Sort of Family (Una especie de familia), Dir. Diego Lerman, Argentina. This film amazed the jury in two ways that are difficult to achieve by themselves and even more difficult together. At a personal level, it delivers a journey of wrenching twists, maintaining tension while also enabling empathy with a complicated, sometimes reckless character in an impossible situation. At a political level, it draws attention to systemic abuses of women, especially poor women, that transpire all over our world. A Sort of Family synthesizes these two tracks seamlessly, with sterling craftsmanship and superb performances throughout. Best Director Birds Are Singing in Kigali (Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali), Dirs. Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, Poland. This film sets itself a huge challenge, both artistic and ethical, of evoking a tragedy without simply re-staging its events or relying on sentimentality to move its audience. The tough, inventive direction allows such risks to pay off, alternating between realist and poetic styles in ways that achieve a tremendous emotional force, expanding the boundaries for how trauma can be commemorated on screen. The jury acknowledges with sorrow the many places around the globe where this story remains relevant, and honors Joanna Kos-Krauze as well as, posthumously, her late husband and co-director, Krzysztof Krauze. Silver Hugo Jury Prize Félicité, Dir. Alain Gomis, Senegal, France, Belgium. This movie transports its audience to a vividly evoked community in Kinshasa, without indulging the stereotypes by which Africa is often depicted on screen. Instead, we meet a tenacious, complex heroine who insists on living by her own terms, even amid situations that deprive her of easy choices. The music in the movie is unforgettable, and its structure is itself musical, building in unexpected movements, interludes, and crescendos toward its rewarding conclusion. Silver Hugo Best Actresses Awarded ex-aequo to Jowita Budnik and Eliane Umuhire in Birds are Singing in Kigali (Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali), Dirs. Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, Poland. The only way to honor these two performances, so dissimilar in style yet perfectly in sync, is to award a joint citation. Each actress brought depth and power to the scenes that emphasized her character, making Anna and Claudine accessible to the audience without divulging all their secrets. When acting together, they conveyed a unique symbiosis, sometimes painful, sometimes comforting, that will bond these women forever. Silver Hugo Best Actor Awarded to Aleksandr Yatsenko in Arrhythmia, Dir. Boris Khlebnikov, Russia, Finland, Germany The versatile Yatsenko, maintaining his fruitful collaboration with director Boris Khlebnikov, hits a new creative peak as a skillful but unreliable paramedic, eliciting the audience’s contempt at times and its sympathy at others. The actor finds endless degrees of human imperfection between these two poles, giving a performance that allows the whole movie to work. Silver Plaque Best Screenplay Awarded to Mohammad Rasoulof for A Man of Integrity (Lerd), Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran. Early on, this film introduces us to many different facets of its main character’s life that barely seem to relate. Gradually and powerfully, the script teases out the connections, all of which culminate in a haunting finale. This structure requires patience and discipline from its writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof. In a festival full of modern spins on film noir, he gives us one of the best, set in an unlikely place. Silver Plaque Best Cinematography Awarded to Chayse Irvin for Hannah, Dir. Andreas Pallaoro, Italy, France, Belgium. Hannah tells the story of a very guarded woman and is itself a guarded film, refusing to spell out the motives or contexts behind a lonely woman’s behavior. The images, then, must convey feelings and ideas that the screenplay and character will not. Through meticulous composition, unexpected framing, and a finely calibrated color palette, they do just that. Best Art Direction Awarded to Václav Novak for The Line (Čiara), Dir. Peter Bebjak, Slovakia, Ukraine, Czech Republic. The jury marveled at the natural locations in The Line, all expertly chosen and photographed. The built environments, too, abound with subtle and character-revealing detail. Without calling undue attention to itself, the scenery always served the entertaining story, while colorfully avoiding the visual clichés one might expect from a tribute to film noir.Founders Award
The Shape of Water, Dir. Guillermo Del Toro, USA The Founders Award is personally presented by Festival Founder Michael Kutza to the single film he feels best embodies the spirit of curiosity, optimism and love of film that led to his starting the Chicago International Film Festival 53-year ago. “The Shape of Water is beautiful, inspiring and the epitome of why I love the movies,” remarked Kutza. “Del Toro is a master filmmaker, and this is one of his most magnificent films to date.”New Directors Competition
Gold Hugo No Date, No Signature (Bedoune Tarikh, Bedoune Emza). Dir. Vahid Jalilvand, Iran. The Gold Hugo goes to Vahid Jalilvand’s No Date, No Signature (Iran) for the austere beauty of its imagery and the satisfying complexity with which this assured second feature explores dilemmas of guilt and grief in a medical examiner who may or may not have accidentally killed a small boy. Silver Hugo The Charmer (Charmøren), Dir. Milad Alami, Denmark. The Silver Hugo goes to Milad Alami’s The Charmer (Denmark), a gripping, beautifully lensed drama that continues to haunt us with its portrayal of paranoia and frayed human connection. The journey of an Iranian man seeking courtship in Denmark culminates in a final sequence so startling and deftly executed that it is guaranteed to provoke debate for years to come. Roger Ebert Award Killing Jesús (Matar a Jesús), Dir. Laura Mora, Colombia, Argentina. The Roger Ebert Award goes to Laura Mora’s Killing Jesús (Colombia), which contains the richest example of a quality Roger Ebert treasured in cinema. Mora’s lead heroine tracks down her father’s killer initially in pursuit of vengeance, until she realizes that his crime was merely a symptom of a corrupted society. The film is wise and perceptive in its suggestion that empathy itself can serve as a form of catharsis.Documentary Competition
Gold Hugo The Other Side of the Wall (Al otro lado del muro), Dir. Pau Ortiz, Spain, Mexico. The Gold Hugo goes to The Other Side of the Wall, a film with two of the most riveting characters we’ve had the pleasure to see in a documentary. With intimate access, filmmaker Pau Ortiz tells the poignant story of a family in the midst of crisis, struggling to survive with their matriarch incarcerated. With extraordinary sensitivity, Ortiz presents their lives as an unflinching portrait of the ties that bind. Silver Hugo Mr. Gay Syria, Dir. Ayse Toprak, France, Germany, Turkey. The Silver Hugo goes to Mr. Gay Syria directed by Ayse Toprak, a film that looks at the Syrian refugee crisis through the lens of the LGBT community. At times sad and at times humorous, she captures a slice of life of a community in transition.Out-Look Competition
Gold Q-Hugo BPM (120 battements par minute), Dir. Robin Campillo, France. The Gold Q Hugo Film Award goes to BPM-Beats Per Minute (France) for its necessary honesty, unmatched portrayal of love and loss, but most importantly for embodying what it really means to make the personal political. Silver Q-Hugo God’s Own Country, Dir. Francis Lee, United Kingdom. The Silver Q Hugo Film Award goes to God’s Own Country (UK) for its simple yet robust exploration of masculinity, desire, and unspoken intimacy within our most important relationships.Chicago Award
Princess Cyd, Dir. Stephen Cone, USA. Princess Cyd won for its clear tonality, lyrical storytelling, and graceful authenticity. With strong writing and relatable characters, director Stephen Cone crafts a very honest, very human story that features a capable and complex female lead. The entire cast plays a substantial role in bringing a subtle delicacy to this coming-of-age story, set against an intimate Chicago backdrop.Documentary Short Film Competition
