IFC Center announced the full slate of the 2019 What The Fest!? film festival, a five-day showcase of outrageous content — horror, sci-fi, documentary, thrillers, and beyond — from March 20th through March 24th.
To the Night
Norman (Caleb Landry Jones) is an installation artist living in a spacious, seemingly half-abandoned loft building by the East River. He’s obsessed with the fire that killed his parents when he was a child, and his life and his art become more and more consumed by that obsession. Pain takes over reason, understanding and moral judgment. Loss fills the spaces he inhabits, like a fire that is given oxygen, roaring and destroying everything on its way.
Directed by Peter Brunner
Starring Caleb Landry Jones, Eleonore Hendricks, Abbey Lee
Genre(s) Drama Film
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2019 What The Fest!? Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with World Premiere of Larry Fessenden’s DEPRAVED
DEPRAVED directed by Larry Fessenden
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Terry Gilliam, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and More Guests Confirmed for Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
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Terry Gilliam, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer[/caption]
Among the guests coming to the festival, the 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF will welcome Director Terry Gilliam, actor Anna Paquin and director Stephen Moyer, actor Rory Cochrane, Actor Caleb Landry Jones, Romain Gavras and producer John Lesher.
TERRY GILLIAM TO PRESENT THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE IN KARLOVY VARY
Director Terry Gilliam will personally appear at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to present his new film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which had its premiere at this year’s festival in Cannes. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote faced many trials and tribulations and was many years in the making. Eighteen years ago, the original shoot starring Johnny Depp and Jean Rochefort was halted after just six days. The series of catastrophes that halted the project, which Gilliam had spent ten years preparing, was later the subject of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s documentary Lost in La Mancha (2002), which was shown at the 37th KVIFF. But the legendary director did not give up on his dream and now, eighteen years later, he can present his film to the public. Cynical advertising director Toby comes across his nearly forgotten student film and sets out for the place where he had filmed his adaptation of Cervantes’s famous novel. He discovers that his film project has forever changed the hopes and dreams of a small village. He meets a confused shoemaker who is convinced that he is Don Quixote and that Toby is his Sancho Panza. Soon, Toby finds himself prisoner of the old man’s bizarre fantasies, and it becomes more and more difficult to discern fact from fiction. Over the course of his comical and surreal adventures, Toby is forced to face up to the tragic consequences of his film. Gilliam’s film stars Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Olga Kurylenko, Stellan Skarsgård and Joana Ribeiro. Terry Gilliam, one of the most distinctive contemporary directors in the world today, gained fame as a member of the famous comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and along with Terry Jones he co-directed several of the Pythons’ feature film projects. His best known solo outings as director include The Fischer King (1991, nominated for a Golden Globus for director), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and The Brothers Grimm (2005). In 2006, Terry Gilliam visited the KVIFF to personally present his film Tideland (2005).OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR ANNA PAQUIN AND ACTOR/DIRECTOR STEPHEN MOYER TO BE GUESTS AT THE KARLOVY VARY FESTIVAL
Among the guests coming to the festival, the 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF will welcome actor Anna Paquin and director Stephen Moyer, who will present The Parting Glass along with screenwriter, and co star Denis O’Hare, and producer Cerise Hallam Larkin. Moyer currently stars in FOX/MARVEL’S “The Gifted”.“The Parting Glass” is Moyer’s feature film directorial debut. Paquin will next be seen in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, a crime drama for Netflix, and is starring in and Executive Producing Flack, directed by Peter Cattaneo. O’Hare was most recently nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance on the acclaimed series This Is Us and will next be seen in the feature films Late Night, The Goldfinch and Swallow.ACTOR RORY COCHRANE WILL PRESENT FILM HOSTILES
