48th Karlovy Vary IFF Launched

Left to right: Papusza (Papusza), photo by K. Ptak, W. Staroń; Dziewczyna z szafy (The Girl from the Wardrobe), photo by A. RzepkaPłynące wieżowce (Floating Skyscrapers), photo by Alter Ego Pictures; Drogówka (Traffic Department), photo by Next Film 

June 28 marked the opening of the 48th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The competition and out-of-competition sections features a collection of the most interesting new films from around the world, including several films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Main Competition

As in previous years, the Karlovy Vary Main Competition features a Polish film in its lineup. Among 14 titles competing for the Crystal Globe is Papusza, a film directed by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The Karlovy Vary screening will mark the film’s world premiere. Competition films will be judged by a jury chaired by Agnieszka Holland.

The latest film by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, winners of the Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe Award, the Best Director Award and the Best Actress Award for Krystyna Feldman in 2005 for their film Mój Nikifor (My Nikifor), is a drama based on the true story of Papusza, the first Roma poet to write down her poems and the first to have her works translated into Polish and officially published. The works of Papusza enriched Polish culture with insight into ‘the Gypsy soul’. Papusza stars Jowita Budnik (Papusza) and Antoni Pawlicki (Jerzy Ficowski). The film was lensed by Krzysztof Ptak and Wojciech Staroń, scored by Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz, and produced by Lambros Ziotas (Argomedia Sp. z o.o.).

Papusza Screening Dates:

• 01.07, 20:00 Grand Hall 
• 02.07, 13:30 Pupp
• 04.07, 9:00 Drahomira Cinema

East of the West Competition

The ‘East of the West’ competition section, focusing on films by first-time and second-time directors from Central and Eastern Europe, features two films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute: Płynące wieżowce (Floating Skyscrapers) by Tomasz Wasilewski [his debut feature W sypialni (In a Bedroom) screened at Karlovy Vary last year in the Forum of Independents, while Płynące wieżowce (Floating Skyscrapers) had its world premiere at the Tribeca IFF in New York City] and Dziewczyna z szafy (The Girl from the Wardrobe), the feature debut from Bodo Kox, which was released in Polish cinemas on June 14. One of the five members of the jury led by Éva Vezér will be Polish director Piotr Mularuk, whose feature film Yuma had its world premiere at the 47th Karlovy Vary IFF.

Płynące Wieżowce (Floating Skyscrapers) Screening Dates:

• 02.07, 16:00 Karlovy Vary Theatre
• 03.07, 13:30 Lazne III

Dziewczyna z szafy (The Girl from the Wardrobe) Screening Dates:

• 03.07, 18:30 Karlovy Vary Theatre
• 04.07, 16:30 Lazne III

Documentary Film Competition

The documentary film competition in Karlovy Vary will screen 16 films, including the feature documentary Lalkarz (The Man Who Made Angels Fly) by Wiktoria Szymańska. This film is an impressionist biography, in which the Polish director tells the life story of Michael Meschke, one of the world’s most acclaimed puppeteers, born in Gdańsk in 1931. Paweł Ziemilski’s Rogalik, which previously screened at IDFA in Amsterdam, is also one of Karlovy Vary’s short documentary competition entries. The competition will be judged by a five-member jury led by Krzysztof Gierat, director of the Krakow Film Festival.

Lalkarz (The Man Who Made Angels Fly) Screening Dates:

• 30.06, 18:30 Cas Cinema
• 01.07, 14:00 Drahomira Cinema

Rogalik Screening Dates:

• 04.07, 15:30 Cas Cinema
• 05.07, 17:00 Drahomira Cinema

Variety’s Ten Euro Directors to Watch

Wojciech Smarzowski’s Drogówka (Traffic Department) is among ten European films selected for screening in the out-of-competition Variety’s Ten Euro Directors to Watch (formerly known as Variety Critics’ Choice) section of the Karlovy Vary film festival. Since its launch 16 years ago, this section has become one of the festival’s most popular categories. Ten directors from across Europe showcase their films, specially selected by the staff of the prestigious Variety magazine. Among films recognized by Variety in previous years is Rewers (Reverse) by Borys Lankosz, which screened in the Variety Critics’ Choice section at the 2010 Karlovy Vary festival.