Silver Hugo The Rabbit Hunt, Dir. Patrick Bresnan, USA. No shot is wasted in this epic 12-minute observational documentary gem. It is truly our privilege to be invited on this journey as seventeen-year-old Chris and his family partake in a local right of passage as well as making ends meet while living in an industrial community in the Florida Everglades. Masterful and precise. Gold Plaque The Streets Are Ours: Two Lives Cross in Karachi, Dir. Michelle Fiordaliso, USA. The Streets Are Ours: Two Lives Cross in Karachi chronicles two women who stand es examples of the ongoing struggle in Pakistan to open up creative and democratic spaces where people of all genders, sexual orientations, creeds and colors can express themselves freely and without fear. This film is a way to inspire people to voice their stories and to work with passion in order to overcome intolerance and silence. Special Mention The Painted Calf, Dir. David Pantaleón, Spain. With its biblical soundtrack and the Canary Islands as a backdrop, this documentary is a reminder that film can say so much about a small place in the world simply through song, cinematography, and pacing. The Painted Calf is a special film because despite its simple story, the film transports the viewer visually, sonically, and most importantly patiently.Animated Short Film Competition
Silver Hugo Airport, Dir. Michaela Müller, Switzerland, Croatia. Great art can make you feel like you are living an experience. Watching Airport gave us all the sensation we were in that space. A film that takes us to a place we don’t want to go in the most kinetic, sensual way possible. An ominous, topical film that is never heavy-handed. Gold Plaque Drop by Drop, Dirs. Xá, Laura Gonçalves, Portugal. Great transitions and flow combine to create a moving portrait of diminishing returns. Special Mention Beyond Fields of Paper, Dir. Yiyi Ma, USA Special mention to Yiyi Ma for her moving portrait of an artist in transition.Narrative Short Film Competition
Gold Hugo Night Shift, Dir. Marshall Tyler, USA. The jury awards the Gold Hugo to Night Shift for developing a rich character whose Dantesque journey of colorful self-reflection inspires us to break free and gamble on ourselves. Silver Hugo A Gentle Night, Dir. Qui Yang, China. The jury awards the Silver Hugo to A Gentle Night for it’s challenging look at familial complacency, which is exposed when cultural barriers are breached during a crisis. Special Mention Fucking Bunnies, Dir. Teemu Niukkanen, Finland. The jury would like to offer special mention to Fucking Bunnies for its humorous take on finding common ground and celebrating our differences.
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92 countries in Competition for Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards
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Pop Aye – Kirsten Tan[/caption]
A record 92 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 90th Academy Awards. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants.
The 2017 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “A Letter to the President,” Roya Sadat, director;
Albania, “Daybreak,” Gentian Koçi, director;
Algeria, “Road to Istanbul,” Rachid Bouchareb, director;
Argentina, “Zama,” Lucrecia Martel, director;
Armenia, “Yeva,” Anahit Abad, director;
Australia, “The Space Between,” Ruth Borgobello, director;
Austria, “Happy End,” Michael Haneke, director;
Azerbaijan, “Pomegranate Orchard,” Ilgar Najaf, director;
Bangladesh, “The Cage,” Akram Khan, director;
Belgium, “Racer and the Jailbird,” Michaël R. Roskam, director;
Bolivia, “Dark Skull,” Kiro Russo, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Men Don’t Cry,” Alen Drljević, director;
Brazil, “Bingo – The King of the Mornings,” Daniel Rezende, director;
Bulgaria, “Glory,” Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, directors;
Cambodia, “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie, director;
Canada, “Hochelaga, Land of Souls,” François Girard, director;
Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Wolf Warrior 2,” Wu Jing, director;
Colombia, “Guilty Men,” Iván D. Gaona, director;
Costa Rica, “The Sound of Things,” Ariel Escalante, director;
Croatia, “Quit Staring at My Plate,” Hana Jušić, director;
Czech Republic, “Ice Mother,” Bohdan Sláma, director;
Denmark, “You Disappear,” Peter Schønau Fog, director;
Dominican Republic, “Woodpeckers,” Jose Maria Cabral, director;
Ecuador, “Alba,” Ana Cristina Barragán, director;
Egypt, “Sheikh Jackson,” Amr Salama, director;
Estonia, “November,” Rainer Sarnet, director;
Finland, “Tom of Finland,” Dome Karukoski, director;
France, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, director;
Georgia, “Scary Mother,” Ana Urushadze, director;
Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director;
Greece, “Amerika Square,” Yannis Sakaridis, director;
Haiti, “Ayiti Mon Amour,” Guetty Felin, director;
Honduras, “Morazán,” Hispano Durón, director;
Hong Kong, “Mad World,” Wong Chun, director;
Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director;
Iceland, “Under the Tree,” Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, director;
India, “Newton,” Amit V Masurkar, director;
Indonesia, “Turah,” Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo, director;
Iran, “Breath,” Narges Abyar, director;
Iraq, “Reseba – The Dark Wind,” Hussein Hassan, director;
Ireland, “Song of Granite,” Pat Collins, director;
Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director;
Italy, “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano, director;
Japan, “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” Ryota Nakano, director;
Kazakhstan, “The Road to Mother,” Akhan Satayev, director;
Kenya, “Kati Kati,” Mbithi Masya, director;
Kosovo, “Unwanted,” Edon Rizvanolli, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “Centaur,” Aktan Arym Kubat, director;
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Dearest Sister,” Mattie Do, director;
Latvia, “The Chronicles of Melanie,” Viestur Kairish, director;
Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director;
Lithuania, “Frost,” Sharunas Bartas, director;
Luxembourg, “Barrage,” Laura Schroeder, director;
Mexico, “Tempestad,” Tatiana Huezo, director;
Mongolia, “The Children of Genghis,” Zolbayar Dorj, director;
Morocco, “Razzia,” Nabil Ayouch, director;
Mozambique, “The Train of Salt and Sugar,” Licinio Azevedo, director;
Nepal, “White Sun,” Deepak Rauniyar, director;
Netherlands, “Layla M.,” Mijke de Jong, director;
New Zealand, “One Thousand Ropes,” Tusi Tamasese, director;
Norway, “Thelma,” Joachim Trier, director;
Pakistan, “Saawan,” Farhan Alam, director;
Palestine, “Wajib,” Annemarie Jacir, director;
Panama, “Beyond Brotherhood,” Arianne Benedetti, director;
Paraguay, “Los Buscadores,” Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schembori, directors;
Peru, “Rosa Chumbe,” Jonatan Relayze, director;
Philippines, “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, director;
Poland, “Spoor,” Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik, directors;
Portugal, “Saint George,” Marco Martins, director;
Romania, “Fixeur,” Adrian Sitaru, director;
Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director;
Serbia, “Requiem for Mrs. J.,” Bojan Vuletic, director;
Singapore, “Pop Aye,” Kirsten Tan, director;
Slovakia, “The Line,” Peter Bebjak, director;
Slovenia, “The Miner,” Hanna A. W. Slak, director;
South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director;
South Korea, “A Taxi Driver,” Jang Hoon, director;
Spain, “Summer 1993,” Carla Simón, director;
Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director;
Switzerland, “The Divine Order,” Petra Volpe, director;
Syria, “Little Gandhi,” Sam Kadi, director;
Taiwan, “Small Talk,” Hui-Chen Huang, director;
Thailand, “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong, director;
Tunisia, “The Last of Us,” Ala Eddine Slim, director;
Turkey, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” Can Ulkay, director;
Ukraine, “Black Level,” Valentyn Vasyanovych, director;
United Kingdom, “My Pure Land,” Sarmad Masud, director;
Uruguay, “Another Story of the World,” Guillermo Casanova, director;
Venezuela, “El Inca,” Ignacio Castillo Cottin, director;
Vietnam, “Father and Son,” Luong Dinh Dung, director.
Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Alexander Payne’s DOWNSIZING to Close + Final Wave of Films Announced for 2017 Fantastic Fest
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DOWNSIZING[/caption]
The 2017 Fantastic Fest announced its final wave of films, along with Alexander Payne’s miniature masterpiece DOWNSIZING as the closing night film. Rounding out a trio of Fantastic-Fest first-timers making their way to Austin is Cory Finley and his jaw dropping debut THOROUGHBRED, and fan-favorite tough guy extraordinaire Frank Grillo for the World Premiere of his nail-biting getaway drama, WHEELMAN.
In keeping with world premieres, Fantastic Fest announced a fistful of titles that will receive their big screen bows. Screen great Barbara Crampton will be in attendance with director Bradford Baruh for a ride in his chilling APPLECART, featuring over forty minutes of zero gravity footage; Russia’s SALYUT-7 is guaranteed to pop 3D eyes; HAUNTERS: THE ART OF THE SCARE walks us through the world’s most terrifying haunted houses; and TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID delivers a contemporary fairytale from within the world of the mexican cartels.
“I’m incredibly proud of the vast array of filmmaking on display in this year’s program,” said Fantastic Fest Creative Director Evrim Ersoy. “From the most highly acclaimed studio titles to the smallest independent debuts, it’s exhilarating to embrace unique creativity from the four corners of the world. Bringing filmmakers together in a program that highlights the increasing diversity of cinema is truly an honor that we can’t wait to share with our audience.”
Female filmmakers once again deliver powerful voices with three of the most dynamic films of the festival. Angel Robinson will be in attendance to share the controversially kinky true story behind the year’s biggest superhero with PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN; Lisa Bruhlmann makes a stunning entrance with her fantastical coming-of-age debut BLUE MY MIND; and not to be outdone, first time feature-maker Coralie Fargeat turns the revenge genre upside down with her outrageous femme fatale fiesta, REVENGE.
A mainstay of Fantastic Fest has been showcasing world cinema’s finest exports and this year is no exception. Asia basks in the glory of master Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s return to the apocalyptic fold with BEFORE WE VANISH (Japan), while his countryman Sôichi Umezawa delivers the outlandish midnight spectacle of VAMPIRE CLAY (Japan). South Korea represents with the year’s toughest crime caper, THE MERCILESS, and serial killer shocker V.I.P., while NYAFF award-winner BAD GENIUS represents Thailand. And Taiwan shows school students no mercy with the hyper-violent MON MON MON MONSTERS. Not to be outdone, Europe comes out swinging with Hungarian auteur Kornél Mundruczó’s follow up to WHITE GOD, the stunning JUPITER’S MOON, French filmmakers Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani splash their hyper-stylized western LET THE CORPSES TAN across the screen and Norway’s Joachim Trier delivers one of the most quietly impressive films of the year, the assured THELMA.
The world premiere of Don Hertzfeldt’s WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE 2: THE BURDEN OF OTHER PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS highlights an animated sidebar that pushes the medium into brave new spaces. Rounding out the fantastical trio is the debut feature from Studio Ponoc, MARY AND THE WITCHES FLOWER, from ex Studio Ghibli key animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and JUNK HEAD, Takahide Hori’s claymation feature that took him over seven years to complete, entirely by himself.
American Genre Film Archive makes its triumphant return to Fantastic Fest with two movies that will rot your libido in the best way. BAT PUSSY, the world’s first X-rated parody, shares the spotlight the world premiere of a brand new 2K transfer of one of the most sought-after lost films in the history of exploitation cinema in a very special secret screening. Additional rep titles include the world premiere of the Takashi Miike-approved 4K restoration of ICHI THE KILLER, the digital remaster of the seminal Indian cult movie BAASHA, and Jean Rollin’s THE NUDE VAMPIRE, presented by Kier-la Janisse in celebration of her new book Lost Girls: The Phantasmagorical Cinema of Jean Rollin.
True to form, Fantastic Fest will be re-writing reality once more with a crowded cornucopia of events that invade all corners of the fest. Gross-out grub-gorging spectacle Puke and Explode rumbles once more, notorious VHS archival warriors Everything is Terrible return with an all-new show to both delight and horrify. Comedy legend Gilbert Gottfried will be performing and screening the incredible biographical doc GILBERT, and the seminal Fantastic Debates marks its 10-year anniversary of polemic pugilism in spectacular fashion.