The film Hostiles will be presented at KVIFF by american actor Rory Cochrane, known to audience primarily for the television series CSI: Miami. Rory Cochrane recently starred in the critically acclaimed film Black Mass opposite Johnny Depp, and portrayed the real-life character ‘Stephen Flemmi’. Before this, Rory was honored as a member of the ensemble cast of the 2012 Oscar-winning Best Picture Argo, directed by and starring Ben Affleck. Cochrane shared in several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble, for his role as one of six American Embassy staffers trapped in Iran after the 1979 embassy takeover. His more recent film credits include another true-life drama Parkland, and the horror thriller Oculus, which premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Upcoming, he stars in the independent war drama Soy Negro and The Most Hated Woman in America, Netflix’s drama feature starring Melissa Leo and produced by Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect). Born in New York, Cochrane spent much of his childhood in England, eventually returning to Manhattan to study at the La Guardia High School of Performing Arts. His first notable role was as Jeff Goldblum’s character’s son in the drama Fathers and Sons. His early film roles also include Slater, the young stoner in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, Billy Mack Black, the crazed tattooed killer in Love and A 45 and Lucas in Empire Records. His subsequent film credits include The Low Life and Dogtown for director George Hickenlooper; Joel Schumacher’s Flawless, with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robert De Niro; The Prime Gig with Vince Vaughn and Ed Harris; Hart’s War, opposite Colin Farrell and Bruce Willis; A Scanner Darkly which reunited him with Richard Linklater; Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale; Passion Play, with Bill Murray and Mickey Rourke; and Bringing Up Bobby, with Milla Jovovich.WORLD PREMIERE OF IN-COMPETITION “TO THE NIGHT” TO BE PRESENTED BY ACTOR CALEB LANDRY JONES
Actor Caleb Landry Jones, whom audiences will recognize from the series Twin Peaks and Breaking Bad or from the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, will be at the festival to present the in-competition film To the Night. Caleb Landry Jones started out with small film roles, after which he got the chance to appear in several episodes of Breaking Bad (2009–10) and Twin Peaks (2017). In 2011, he appeared as one of the mutants in X-Men: First Class, which was followed by appearances alongside Tom Cruise in the thriller American Made (2017), in the horror movie Get Out (2017), which won an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and in the widely acclaimed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).DIRECTOR ROMAIN GAVRAS TO PRESENT HIS FILM “THE WORLD IS YOURS”
Romain Gavras has been making films since he was young, when he began directing shorts. He co-founded the cinematic group Kourtrajmé, which focused on recording Paris’s hip-hop scene. He has also shot numerous music videos that have been viewed by millions of people – for instance for M.I.A., Kanye West and Jay-Z – and for which he has been nominated for the Grammy Awards. His video for M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” won two MTV awards in 2012 and was also nominated for a Grammy. Gavras is also a respected director of commercials. In 2010, he made his feature-film debut with Our Day Will Come starring Vincent Cassel. The son of the famous director Costa-Gavras, Romain Gavras will appear at the 53rd KVIFF to present The World Is Yours (Le Monde est à toi, 2018), a gag-filled comedy that surprised audiences at this year’s festival in Cannes and that features such actors as Isabelle Adjani and Vincent Cassel.OSCAR-WINNING PRODUCER TO PRESENT “HOSTILES”
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is proud to welcome as one of its guests producer John Lesher, who won an Oscar for Birdman (2014) starring Michael Keaton. With over 25 years years of experience, John Lesher is an Academy Award-Winning Producer, having worked on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Birdman”. In addition to that, Lesher produced “Hostiles”, starring Christian Bale, “Black Mass”, starring Johnny Depp, “Fury”, starring Brad Pitt and “End of Watch” starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Lesher has “White Boy Rick” and “The Beach Bum” in post production both starring Matthew McConaughey. Prior to producing, Lesher founded Paramount Vantage in addition to being president of the film group at Paramount Pictures and before that Lesher was a partner at Endeavor and UTA. John Lesher has produced numerous successful films, including the Brad Pitt wartime drama Fury (2014) and the biographical crime drama Black Mass (2015) with Johnny Depp. At this year’s festival, Lesher will present the latest film by director Scott Cooper, Hostiles, starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike. Karlovy Vary audiences may remember Cooper thanks to his Crazy Heart (2009), which was shown at the 45th KVIFF.PRODUCER GREG SHAPIRO TO AGAIN VISIT KVIFF
Producer Greg Shapiro, who won a Best Picture for director Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, will make his fourth appearance at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Shapiro also collaborated with Bigelow on the critically-acclaimed Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and produced Daniel Espinosa’s Child 44 (2015), which was filmed in the Czech Republic. He is currently completing several films, including Serenity with Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey and Richard Says Goodbye with Johnny Depp.
