Latest news with #SoheilBeiraghi
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Better Go Mad in the Wild,' ‘Bidad,' ‘Sand City,' ‘Forensics' Win Karlovy Vary Festival Awards
Miro Remo's Better Go Mad in the Wild won the Grand Prix – Crystal Globe, the top award, at the closing ceremony of the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Saturday, where Stellan Skarsgård was also honored with the KVIFF Crystal Globe Award for his 'outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema.' The Special Jury Prize went to Iranian filmmaker Soheil Beiraghi's fourth feature, Bidad (Outcry), whose announcement the fest had held back to ensure the safety of its creators. This year's jury, consisting of Nicolas Celis, Babak Jalali, Jessica Kiang, Jiří Mádl, and Tuva Novotny, lauded the 'delightfully inventive documentary' Better Go Mad as 'a funny valentine to the fading art of being true to yourself' and 'a portrait of bickering twin brothers who may live a weird, off-grid life on their dilapidated farm, but who, in a world as mad as ours, actually might be the sanest people on Earth.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'GEN_' Review: A Compassionate Portrait of an Italian Doctor Treating Trans Patients and Women Trying to Conceive 'The Salt Path' Fallout: Raynor Winn's Next Book Delayed as Publisher Supports "Distressed" Author Paramount+ Gives London a Chance to Live Like a Killer at Immersive Event 'Dexter: The Experience' Concluded the jury: 'In the lifestyle it portrays, but also in the filmmaking risks it takes and the raucously loving brotherhood it admires, Better Go Mad in the Wild feels like a gulp of fresh, woody air, or a quick dip in an outdoor pond, or a moment of contemplation as a cow chews on your beard. In short, it feels like being free.' Meanwhile, the jury called Bidad, about a Gen Z girl who sings in the streets despite rules that forbid that in Iran, 'as courageous in its constantly unexpected narrative turns, as it careens through different genre terrains as energetically as it rolls through the different suburbs of Tehran. It concluded: 'Morphing from social-injustice thriller into family melodrama into a triumph-over-adversity arc, it is most striking as a gonzo lovers-on-the-run romance, shot through with punk energy and spiky personality that ends on an ambivalent yet optimistic note — because where there's this much life, there's hope.' This year's best director award went to two films: Lithuanian cinematographer Vytautas Katkus' feature directorial debut The Visitor, a meditation on solitutde, as well as Nathan Ambrosioni's Out of Love, a reflection on family and co-existence. Lauding the 'deeply impressive directorial statements,' the jury said that Katkus 'truly exploits the creative freedom that a director perhaps only ever properly enjoys with their first film, displaying an uncompromised, idiosyncratic vision that is both dazzlingly precise in its detail and dreamily peculiar as whole.' It also noted that Ambrosioni 'demonstrates a maturity, compassion and polish far beyond his years in the moving and beautifully crafted Out of Love in which a rich yet understated presentation that allows the terrific all-ages acting ensemble to deliver intensely felt, empathetic performances.' In the acting categories, Pia Tjelta was honored with the best actress award for her role in the political relationship drama Don't Call Me Mama, Àlex Brendemühl won the best actor honor for his role in the rape drama When a River Becomes the Sea, and Kateřina Falbrová received a special jury mention for her role in the sexual abuse drama Broken Voices. And the Právo Audience Award winner ended up being the fest opening film, We've Got to Frame It! (A Conversation With Jiří Bartoška in July 2021), featuring insights and laughs courtesy of the long-term fest president who died recently. The fourth edition of Karlovy Vary's Proxima competition, which focuses on bold works by young filmmakers and renowned auteurs alike, revealed Bangladeshi director Mahde Hasan's Sand City, a movie about harsh life in a metropolis, as its winner, decided by the jury of Yulia Evina Bhara, Noaz Deshe, Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, and Marissa Frobes. 'A realm unknown, where architecture breathes and silence screams,' it wrote. 'Time drips sideways in this fractured hourglass, and color spills like memory. In Sand City, cinema becomes a trembling map of the strange, abandoned, and intimate at the edge of sense.' Meanwhile, the Proxima Special Jury Prize was bestowed upon Federico Atehortúa Arteaga's Forensics, an experimental essay on missing persons. 'This award goes to a film that carries forward the tradition of swimming against the current of globalized violence — with truth, with ethics, and above all, with poetry,' the jury said. And Manoël Dupont's Before/After, which explores baldness and queer identity, received a special mention in the Proxima lineup. The non-statutory awards at KVIFF, namely the Europa Cinemas Label honor for the best European film at KVIFF 2025, the Fipresci Award, as well as the Grand Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, put a spotlight on three different movies. Rebuilding, directed by Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O'Connor, won the Ecumenical Jury's Grand Prize, while the jury gave a commendation to Cinema Jazireh, directed by Gözde Kural. The Europa Cinemas Label honor went to Broken Voices, and the Fipresci honor was awarded to Before/After. The 2025 edition of the Karlovy Vary fest, which has a reputation as Central Europe's largest cinema party, had opened with the presentation of KVIFF President's Awards to Peter Sarsgaard and Vicky Krieps, a film about late long-time KVIFF president Jiří Bartoška, and a concert by U.K. act La Roux. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Bidad' Director Soheil Beiraghi on Giving Voice to a Gen Z Iranian Woman and Being Ready for the Consequences