FINAL WAVE OF FILM:
AGFA + SOMETHING WEIRD PRESENT: BAT PUSSY and SECRET SCREENING American Genre Film Archive makes its triumphant return to Fantastic Fest with two movies that will rot your libido in the best way. BAT PUSSY, the world’s first X-rated parody, is what happens when an anonymous smut producer gets inspired by the 1960s BATMAN TV show but only has $5. It’s also what happens when your wildest dreams and most horrifying nightmares collide in an explosion of flaccid stupefaction. Next up, after years of detective work, AGFA presents the world premiere of a brand new 2K transfer of one of the most sought-after lost films in the history of exploitation cinema. LOST GIRLS Book Launch: THE NUDE VAMPIRE presented by Kier-la Janisse THE NUDE VAMPIRE France, 1970 Repertory, 88 min Director – Jean Rollin Jean Rollin’s THE NUDE VAMPIRE (1970) follows a sinister businessman who’s keeping a young vampire girl captive and experimenting on her in the hope that he finds the key to eternal life. The film will be screened in celebration of the launch of the new book from publisher Spectacular Optical, LOST GIRLS: THE PHANTASMAGORICAL CINEMA OF JEAN ROLLIN, the first examination of Rollin’s work to be written by all women critics, scholars and film historians, and will be introduced by the book’s publisher Kier-La Janisse. 3FT BALL & SOULS Japan, 2017 International Premiere, 93 min Director – Yoshio Kato Four strangers come together to commit suicide using explosives. But they discover that every time they blow up, they’re sent back to just before they killed themselves. APPLECART USA, 2017 World Premiere, 86 min Director – Bradford Baruh An idyllic weekend vacation to a secluded cabin turns deadly when the Pollack family discovers an unconscious woman whose sinister plans will pit the family members against each other. BAASHA India, 1995 Repertory/International Premiere, 165 min Director – Suresh Krissna Superstar Rajinikanth plays a rickshaw driver with a history of violence in this genre-defining musical gangster romance epic from the director of AALAVANDHAN. BAD GENIUS Thailand, 2017 Texas Premiere, 130 min Director – Nattawut Poonpiriya A quartet of high school students are better at cheating than anything you’ve ever done in your life in this epic nail-biter about the standardized tests that level the playing field for all kids, smart and dumb, rich and poor. BEFORE WE VANISH Japan, 2017 North American Premiere, 129 min Director – Kiyoshi Kurosawa Kurosawa’s latest film is a sci-fi thriller about an invasion in which aliens must come to understand humanity through understanding human emotion — most importantly, our collective capacity for love. BLUE MY MIND Switzerland, 2017 North American Premiere, 97 min Director – Lisa Brühlmann BLUE MY MIND follows 15-year-old Mia (Luna Wedler) as she undergoes a life-changing transformation, one that leaves her examining her body and her very existence in a new light. BRIMSTONE & GLORY Mexico, USA, 2017 Regional Premiere, 67 min Director – Viktor Jakovleski Tultepec is a small Mexican town that celebrates its love of fireworks with a yearly week-long festival. This festival is captured in a glorious documentary that is pure cinema. THE CURED Ireland, UK, France, 2017 US Premiere, 95 min Director – David Freyne A zombie virus has hit the world… but it has been cured. What’s next for the ex-zombies who have returned to normal? David Freyne’s debut feature throws lots of food for thought into the mouth of your mind. DARKLAND Denmark, 2017 US Premiere, 113 min Director – Fenar Ahmad An Iraqi doctor in Denmark seeks vigilante justice for his brother’s murder when the police come up short, biting off more than he can chew in a world of gangs, drugs and underground fight rings. FIRSTBORN Latvia, 2017 North American Premiere, 90 min Director – Aik Karapetian Provocative Latvian director Aik Karapetian returns to Fantastic Fest with a new thriller that explores how far a meek architect will go to protect his dignity in the eyes of his wife in the aftermath of an attack. FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES South Africa, 2017 US Premiere, 120 min Director – Michael Matthews A troubled young man returns to the town he fled as a youth and is forced to confront his past (and the town’s difficult future) in this gorgeous Xhosa language western. GEMINI USA, 2017 Special Screening, 93 min Director – Aaron Katz Our understandings of friendship, truth and celebrity are challenged when a heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant (Lola Kirke) and her Hollywood starlet boss (Zoe Kravitz) in Aaron Katz’s latest. GILBERT USA, 2017 Regional Premiere, 99 min Director – Neil Berkeley GILBERT is the story of Gilbert Gottfried as never seen before, both a behind-the-scenes documentary and a poignant look at the life of a comedian who has more layers than most people can imagine. GOOD MANNERS Brazil, France, 2017 North American Premiere, 135 min Directors – Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra When lonely nurse Clara is hired as a nanny by wealthy Ana, she hardly expects anything like the friendship she finds with the lonely, pregnant woman. However, both women have dark secrets which will engulf all that they hold dear. HAUNTERS: THE ART OF THE SCARE USA, 2017 World Premiere, 88 min Director – Jon Schnitzer Delving behind the scenes of one of America’s most beloved seasonal pastimes, HAUNTERS shows the world of the people who make the scariest houses, mazes and experiences that range from the traditional to the controversial. ICHI THE KILLER – 4K RESTORATION Japan, 2001 Repertory/World Premiere of Restoration, 129 min Director – Takashi Miike The yakuza occupy a murky universe with more twists and turns than the Shinjuku alleys they call home. The mysterious disappearance of a Tokyo mob boss triggers a hunt to find him, dead or alive. The search leads to the city’s most depraved clubs and sex dens and eventually to Ichi, the schizophrenic hitman behind the crime. Even more shocking is the discovery that the mastermind who hired Ichi is a fellow gangster out for revenge. JUNK HEAD Japan, 2017 US Premiere, 114 min Director – Takahide Hori Humanity is dying. It’s been 1200 years since our rebellious clone workforce moved underground, and the only way we can survive is by plunging into the depths to learn more about our terrifying creations. JUPITER’S MOON Hungary, Germany, 2017 North American Premiere, 123 min Director – Kornél Mundruczó The most ambitious science fiction film of the year is also perhaps the most visually stunning. Aryan is a refugee who finds himself with the power to levitate after being shot. Stern is a disgraced, corrupt doctor. The two will meet and alter the entire world. LES AFFAMES Canada, 2017 US Premiere, 100 min Director – Robin Aubert In the remote Quebec countryside, things are not well. A plague has infected the land, affecting almost all the residents of a small village. The survivors have to navigate their new existence as well as deal with the infected with an appetite for flesh. LET THE CORPSES TAN Belgium, France, 2017 US Premiere, 92 min Directors – Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani On a beautiful corner of the Mediterranean, Rhino and his men take refuge after the robbery of 250 kilograms of gold. The plan is simple: Wait and split. But some unwanted visitors are about to turn this idyllic corner into a bloodbath. LETTERKENNY Canada, 2016 US Premiere, 151 min Director – Jacob Tierney The spiritual successors to STRANGE BREW’s Bob and Doug MacKenzie, the rural residents of the fictitious town of LETTERKENNY deliver a hysterical slice of Canadiana in the comedy phenomenon chronicling the daily problems of hicks, skids, hockey players and Christians. THE LINE Slovakia, Ukraine, 2017 North American Premiere, 112 min Director – Peter Bebjak One line is literal, the border between Slovakia and