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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary to Tribute Stellan Skarsgård, Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard
The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 4-12) boasts not one but two competitions, the Crystal Globe and Proxima, curated by artistic director Karel Och under the supervision of executive director Kryštof Mucha. The festival is the main summer event in the country, which attracts many sponsors and patrons who want to attend, and faces fewer financial hardships than such festivals as Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance. Last year, 130 films were shown and 140,000 tickets sold. There is little room for growth, given the limited venues, from the many screening rooms at the festival hub, the Hotel Thermal, where jurors hang out between screenings, to the colorful arthouse Kino Drahomira, named after a revered Czech woman director. More from IndieWire 'Relay' Trailer: Riz Ahmed Is an Anonymous Fixer in David Mackenzie's Acclaimed Action-Thriller Indie Beyond 'Erotic Vagrancy': TCM Reframes Legacy of 'Cleopatra,' Elizabeth Taylor, and the Director Who Went Down with the Sphinx The Central European festival falls between Cannes and Venice, and programs many films in its Crystal Globe Competition that did not make the cut at Cannes, as well as films that weren't yet finished. Winning a top prize at KVIFF also adds luster to a film's release trajectory. And visiting celebrities enjoy their time at the festival, from gala dinners at the Hotel Pupp and Hotel Promenada, to after-hours hanging at the basement Becher's Bar at the Pupp, which inspired Wes Anderson's 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' This year's festival tributes are Stellan Skarsgård, recipient of a Crystal Globe award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, and Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard, who will each accept KVIFF President's Awards. Stellan Skarsgård will personally present the Cannes Grand Prix winner 'Sentimental Value' (Mubi), the sixth film directed by Joachim Trier, which earned raves and is expected to compete for multiple Oscars. Skarsgård was a guest of the festival in 2002, when he presented director István Szabó's film 'Taking Sides.' During his long career, Skarsgård has displayed a range rare among actors, alternating between Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse fare: his name helps indie films to get made. He made his international breakthrough as the lead in Lars von Trier's 'Breaking the Waves' (1996), which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in the director's 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000), 'Dogville' (2003), 'Melancholia '(2011), both parts of 'Nymphomaniac' (2013), and the television series 'The Kingdom.' Along with recent roles in 'Mamma Mia!' and its sequel and in the MCU, Skarsgård scored an Emmy nomination for his role in HBO's miniseries 'Chernobyl' (2019) and played memorable villain Baron Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's two-part 'Dune' saga. He's also been acclaimed for his role on TV's 'Andor.' At the opening ceremony, the KVIFF President's Award will be presented to Luxembourg-born Vicky Krieps, winner of a European Film Award for Best Actress for the biopic 'Corsage,' a performance for which she also won Best Actress in Cannes' Un Certain Regard. She broke out internationally in 2017, when she appeared opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Phantom Thread.' She appeared at Karlovy Vary last year in Viggo Mortensen's western 'The Dead Don't Hurt' (2023). This year's Un Certain Regard titles at the Cannes Film Festival included 'Love Me Tender' (2025; dir. Anna Cazenave Cambet), which will also screen at Karlovy Vary. Later this year, she is set to appear alongside Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch's Venice entry 'Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.' American actress Dakota Johnson will also receive the KVIFF President's Award and present her two latest films, Celine Song's 'Materialists' and Michael Covino's Cannes selection 'Splitsville.' Peter Sarsgaard recently starred in director Tim Fehlbaum's 'September 5,' which was nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama at the 2025 Golden Globes. Sarsgaard also won the Volpi Cup at Venice 2023 for Michel Franco's 'Memory,' opposite Jessica Chastain. He also starred as Tommy Molto in the 2024 series 'Presumed Innocent' (Apple TV+) opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Renate Reinsve and Ruth Negga. In 2021, he starred in the Oscar-nominated 'The Lost Daughter,' written and directed by his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal, based on the novel of the same title by Elena Ferrante. The film garnered Oscar Nominations for both Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley as well as a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Sarsgaard recently wrapped production on Warner Bros.' 'The Bride!,' which is set to release later this year. Directed by his wife, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film takes place in 1930s Chicago and puts a spin on the classic Frankenstein story. Peter will star opposite Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley. In early June, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival announced 11 films that will be vying for the main prize in the festival's Crystal Globe Competition. The 12th film, Iran's independently produced 'Bidad,' remained secret to protect the safety of the film's delegation. At Karlovy Vary, director Soheil Beiraghi will present the world premiere of his story of the young singer Seti, who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. Per the festival, 'In defiance of her country's religious laws, she decides to sing in the street. Her performances quickly gain in popularity, and Seti becomes a star for a young generation that no longer wants to be oppressed by the regime.' As authorities investigated Beiraghi during filming, it was necessary to withhold announcement of the film's inclusion in the festival's program until he and his crew members could safely travel out of Iran. More on Karlovy Vary's 2025 lineup here. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary Artistic Director Readies for Czech Reckoning With #MeToo Ahead of Premiere of ‘Broken Voices'