Outcry. That is the English-language title of Soheil Beiraghi's fourth feature, Bidad, which has been making waves even before world premiering at the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Wednesday. Festival programmers held back on unveiling the 12th movie in the Crystal Globe Competition until the last minute to allow the filmmaker to travel to the Czech fest. After all, the movie about a Gen Z girl in Tehran who wants her voice to be heard and decides to sing in the streets, even though women are not allowed to perform in public, would not be allowed by the censors in his home country. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Luminous Life' Review: A Breezy and Melancholic Portrait of a Portuguese Zoomer Looking for Love, Plus a Steady Job Karlovy Vary: 'Sentimental Value' Star Stellan Skarsgård Will Record THR's 'Awards Chatter' Pod in Front of Fest Audience 'The Salt Path' Backlash: Raynor Winn's Novel Adapted Into Star-Studded Film Upended in Exposé Bidad stars Sarvin Zabetian (180 Degree Rule, Terrestrial Verses), Leili Rashidi and Amir Jadidi. Beiraghi (I, Cold Sweat, Popular) wrote, directed, produced and co-edited the movie, and he handled art direction. His Alef Pictures is the production company and is also handling sales. Directed undercover for safety reasons, Bidad has drawn much attention since KVIFF delayed its announcement, also for safety reasons, and then said that 'Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during filming.' Last week, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively unveiled the trailer for the film about Seti, who won't be silenced without standing up for herself. Now, ahead of Bidad's world premiere at Karlovy Vary, Beiraghi talked to THR, through an interpreter, about why he loves telling stories about strong female characters and just had to make this film about a young woman fighting for a way to soar like her voice does, and the consequences he could face for doing so. 'The film is inspired by all the girls who live in Tehran, who are hurt because of restrictions from their fathers, their families, from their managers, from anyone who has an upper hand over them,' Beiraghi explains. 'It's a story inspired by them and their existence and their lives in Iran.' The visuals, sounds and music of the movie consistently remind viewers that heavenly voices exist that may never be heard. 'All these girls have an angel on the inside that sings, that whispers or sings lullabies,' the filmmaker tells THR. 'And it's nice to imagine that this thing that exists inside of them can have a voice and can sing beautifully. This image is really inspiring for me.' Beiraghi has developed a reputation for telling the stories of strong women. Where does that come from? 'Women are strong,' he replies. 'There is an image, especially in Iranian cinema, that women are weak, that they're unable to do some of the stuff that men can do. They're often put away in corners. And that is a very false image. We haven't really been able to express how their lives are really conducted and how important they are. It's just very different from reality. It is my focus, my goal to change that.' Concludes Beiraghi: 'I truly believe that the saviors of the Earth are women.' Asked about reports that Iranian authorities have already announced legal sentences against him and some other people involved in the film, the creative tells THR: 'They did whatever they could about the film by giving prison sentences and all those restrictions and bans. It doesn't matter to me anymore. It's not important anymore. I am here to tell my story, and I told this story about the reality of life in Tehran, in Iran, and how things are.' The filmmaker says he will return to Iran after his trip rather than seeking refuge abroad and is ready for whatever the authorities may decide and whatever may happen to him then. 'They can do whatever they want,' he tells THR. 'Now, they arrest me and they restrict me, and then they restrict another person. But what are they going to do about the next mind, the next person, the next creative person who's going to do something, who's going to create something? You can't really control all that. They can't keep doing this forever. That's what totalitarian regimes do. They try to control and restrict. But the reality is that they cannot keep doing that forever.' Beiraghi chose to come to Karlovy Vary to get his film seen and discussed, and he expects it will find its way to Iranians, helped by the diaspora, even though the movie will not get into cinemas back home. 'There's something way more important than official screening licenses and official cinemas in Iran. And that's the chain, the human chain that exists, which is the community of Iranians anywhere in the world,' he shares. 'So, I truly believe that this film will be seen.' Soheil Beiraghi, courtesy of KVIFF What about other creatives who worked on the film? 'The rest of the team has chosen not to come to the festival. They've chosen not to attend the festival because of these restrictions in Iran and everything that's happening in Iran,' he tells THR. 