Ukraine. Criminal Adam Krajnak (Tomas Mastalir) crosses it often, smuggling product and people. The other line is metaphorical, and crossing it leads to a death spiral of violence and vengeance. LOVE AND SAUCERS USA/Canada, 2017 Texas Premiere, 67 min Director – Brad Abrahams David Huggins, a 72-year-old man who claims to have lost his virginity as a young man to an extraterrestrial being, turned to art to express his interspecies romance and lifelong relationship with the otherworldly. MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER Japan, 2017 North American Premiere, 102 min Director – Hiromasa Yonebayashi Directing the first film out of Studio Ponoc, Hiromasa Yonebayashi (WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE) creates the dazzling and heartwarming story of an ordinary girl who becomes an extraordinary witch. THE MERCILESS South Korea, 2017 North American Premiere, 117 min Director – Byun Sung-hyun Cribbing liberally from the history of gangster films, Byun Sung-hyun’s hard-boiled Korean crime saga is filled with all manner of murder, deceit, double and triple crosses… and, oh yeah, slap-fighting. MOM AND DAD USA, 2017 US Premiere, 83 min Director – Brian Taylor Selma Blair and Nicolas Cage are seemingly ideal parents until an unknown force causes their town’s adults to murder their offspring. MON MON MON MONSTERS Taiwan, 2017 Regional Premiere, 112 min Director – Giddens Ko A bullied schoolboy is teamed up with his tormentors to do community social work. While on duty, they encounter a strange creature which they kidnap, and take bullying to a whole new level. THE PRINCE OF NOTHINGWOOD France, Germany, 2017 US Premiere, 85 min Director – Sonia Kronlund Meet Salim Shaheen: Afghani auteur, prolific actor and one-man moviemaking industry. Along with his trusted troupe of actors, he defies all the odds in the Middle East to fulfill his dreams of making movies. PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN USA, 2017 US Premiere, 108 min Director – Angela Robinson In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, this film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940s. RABBIT Australia, 2017 International Premiere, 99 min Director – Luke Shanahan After a full year, Maude is still stricken by visions of her sister Cleo’s kidnapping. Believing that Cleo is still alive, Maude undergoes a suspenseful journey to find her in this stunning, atmospheric feature debut from Luke Shanahan. RADIUS Canada, 2017 US Premiere, 91 min Directors – Caroline Labrèche & Steeve Léonard When a man wakes up from a car crash with no memory of what happened, his first instinct is to find help. However, as he gets closer to civilization and other people, an ugly truth will rear its head and affect all those who surround him. REVENGE France, 2017 US Premiere, 108 min Director – Coralie Fargeat Three rich male thrill-seekers discover that Jennifer isn’t the human sex doll that they assumed she was when they invited her on their isolated hunting getaway. Jennifer teaches them fundamental lessons about consent in a manner that they — and we — won’t soon forget. RIFT Iceland, 2017 Texas Premiere, 111 min Director – Erlingur Thoroddsen After a phone call from his ex wakes him late one night, Gunnar drives out to a secluded vacation cottage to save Einar from himself, but what awaits him there is mystery and confusion. SALYUT-7 Russia, 2017 World Premiere, 119 min Director – Klim Shipenko Based on a true story, SALYUT-7 is the little-known mission to dock with an unmanned space station in order to stop it from crashing into Earth, a feat never before attempted in space history. THELMA Norway, 2017 Texas Premiere, 116 min Director – Joachim Trier A conservative young woman attending college in Oslo begins to fall in love while discovering her burgeoning supernatural powers in a stunning new film from Norway. THOROUGHBRED USA, 2017 Austin Premiere, 92 min Director – Cory Finley Two teenage girls in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. In the process, they learn that neither is what she seems to be, and that a murder might solve both of their problems. TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID Mexico, 2017 World Premiere, 83 min Director – Issa López When her mother suddenly disappears with no one to care for her, young Estrella ends up on the street and joins a gang of children, triggering a dangerous and tragic chain of events in the third feature from Mexican filmmaker Lopez. UNDER THE TREE Iceland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, 2017 US Premiere, 89 min Director – Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson On the outskirts of Reykjavik, the shadow cast by a tree triggers a feud between two neighboring families, with tragic and darkly comic consequences. V.I.P. South Korea, 2017 International Premiere, 128 min Director – Hoon-jung Park A notorious serial killer who happens to be the son of a defecting DPRK official sends South Korea’s National Intelligence, police from both states and even international brass into a mad political scramble in this thrilling neo-noir. VAMPIRE CLAY Japan, 2017 US Premiere, 80 min Director – Soichi Umezawa A class of art school hopefuls is stalked by blood-thirsty, flesh-hungry clay in this bizarre practical effects-heavy horror assault from THE ABCs OF DEATH 2 segment director and longtime special makeup effects artist Umezawa. VIDAR THE VAMPIRE Norway, 2017 Texas Premiere, 82 min Directors – Thomas Aske Berg & Fredrik Waldeland Christian farmer Vidar has a boring life, living with his mom and tending sheep. When he wishes for more excitement he wakes up undead, hangs out with vampire Jesus and discovers that sometimes the party can go on too long. WHEELMAN USA, 2017 World Premiere, 82 min Director – Jeremy Rush Frank Grillo (KINGDOM; CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR) stars as the wheelman, a getaway driver thrust into a high stakes race to survive after a bank robbery goes terribly wrong. With a car full of money and his family on the line, the clock is ticking to figure out who double-crossed him and the only person he can trust… his 14-year-old daughter. All reasons to think fast and drive faster. WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE TWO: THE BURDEN OF OTHER PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS USA, 2017 World Premiere, 22 min Director – Don Hertzfeldt The highly anticipated follow-up to Don Hertzfeldt’s Oscar-nominated WORLD OF TOMORROW finds Emily Prime swept into the brain of an incomplete backup clone of her future self, who’s on a mission to reboot her broken mind. Continuing the tradition of the first film, WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE TWO was written entirely around candid audio recordings of Hertzfeldt’s five-year-old niece.
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LITTLE CRUSADER Wins Best Film at 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
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Director Václav Kadrnka, 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF[/caption]
The awards were presented at the closing ceremony of the 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF, and the fatherhood drama Little Crusader by Václav Kadrnka was awarded the Grand Prize – Crystal Globe and $25,000.
The directing prize was won by Slovak filmmaker Peter Bebjak, who was presenting his film The Line at the festival. In the competition East of the West, the road movie How Viktor “the Garlic” took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home by Russian director Alexander Hant won that award.
The award for best feature-length documentary went to the Spanish film Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle. And the Právo Audience Award was awarded to the American crime drama taking place on a Native American reservation Wind River starring Jeremy Renner.