Drogówka (Traffic Department) Screening Dates:

• 30.06, 21:30 Small Hall
• 06.07, 22:30 Lazne III

Forum of Independents

The lineup of the Forum of Independents, another competition section, includes the feature film Kamczatka (Kamchatka) by Jerzy Kowynia (produced by Sagittarius Film). Kamczatka tells the story of several days in the life of a prison inmate who is granted leave in order to attend his mother’s funeral.

Kamczatka (Kamchatka) Screening Dates:

• 02.07, 21:30 Cas Cinema
• 03.07, 10:30 Lazne III

Other Festival Sections

Films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute will also appear in out-of-competition sections of the festival. The lineup of the ‘Horizons’ section, which screens 31 films from the world’s top film festivals, will feature Ari Folman’s The Congress, which was the opening film of the Directors’ Fortnight at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival.

Kongres (The Congress) Screening Dates:

• 30.06, 9:30 Small Hall
• 5.07, 19:00 Pupp

The ‘Another View’ section, featuring 29 films with unique artistic qualities, will show Jesteś Bogiem (You’re a God) by Leszek Dawid. In recent years, this festival section featured a number of Polish films, including Młyn i krzyż (The Mill and the Cross) by Lech Majewski in 2011 and Baby są jakieś inne (Man, Chicks Are Just Different) by Marek Koterski in 2012.

Jesteś Bogiem (You’re a God) Screening Dates:

• 30.06, 13:00 Congress Hall
• 03.07, 10:00 Espace Dorleans Cinema
• 04.07, 22:30 Lazne III

The lineup of the ‘Czech Films 2012-2013’ section of the Karlovy Vary festival will feature the Czech-Polish-Slovak co-production Ve stinu (In the Shadow), directed by Davida Ondříček and lensed by Adam Sikora. The ‘Fresh Selection’ section, showcasing works of five promising young filmmakers, will feature the short film Co raz zostało zapisane (Written in Ink) by Martin Rath.

Ve stinu (In the Shadow) Screening Dates:

• 28.06, 15:30 Cas Cinema
• 04.07, 12:30 Small Hall

Co raz zostało zapisane (Written in Ink) Screening Dates:

• 01.07, 19:00 Espace Dorleans Cinema
• 05.07, 16:00 Espace Dorleans Cinema

Works in Progress 2013

‘Works in Progress’ is a series of workshops and film presentations. One of its sections entitled Docu Talents from the East features special meetings for documentary filmmakers. The ‘Works in Progress’ programme is aimed at finding sales agents and distributors for selected films. ‘Works in Progress’ is also a type of pitching session and a chance to present a given film (recently completed or still in post-production) at other international film festivals. Films from the Czech Republic, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland are eligible for participation in the ‘Works in Progress’ panel.

The ‘Works in Progress’ meetings will take place on July 1 (Congress, Hall, Hotel Thermal). Among the 19 titles screened at ‘Works in Progress’ this year, Polish cinema will be represented by the film Performer, directed by Maciej Sobieszczański and Łukasz Ronduda and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The Docu Talents from the East section features a total of 13 projects, including several films co-financed by the Polish Film Institute: Gottland, directed by Lukáš Kokeš, Petr Hátle, Rozálie Kohoutová, Viera Čákanyová, Radovan Síbrt, Bohdan Bláhovec, and Klára Tasovská; Powroty Agnieszki H., directed by Krystyna Krauze and Jacek Petrycki, as well as Agfa 1939, directed by Michał Wnuk. The Docu Talents presentation will be held on July 2 (Becher’s Villa).

The 48th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from June 28 through July 6.

Further details available at: www.kviff.com.

Marta Sikorska

Translated by Karolina Kołtun