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53rd Karlovy Vary IFF Announces Line-Up
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I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians[/caption]
Ten world and two international premieres will compete at this year’s 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF including the latest by leading Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians”, an original exploration of the subject of nationality and a nation coming to terms with the traumatic moments of its own past. Respected Argentinian director Ana Katz presents a mixture of subtle melancholy with light humor in her family drama Sueño Florianópolis, and we find a no less complex look at the question of male-female relationships in The Fireflies Are Gone, the story of a rebellious yet charismatic teenager directed by Canadian filmmaker Sébastien Pilote.
A harrowing performance by actor Caleb Landry Jones dominates Peter Brunner’s dark Austro-American drama To the Night. Two other filmmakers previously recognized at KVIFF present equally original though noticeably more poetic new films: the Russian director of the popular Zoology, Ivan Tverdovsky, presents Jumpman, while Israeli director Joseph Madmony is presenting his third premiere at KVIFF, the subtly moving drama Redemption, co-directed by cinematographer Boaz Y. Yakov.
Domestic cinema will be represented by Olmo Omerzu’s road movie about the force of boyhood friendship Winter Flies and by debut filmmaker Adam Sedlák’s claustrophobic minimalist study of the slow decline of body and mind, Domestique. Other debuts are from the Dominican Republic and Spain (Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada’s nuanced story of an adolescent girl, Miriam Lies), Poland (Paweł Maślona’s dark comedy Panic Attack) and Turkey (Ömür Atay’s moving drama Brothers). The selection, which spans a wide range of styles and genres, is rounded out by talented Slovenian director Sonja Prosenc’s poetic tale of female coming-of-age History of Love.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION
“Îmi este indiferent dacă în istorie vom intra ca barbari” / “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians” / „Je mi jedno, že se zapíšeme do dějin jako barbaři“ Director: Radu Jude Romania, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Germany, 2018, 140 min, World premiere A young artist is planning to reconstruct a historical event from 1941, during which the Romanian Army carried out ethnic cleansing on the Eastern Front. One of contemporary Europe’s most distinctive creators has come out with an ingeniously conceived film that – although the topic unfolds slowly and in detail – hits the viewer with a singular emotional punch. Atak paniki / Panic Attack / Panický záchvat Director: Paweł Maślona Poland, 2017, 100 min, International premiere In his blackly humorous debut, talented director Paweł Maślona has submitted a consummate answer to the question whether or not a panic attack can be translated into film language. Dramatic moments in the lives of several unfortunates living in contemporary Warsaw are here presented with refreshing playfulness and a singular knack for mixing the tragic and the comic. La disparition des lucioles / The Fireflies Are Gone / Mizející světlušky Director: Sébastien Pilote Canada, 2018, 96 min, World premiere The sleepy town where Léo lives doesn’t offer her much chance of self-fulfillment. Extricating herself from her mother’s influence and her constricting environment isn’t easy for the frustrated young woman, yet happiness might be close at hand. A stylistically precise, pop-impressionistic film about a girl’s quest to find out who she really is, featuring the captivating Karelle Tremblay in the lead role. Domestik / Domestique / Domestik Director: Adam Sedlák Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2018, 116 min, World premiere Top cyclist Roman has had enough of serving as a domestique, a bicycle racer who sacrifices for the team. And since strenuous training and a strict regimen don’t lead to the type of performance he longs for, he sets up an oxygen tent at home. His obsession with having a sports career, however, renders him oblivious to his wife Šarlota’s desire to have a baby. A claustrophobic drama on the utter