The 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF will be held from June 29th to July 7th, 2018.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION
GRAND PRIX – CRYSTAL GLOBE (25 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Little Crusader Directed by: Václav Kadrnka Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy, 2017 SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (15 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Men Don’t Cry Directed by: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017 BEST DIRECTOR AWARD Peter Bebjak for the film The Line Slovak Republic, Ukraine, 2017 BEST ACTRESS AWARD Jowita Budnik and Eliane Umuhire ex-aequo for their roles in the film Birds Are Singing in Kigali Directed by: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Poland, 2017 BEST ACTOR AWARD Alexander Yatsenko for his role in the film Arrhythmia Directed by: Boris Khlebnikov Russia, Finland, Germany, 2017 SPECIAL JURY MENTION For the best First Feature Film Keep the Change Directed by: Rachel Israel USA, 2017 SPECIAL JURY MENTION For the Best Newcomer Voica Oltean, actress Breaking News Directed by: Iulia Rugin Romania, 2017 EAST OF THE WEST – COMPETITION EAST OF THE WEST GRAND PRIX (15 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. How Viktor “the Garlic” Took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home Directed by: Alexander Hant Russia, 2017 EAST OF THE WEST SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (10 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Dede Directed by: Mariam Khatchvani Georgia, Qatar, Ireland, Netherlands, Croatia, 2017 DOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION GRAND PRIX FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM (5 000 USD) The financial award goes to the director of the award-winning film. Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle Directed by: Gustavo Salmerón Spain, 2017 DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL JURY PRIZE Atelier de conversation Directed by: Bernhard Braunstein Austria, France, Liechtenstein, 2017 PRзVO AUDIENCE AWARD Wind River Directed by: Taylor Sheridan USA, 2016 CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA Ken Loach, United Kingdom CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA Paul Laverty, United Kingdom CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA James Newton Howard, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Uma Thurman, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Casey Affleck, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Jeremy Renner, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CZECH CINEMATOGRAPHY Václav Vorlíček, Czech Republic NON-STATUTORY AWARDS AWARD OF INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI) Awarded by The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Keep the Change Directed by: Rachel Israel USA, 2017 THE ECUMENICAL JURY AWARD The Cakemaker Directed by: Ofir Raul Graizer Israel, Germany, 2017 FEDEORA AWARD Awarded by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDEORA) to the best film from the East of the West – Competition Mariţa Directed by: Cristi Iftime Romania, 2017 Special Mention Blue Silence Directed by: Bülent Öztürk Turkey, Belgium, 2017 EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD For the best European film in the Official Selection – Competition and in the East of the West – Competition. Men Don’t Cry Directed by: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017 THE WINNERS OF WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD AND EURIMAGES LAB PROJECT AWARD @ KVIFF WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD @ KVIFF At the 14th edition of Works in Progress @KVIFF, eight selected projects (plus one out of competition) were presented from a total of 77 submissions from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece and post-Soviet territories. The 2017 award, with a total value of EUR 100,000, includes post-production services at UPP and Soundsquare and a EUR 10,000 cash award from Barrandov Studio. Censor 80 min, Slovak Republic Directed by: Peter Kerekes Cast: Irina Alexandrovna, Jura Car, Ljubov Vassilina EURIMAGES LAB PROJECT AWARD @ KVIFF The Karlovy Vary IFF is one of four international festivals to present this award. The final eight projects were selected from 45 submitted projects from Eurimages countries that are currently in production or post-production, are being made outside the traditional filmmaking framework, and involve international co-operation. The best project receives an award of EUR 50,000. The Stand-In 70 min, Italy, France, Morocco Directed by: RК di Martino Scriptwriter: RК di Martino Producer: Marco Alessi Camera: Gianclaudio Giacomini, Giulio Squillacciotti, Hasnae el Ouarga Cast: Valeria Gollino, Filippo Timi, Corrado Sassi, Younes Bouad, Nadia Kounda, Nisrine Adam Image: Director Václav Kadrnka, photo credit: Jan Handrejch
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Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Announces 2017 Competition Lineup
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Birds Are Singing in Kigali[/caption]
The 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival today announced the lineup for the competition sections: Official Selection – Competition, East of the West – Competition and Documentary Films – Competition.
The films in the festival’s main section will include Birds Are Singing in Kigali. The last film of the deceased Krzysztof Krauze is depicting painful consequences of the Rwandan genocide and was completed by his co-director and wife Joanna Kos-Krauze. Three years after receiving the KVIFF‘s Crystal Globe for Corn Island George Ovashvili is returning to Karlovy Vary with no less unmistakably directed Khibula, an archetypal story inspired by journey of the newly independent Georgia’s first president. Competition will also present Boris Khlebnikov’s new drama Arrhythmia, Václav Kadrnka’s medieval cinematic pilgrimage Little Crusader, Peter Bebjak’s criminal thriller The Line, American unconventional romantic comedy about (ab)normality in love Keep the Change, remarkable debuts Ralang Road from India and Israeli-German Cakemaker, and More, the first directorial attempt by Turkish actor Onur Saylak.
This year, the East of the West – Competition will open with remarkable Azerbaijani drama Pomegranate Orchard by Ilgar Najaf. Eight of the dozen of premieres are debut films, including two strong films by female directors – Marina Stepanska will bring to Karlovy Vary Falling, fragile love story and a strong statement of the current young Ukrainian generation, while Mariam Khatchvani in Dede will take the audience to the rough Svanetia, region from which she comes from. Juraj Lehotský will return to KV after successful fiction debut Miracle with Slovak-Czech intimate drama Nina.
Three World premieres – The White World According to Daliborek by Vít Klusák, Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle by Gustavo Salmerón and Another News Story by Orban Wallace – will be presented to Karlovy Vary audience in the Documentary Films – Competition. Tarzan’s Testicles, a Romanian essay about a decrepit institute in Abchazia is also included among eleven selected films.
Official Selection – Competition
Arrhythmia / Arrhythmia / Arytmie Director: Boris Khlebnikov Russia, Finland, Germany, 2017, 90 min, International premiere Oleg is heading for his thirties. He works as a paramedic and, after a hard shift, he likes to take a few swigs. His wife Katya is also a doctor, working in the hospital’s emergency department. But her patience with Oleg is running thin, so she announces one day that she wants a divorce… One of the most intriguing filmmakers on the Russian scene today, Boris Khlebnikov returns to the big screen with a meticulous piece of direction. Along with precise performances from the cast, the film examines a relationship experiencing an arrhythmia similar to that affecting the hearts of the patients Oleg treats in his job as a paramedic. Breaking News / Breaking News / Breaking News Director: Iulia Rugină Romania, 2017, 81 min, International premiere A difficult assignment awaits TV reporter Alex. He must film a memorial portrait for a coworker who died in a tragic accident they both experienced but that only he survived. His colleague’s daughter becomes his guide, although her relationship to her father was more than complicated. Alex becomes an involuntary witness to the girl’s handling of her father’s death, and he also comes to believe that chronicling a person’s life involves more than just a short news report… The Cakemaker / The Cakemaker / Cukrář Director: Ofir Raul Graizer Israel, Germany, 2017, 104 min, World premiere