'And I am very respectful of their choice and completely understand why they have made the decision not to come. But I have chosen to stand by my work and stand up for what I have created. That's the reason why I came, and I accept the risks.' [SPOILER WARNING: The rest of the article addresses some key scenes in the film.] Beiraghi didn't plan it this way, but his choice mirrors one Seti must make at the end of the film. Seti's best friend is a caterpillar, and it also goes through a key development. 'We see that by the end of the film, the caterpillar has started to make a cocoon around itself, just like Seti is starting to build herself,' Beiraghi tells THR. 'And this character will turn into something that will fly and flourish like a butterfly.' As the end credits roll, we see that the butterfly is born, but it only has one wing. 'Because of everything that has happened, it has a disability,' the Iranian filmmaker explains. 'It has something taken away from it. But the other wing still remains, so it will continue to move forward and carry on.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iran Film, Dakota Johnson, Stellan Skarsgard, Peter Sarsgaard, Vicky Krieps Honors Set for Karlovy Vary
A film from Iran that has been kept secret so far to ensure the safety of its delegation, along with Dakota Johnson, Stellan Skarsgård, Peter Sarsgaard and Vicky Krieps, has joined the lineup for the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). Known as a popular stop on the film festival circuit for many stars, Karlovy Vary had previously already unveiled a visit from Michael Douglas this year. More from The Hollywood Reporter BBC Introduces News Paywall for U.S. Users Catherine Hardwicke Praises Heath Ledger, Talks 'Twilight' at Mediterrane Film Festival Masterclass Disney+ Sets July Premiere for Korean Treasure-Hunt Drama 'Low Life' The 12th and final film of this year's Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe main competition program is Iran's Bidad from director Soheil Beiraghi, which tells the story of young singer Seti who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. 'In defiance of her country's religious laws, she decides to sing in the street,' according to a synopsis. '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.' Bidad was made as an independent production. 'Otherwise, it would never have been approved by the censors because of its critical tone,' KVIFF highlighted. 'Even so, director Soheil Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during filming. It was necessary to withhold announcement of the film's inclusion in the festival's program until he and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran. A few days ago, the festival team was overjoyed to hear that they were on their way.' While the stars have aligned for the world premiere of Bidad, the stars have also lined up to travel to the Czech festival. Swedish film and theater actor Skarsgård, recipient of a Golden Globe award, will return to Karlovy Vary to be presented the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema. He will also present his new film Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier, which won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival. At the KVIFF opening ceremony, the KVIFF President's Award will be presented to Krieps (Phantom Thread, Bergman Island), winner of a European Film Award for best actress for Marie Kreutzer's Corsage and 'one of today's exceptional acting talents,' said KVIFF organizers. The festival will be showing Anna Cazenave Cambet's film Love Me Tender, starring Krieps. Also at the opening ceremony, the fest will present the KVIFF President's Award to Sarsgaard, who most recently starred in director Tim Fehlbaum's September 5. He has also wrapped production on Warner Bros.' The Bride!, which also stars Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley and is set for 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. In Sarsgaard's honor, the festival will screen the journalism drama Shattered Glass (2003). Also on the first weekend of KVIFF 2025, namely on Sunday, July 6, Johnson will be honored with the KVIFF President's Award and present her two latest films, Michael Angelo Covino's Splitsville and Celine Song's Materialists. 'Dakota Johnson continues her family's multigenerational acting tradition, as represented by her grandmother Tippy Hedren and both of her parents, award-winning Hollywood stars Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson,' fest organizers said. It should thus not come as a surprise that her film debut was at age 10, when she appeared in Crazy in Alabama (1999, directed by Antonio Banderas).' In addition to this year's festival honorees, various other big names are also expected in Karlovy Vary. For example, the world premiere of Out of Love will be presented by the film's star, French actress Camille Cottin, whom audiences know from Call My Agent! and House of Gucci, among others. The international premiere of Rebuilding will be presented by Max Walker-Silverman, who returns to Karlovy Vary three years after presenting his feature film debut A Love Song there. Another American coming to town is Jay Duplass, who will attend the screening of his comedy The Baltimorons. Mexican director Michel Franco returns to Karlovy Vary after just one year to screen his latest film Dreams, which stars Jessica Chastain and had its world premiere at this year's Berlinale. Also, Mstyslav Chernov, winner of a Pulitzer Prize and an Oscar for his 20 Days in Mariupol, will be in town to present his latest documentary, 2000 Metres to Andriivka. Finally, the historical drama Two Prosecutors, which had its world premiere in the main competition in Cannes, will be introduced by its director, Sergei Loznitsa. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