breakdown of a marriage almost suffocated by a machine that oxygenates the blood. Geula / Redemption / Geula Director: Joseph Madmony, Boaz Yehonatan Yaakov Israel, 2018, 100 min, World premiere Being able to care for a gravely ill daughter is of the utmost importance to a loving father. The treatment which is to give the child a new chance at life is something the poorly paid widower simply can’t afford. The idea to start performing again with a rock band from his early days, however, sees the devout man confronting not only those around him but – above all – himself as well. Kardeşler / Brothers / Bratři Director: Ömür Atay Turkey, Germany, Bulgaria, 2017, 103 min, World premiere Seventeen-year-old Yusuf comes home after spending four years at a detention center. His return to the family circle freshly recalls the act that his loved ones, bound by rigid tradition, forced Yusuf to commit. Directed with an assured hand, this intimate debut concerns guilt and punishment and how difficult it is to choose between blood ties and tradition on the one hand, and what is morally right on the other. Miriam miente / Miriam Lies / Miriam lže Director: Oriol Estrada, Natalia Cabral Dominican Republic, Spain, 2018, 90 min, World premiere Shy girl Miriam is waiting to celebrate her 15th birthday and she wants to invite her guy. So far they’ve only chatted online, and the anticipated blind date only complicates things. A gentle picture about the uncertainties of growing up, girls’ competitiveness, and the demands of others, which can be confusing when you’re young. Podbrosy / Jumpman / Skokan Director: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy Russia, 2018, 86 min, International premiere Young Oksana put Denis in a baby box when he was an infant. Sixteen years later she steals him away from a children’s home, intent on making amends for her neglect. Denis, however, has no idea of the heavy price to be paid for his mother’s favour: the fragile boy has one unusual quality which Oksana has no qualms about exploiting. Sueño Florianópolis / Sueño Florianópolis / Cesta do Florianópolisu Director: Ana Katz Argentina, Brazil, France, 2018, 103 min, World premiere Lucrecia, Pedro, and their teenage kids Julian and Florencia set out from Buenos Aires one sweltering day in a rattletrap Renault to vacation in the Brazilian summer resort of Florianópolis. Renowned Argentinian director Ana Katz draws upon gentle humor and light melancholy to relate a tale of first love, past lovers, fateful encounters, and fleeting joys. To the Night / To the Night / Do noci Director: Peter Brunner Austria, USA, 2018, 102 min, World premiere As a child Norman survived a fire that took the rest of his family. As an adult he is still struggling with the resulting trauma, and he finds it difficult to start a new life with his girlfriend and little boy. An oppressive atmosphere, subtle hints, and spectacular images playing upon the subconscious – these are the primary attributes of this brutally intimate study of a wounded individual. Captivating Caleb Landry Jones excels in the main role. Všechno bude / Winter Flies / Všechno bude Director: Olmo Omerzu Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Slovak Republic, 2018, 85 min, World premiere Mischievously self-assured Mára and somewhat eccentric Heduš set out into the frozen wastes in search of adventure – by car, naturally. After all, Mára’s turning fifteen soon. A road movie about the flies that occasionally buzz around even in winter, and a story – before it ends at the police station – that tells of the elusive bond of boyhood friendship and the irrepressible desire to experience something, even if you don’t exactly know what. Zgodovina ljubezni / History of Love / Příběh lásky Director: Sonja Prosenc Slovenia, Italy, Norway, 2018, 105 min, World premiere Seventeen-year-old Iva is in the process of coming to terms with the death of her mother. Influenced by this deep personal loss and by the discovery that she didn’t know everything about her mom, the girl slowly immerses herself into a strange, almost dreamlike world. Sonja Prosenc’s movie is dominated by a distinctive poetic that attacks the viewer’s senses, as well as by a narratively loose style and an ability to construct a story with the aid of the subtlest of suggestions.