Things are changing in the Czech Republic, says Karlovy Vary Film Festival artistic director Karel Och. Also when it comes to the #MeToo movement. 'What we need is a conversation – and films like 'Broken Voices,'' he says. More from Variety Karlovy Vary Industry Head Hugo Rosak Talks Big Year of Change: 'We Are in Transition as an Industry' Peter Sarsgaard Calls for Unity in a Divided America at Karlovy Vary Film Festival Opening: 'There Is No Going It Alone' Karlovy Vary Player 'The Anatomy of the Horses,' Questioning Revolution in Peru, Acquired by Loco Films (EXCLUSIVE) Ondřej Provazní's drama, selected for the Crystal Globe Competition, was inspired by the Bambini di Praga case: a famous children's choir which saw its choirmaster arrested and charged with sexual abuse of minors that went on for years. 'It's a strong, intimate piece of cinema which ultimately succeeds in communicating strong political ideas. When I had lunch with the director and the producer, I realized that maybe our last year's Audience Award winner 'Waves' – which reached almost 1 million spectators in Czech cinemas – opened up a new chapter in our cinema. The audience is now perceiving a film through its subject matter as well. There's already a conversation about what 'Broken Voices' represents and what it stands for. It's approaching the subject matter in a very universal way, but in the Czech Republic, things are also changing a lot.' In the past, the fest faced criticism due to some of its controversial guests, including Johnny Depp, or even its Crystal Globe statuette, which once led Mel Gibson to say: 'It's just the kind of thing I want. A naked woman holding a ball.' 'I like that film festivals are places where you can say things freely. We don't like to censor. Sometimes we know that the person who's coming is controversial, and we expect certain reactions, but a festival should be a platform for this kind of exchange,' stresses Och. 'Czechs need time to discover certain things. We don't like to be forced, especially by the West. When we were sent the Collectif 50/50 initiative [advocating for gender parity], it seemed silly to just sign a piece of paper without talking about it. A few years ago, I dared to make a joke while introducing a German film made by a young female filmmaker. I said I was happy to be standing with her on the stage where, until recently, the female representation was often reduced to the statue of the festival's award. Nobody got it, so I thought: 'Maybe we need more time.'' He adds: 'Coming from our country with such a crazy political experience of oppression, certain things must change in a more natural way. I think 'Broken Voices' can be instrumental in this.' It's not the only potentially controversial film this year – the fest decided to wait with the announcement of Iranian 'Bidad' to protect its creators. 'Because of its subject matter, everybody expected there might be problems – also for the team to leave the country to come for the world premiere. We agreed on being sensitive about it.' In the end, director Soheil Beiraghi will present the film on his own, determined to 'stand by his work,' he told Variety. 'In Czech Republic, we remember the bad days – we remember how things were handled back in the 1980s [during communism]. In some cases, you just really need to be very careful. We needed to make sure they were safe,' adds Och. 'When the screening comes closer, you have to apply all the security measures. This film is coming from Iran and there are all these threats and risks involved, but you also want to make sure it's perceived as a work of art. Anything like that is inevitably a political act, but it's still a film we fell in love with.' The festival will 'promote political cinema through intimate stories,' he notes, mentioning Nadav Lapid's 'Yes' and Palestinian 'All That's Left of You.' 'This is what we know how to do. 'All That's Left of You' is a film that's potentially controversial, but maybe not really? [Director Cherien Dabis] is not accusing anyone – she's just offering compassion. Political cinema doesn't have to divide people or force them to take sides, which I think is impossible in the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is so complex and so complicated. But if through the pain you feel while watching, you can have conversations, we did our job well.' The Czech event still 'wants to be kind,' however, finding space for more uplifting films like Josh O'Connor starrer 'Rebuilding.' '[Director] Max Walker-Silverman once said he would never have an unkind person in his movie. You can have a powerful film dealing with problems in an authentic way – without any assholes,' says Och. 'We do have extreme films in the program but sometimes, subtlety and kindness can be more impactful. I don't want to go on about 'the decline of civilization,' but empathy is something that's missing right now.' Something else that's missing this year? The presence of longtime festival president Jiří Bartoška, who died in May. 'Czech journalists keep asking us: 'What will change?!' We spent the last couple of months explaining, willingly and happily, that not much will. Mr. Bartoška has been dealing with his illness in these past few years and left us all this freedom. You want to celebrate the memory and the contribution of someone without whom you wouldn't be sitting here, but at the same time you have to calm people down, assuring that things are in good hands.' He notes: 'We will celebrate him not in a tearful, but in an uplifting way, celebrating all the traces he left behind. He would be really pissed off if we made it too sentimental.' While the fest will welcome Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard and Stellan Skarsgård, Bartoška had his hand at another guest's very first visit: Michael Douglas, now coming back to present an anniversary screening of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' which he produced. 'In 1998, we were looking for guests and Jiří Bartoška had a conversation with Miloš Forman. Back in those days, we relied on the help of our friends. Miloš was like: 'Well, how about Michael? Let me call him.' That first time Michael Douglas came here for Miloš, and now he's doing it again – even though he did not go to Cannes for the world premiere of the restoration.' 'It's very humbling to see these people, who represent such a big chunk of the history of cinema, come and celebrate someone else.' 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