After the death of his lover, Thomas heads to Israel – the birthplace of the man he adored. Despite prejudice at his German origins he becomes the pastry chef at a local café owned by the widow of the deceased Oran. Yet she hardly suspects that the unnamed sorrow that connects her to the stranger is for one and the same man. Čiara / The Line / Čára Director: Peter Bebjak Slovak Republic, Ukraine, 2017, 108 min, World premiere Adam Krajňák is head of the family and also boss of a gang of criminals smuggling cigarettes across the Slovak-Ukrainian border. The failure of one of the transports triggers an avalanche of consequences that compels him to question his own boundaries, none of which he had planned on crossing until now. Corporate / Corporate / Korporace Director: Nicolas Silhol France, 2016, 95 min, International premiere The life of an uncompromising HR manager named Emilie changes the instant she witnesses the suicide of one of the staff. The investigation of the case becomes a moral test for a woman whose actions, although motivated by her unlimited devotion to work, have caused grief for many an employee. Daha / More / Ještě víc Director: Onur Saylak Turkey, 2017, 115 min, World premiere Fourteen-year-old Gaza lives with his father Ahad on the shores of the Aegean Sea. The intelligent kid would like to continue his studies, but Ahad sees his son’s future differently. He gets Gaza to help with his side business – smuggling refugees from the Mideast. A directing tour de force, this disturbing psychological study of an adolescent boy’s transformation under the influence of those around him bears dark tidings about the contemporary world. Keep The Change / Keep The Change / Drobné si nechte Director: Rachel Israel USA, 2017, 94 min, International premiere Stylish but apathetic, David meets bundle of energy Sarah at a support group. While he’s just fulfilling a court-ordered obligation, she is thrilled to be there. But as they move past their initial conflicts, they become participants in an uncommon romance that won’t yield to convention. Keep the Change is a different kind of romantic comedy about people who are not the same – like most of us. Khibula / Khibula / Chibula Director: George Ovashvili Georgia, Germany, France, 2017, 98 min, World premiere Shortly after the first democratically elected president of Georgia came to power he was ousted in a military coup. He sets out for the mountains with a group of loyalists to regroup with his supporters. Set against an imposing Caucasus backdrop, we witness a man fighting for power while waging an internal struggle as he heads to meet his fate. The winner of KVIFF 2014 returns with an archetypal story told with light melancholy and an unmistakable visual poetic. Křižáček / Little Crusader / Křižáček Director: Václav Kadrnka Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Little Jan, the only descendant of the knight Bořek (Karel Roden), has run away from home. His anxious father sets out to find him but his despair at the fruitless search gradually starts to overpower him. Václav Kadrnka has turned out a stylistically well-contoured adaptation of the poem by Jaroslav Vrchlický, where he employs a taciturn film form in order to encourage our imagination to engage in a poetic, cinematic pilgrimage. Muškarci ne plaču / Men Don’t Cry / Chlapi nepláčou Director: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017, 98 min, World premiere When a diverse group of veterans gathers at a remote mountain hotel to undergo days of therapy less than two decades since the war ended in Yugoslavia, it’s hard to expect absolute harmony. This brilliantly directed drama, about the ability to forgive others only after we have forgiven ourselves, presents the pinnacle of the Balkan male acting scene. Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali / Birds Are Singing in Kigali / Ptáci zpívaji v Kigali Director: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Poland, 2017, 120 min, World premiere We meet ornithologist Anne in 1994 just as genocide is raging in Rwanda, perpetrated by the majority Hutus against the Tutsis. Anne manages to save the daughter of a colleague whose family has been murdered, and she takes her to Poland. But the woman returns to Rwanda to visit the graves of her loved ones. The director originally worked on the movie with her husband Krzysztof Krauze (My Nikifor – Crystal Globe, KVIFF 2004), but after his death in 2014 she eventually finished this challenging picture alone. Ralang Road / Ralang Road / Cesta do Ralangu Director: Karma Takapa India, 2017, 112 min, World premiere The stories of four individuals intertwine in a maze of Himalayan countryside, village buildings, and the local social microcosm. With a captivating internal rhythm and the stylistic elements taken firmly in hand, the film presents a narratively courageous look at the region’s social web and the influence of cultural immigration on local life.East of the West – Competition
Absence blízkosti / Absence of Closeness / Absence blízkosti Director: Josef Tuka Czech Republic, 2017, 65 min, World premiere After another failed relationship Hedvika takes her three-month-old daughter Adélka and her dog to stay with her mother and her mum’s boyfriend. Hedvika doesn’t get on all that well with her mother, nor are her feelings towards Adélka as maternal as they could be. One day she finds some diaries that her late father left behind… This small-scale psychological drama by debutant Josef Tuka is shored up by its realistic characters, an understated performance from Jana Plodková, and perceptive, discreet lensing. Blue Silence / Blue Silence / Modré ticho Director: Bülent Öztürk Turkey, Belgium, 2017, 93 min, International premiere After his release from the military hospital where he was receiving treatment for a past trauma, Hakan tries to resume a normal life and form a proper relationship with his daughter. Excelling for its mature performances and its stylisation of image and sound, the film foregrounds Hakan’s wounded soul and underlines his vehement efforts to break free from his own private prison. Dede / Dede / Dede Director: Mariam Khatchvani Georgia, United Kingdom, 2017, 97 min, World premiere It’s 1992. Young Dina lives in a remote mountain village where life is strictly governed by centuries of tradition. Is it possible to defy the firmly established order? And, if it is, what price must a person pay for doing so? Debut director Mariam Khatchvani set her first film in Svaneti, the stark mountainous region in northwestern Georgia where she herself was born, and she presents us with an authentic portrayal of a number of customs and traditions associated with this province. Kak Vitka Chesnok vez Lecha Shtyrya v dom invalidov / How Viktor “the Garlic” took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home / Jak Víťa Česnek vezl Ljochu Vrtáka do důchoďáku Director: Alexander Hant Russia, 2017, 90 min, World premiere This inventive road movie about a son and father finding their way to one another has none of the sentiment normally associated with this kind of subject matter. The film introduces an ensemble of wild characters from the lowest social strata, viewed through a lens that finds a balance between the work’s profoundly human dimension and its stylishly ironic commentary on contemporary society. Keti lõpp / The End of The Chain / Konec řetězce Director: Priit Pääsuke Estonia, 2017, 81 min, World premiere Have you ever had a bad day? Well, it would be difficult to top the catastrophe facing a waitress at a fast-food outlet, where people come not for a quick meal but simply to have a good cry. This high-spirited comedy, about the worst that can happen when you’re slaving from dawn to dusk, also examines existential dilemmas, unconcealed selfishness, and the essential desire for compassion. Mariţa / Mariţa / Mariţa Director: Cristi Iftime Romania, 2017, 100 min, World premiere Thirty-year-old Costi decides to spend a few days with his family. His parents have long since divorced, but Costi thinks it would be a great idea to arrange a surprise reunion, and he persuades his father to travel with him to meet up with his mother and siblings. Taking the old family car, affectionately known as Mariţa, they head out on a journey that will ultimately help to heal past wounds and allow Costi to finally understand not only his parents, but also himself. Minu näoga onu / The Man Who Looks Like Me / Muž, který vypadá jako já Director: Katrin Maimik, Andres Maimik Estonia, 2017, 100 min, World premiere Music critic Hugo is going through a post-divorce crisis and just wants some peace to finish writing his book. When his bohemian father suddenly appears on his doorstep, it becomes clear that the new life he has chosen for himself is about to go in quite a different direction. A tragicomic tale about parents and children and their shared mistakes and complexes. Nar baği / Pomegranate Orchard / Sad granátovníků Director: Ilgar Najaf Azerbaijan, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Gabil returns home to the humble family farmstead, surrounded by an orchard of venerable pomegranate trees; since his sudden departure twelve years ago he was never once in contact. However, the deep emotional scars he left behind cannot be erased from one day to the next. A private drama set in a picturesque landscape which tells of wrongdoings simmering below the surface of seeming innocence. Nina / Nina / Nina Director: Juraj Lehotský Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2017, 86 min, World premiere Nina is twelve years old and her world has just been shattered to smithereens: Her parents’ marriage has broken down and they are getting a divorce. After his internationally successful debut Miracle Juraj Lehotský now brings us an intimate drama in which the viewer looks upon the world and the selfish, visionless behaviour of adults through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. A girl who is resilient and belligerent, but also vulnerable and just as fragile as the miniature world she creates for herself in the garden shed. Strimholov / Falling / Střemhlav Director: Marina Stepanska Ukraine, 2017, 105 min, World premiere Anton and Katia happen upon one another in night-time Kiev. Both are trying to find their bearings in life, and their encounter changes everything… This psychological drama by debuting Marina Stepanska offers up both a fragile love story and a strong statement on the current young generation as it searches for its place in post-revolutionary Ukraine. T’padashtun / Unwanted / Nechtění Director: Edon Rizvanolli Kosovo, Netherlands, 2017, 85 min, World premiere Teenager Alban lives in Amsterdam with his mother Zana, who left Kosovo during the war in the Balkans. When he starts going out with the sensitive Ana, neither of them has any idea that unresolved injustices and shadows from the past will make their way to the surface. This insightful, mature debut by a Kosovan director reminds us how difficult forgiveness and reconciliation can be. Taş / The Stone / Kámen Director: Orhan Eskiköy Turkey, 2017, 96 min, International premiere Emete would swear that the young man seeking refuge in her home is the son she lost long ago. But in her isolated, wasteland village it’s almost impossible to differentiate real hope from self-delusion. Especially since the only way to survive is to throw in with the collective myths and seek comfort in cold stone.DOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION
Another News Story / Another News Story / Další čerstvá zpráva Director: Orban Wallace United Kingdom, 2017, 90 min, World premiere In today’s chaotic era, what is the “who, how, and why” of news spewed forth on world conflicts and crises? A young British director turns his camera lens on the journalists sent by their employers to the Mediterranean to cover the unfolding humanitarian tragedy. When faced with immeasurable suffering, do they maintain a fundamental sensitivity or do they fall back on sensationalized treatments of human misfortune? Atelier de conversation / Atelier de conversation / Lekce francouzské konverzace Director: Bernhard Braunstein Austria, France, Lichtenstein, 2017, 72 min, International premiere One room, twelve red chairs, and a common language. Foreigners from all corners of the world meet each week for free lessons to hone their French. This formally minimalist documentary captures the fleeting moments in which grammatical fumblings or the painstaking search for the right word inadvertently open a window into the human soul. Avant la fin de l’été / Before Summer Ends / Než skončí léto Director: Maryam Goormaghtigh Switzerland, France, 2017, 80 min, International premiere Even after studying in France for five years, Arash hasn’t completely gotten used to the place, so he decides to return home to Iran. But friends Hossein and Ashkan are determined not to accept the loss of their closest pal. This documentary comedy, about a goodbye road trip across France, boasts beer chugging and French girls, but it’s also about cultural differences and the natural need to find and hold onto kindred spirits when living in a foreign land. A Campaign of Their Own / A Campaign of Their Own / Kampaň Director: Lionel Rupp Switzerland, 2017, 74 min, International premiere Partaking of the Direct Cinema documentary style, A Campaign of Their Own tells the story of the loyal supporters of democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the Democratic primaries. Subtly engagé and skillfully incorporated into a stylistic frame, the film lifts the lid on a newly-inflamed radical skepticism towards political representation in the United States and the general frustration at the breakdown of representative democracy itself. Land of the Free / Land of the Free / Země svobodných Director: Camilla Magid Denmark, Finland, 2017, 95 min, International premiere In the economically depressed neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles it’s far too easy to get on the wrong side of the law. One fateful day 42-year-old Brian, who has just been released from serving a long prison sentence, experiences it firsthand. The vicious cycle of social determination, however, also begins to effect the lives of teenager Juan and seven-year-old Gianni. The debuting director immerses herself in the depths of human vulnerability in order to draw out fragments of hope. A Memory in Khaki / A Memory in Khaki / Vzpomínky v barvě khaki Director: Alfoz Tanjour Qatar, 2016, 108 min, European premiere A Syrian director dusts off memories of the past, when people were persecuted for their political beliefs. A poetic portrait of people whose homes have been turned to rubble, and a story that tells us that a free life can never be monochromatic, let alone khaki. Moj život bez zraka / My Life without Air / Život bez vzduchu Director: Bojana Burnać Croatia, 2017, 72 min, European premiere The most important moments in the life of Goran, a Croatian free diving record-holder, take place exclusively underwater. This portrait of an extreme athlete features intentional dramatic minimalism in order to guide the viewer toward a shared physical experience of performances that push the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Between each inhalation and exhalation we experience an endless emotional fall into the depths of the deep blue sea. Muchos hijos, un mono y un castillo / Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle / Spousta dětí, opice a zámek Director: Gustavo Salmerón Spain, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Julita always wanted lots of kids, a monkey, and a castle. After finally realizing these wishes, however, her family loses their property in the economic crisis. But they have not lost the disarming ease and kindheartedness that mark their domestic squabbling. A film chronicle with elements of absurd humor that serves as a madcap allegory for the contemporary situation in Spain. Ouăle lui Tarzan / Tarzan’s Testicles / Tarzanova varlata Director: Alexandru Solomon Romania, France, 2017, 105 min, International premiere A research center in Sukhumi, the capital of today’s Abkhazia. Legend has it that it was built at the end of the 1920s to create a hybrid between man and monkey. The hypothetical creature never saw the light of day, but people and primates, like sad relics of the past, live together in the derelict wings of the medical institute to this very day. Richard Müller: Nespoznaný / Richard Müller: Unknown / Richard Müller: Nepoznaný Director: Miro Remo Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2016, 90 min, International premiere This uncompromising, sometimes painfully revealing but always deeply insightful portrait presents the life of Richard Müller from a fresh perspective. We get to know the famous Slovak singer as a still uncommonly charismatic man who has become exhausted by his struggles with addiction, mental illness, and the demands of show business. Svět podle Daliborka / The White World According to Daliborek / Svět podle Daliborka Director: Vít Klusák Czech Republic, Poland, Slovak Republic, United Kingdom, 2017, 105 min, World premiere A stylized portrait of an authentic Czech neo-Nazi, who hates his life but doesn’t know what to change. Corrosively absurd and starkly chilling in equal measure, this tragicomedy investigates the radical worldview of “decent, ordinary people.” And just when it seems that its message can’t get any more urgent, the film culminates in a totally uncompromising way.