Mexican directors Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez’s Sujo won the Grand Prix at this year’s Sofia International Film Festival (March 13-24).
The Mexican-French-us co-production about a boy who must fight against the temptation of local gangs premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize, and is being handled internationally by Alpha Violet.
The festival’s top prize has gone to a film from Mexico for the second year running after Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s Red Shoes won last year.
The international jury, presided over by Hungarian actor-writer-director Szabolcs Hadju and including outgoing EFM director Dennis Ruh,...
The Mexican-French-us co-production about a boy who must fight against the temptation of local gangs premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize, and is being handled internationally by Alpha Violet.
The festival’s top prize has gone to a film from Mexico for the second year running after Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s Red Shoes won last year.
The international jury, presided over by Hungarian actor-writer-director Szabolcs Hadju and including outgoing EFM director Dennis Ruh,...
- 3/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
Bulgarian multi-hyphenate Stephan Komandarev completes his trilogy on social problems and moral ills in contemporary Bulgaria with “Blaga’s Lessons,” world premiering in Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s Crystal Globe competition. Heretic is the sales agent.
After “Directions” (2017), which centers on tough times for some Sofia taxi drivers over a long and eventful night, and “Rounds” (2019), about police officers patrolling the capital, Komandarev and his co-writer Simeon Ventsislavov use an older woman duped by a telephone scam to look at issues afflicting their parents’ generation. Komandarev says: “The Bulgarian pensioners turned out to be the real victims of the so-called ‘transition’ (the time from 1989 to today.) These people, who have worked and created persistently all their lives, have lost basic safety and security, normal food, adequate medical care, heating, etc.”
The protagonist Blaga (Eli Skorcheva) is a retired Bulgarian language and literature teacher. A recent widow, she’s worried about how...
After “Directions” (2017), which centers on tough times for some Sofia taxi drivers over a long and eventful night, and “Rounds” (2019), about police officers patrolling the capital, Komandarev and his co-writer Simeon Ventsislavov use an older woman duped by a telephone scam to look at issues afflicting their parents’ generation. Komandarev says: “The Bulgarian pensioners turned out to be the real victims of the so-called ‘transition’ (the time from 1989 to today.) These people, who have worked and created persistently all their lives, have lost basic safety and security, normal food, adequate medical care, heating, etc.”
The protagonist Blaga (Eli Skorcheva) is a retired Bulgarian language and literature teacher. A recent widow, she’s worried about how...
- 6/28/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Production has wrapped on a Bulgarian live-action short film starring Oscar-nominated Bulgarian actor Maria Bakalova. The film, titled Това, Kоето Oстава (English title: What Stays After), is directed by Dimitris Georgiev. The short is produced by No Blink Pictures, New European Wave Entertainment and Bakalova’s production company Five Oceans, co-founded with fellow actor and filmmaker Julian Kostov.
Joining Bakalova in the cast of What Stays After are leading Bulgarian actors Zachary Baharov, Elena Telbis (Losers) and Margita Gosheva (The Father), with young actor Yan Lozov as the lead.
Written by Bulgarian filmmakers Georgiev and Mariy Rosen, What Stays After tells the coming-of-age story of a boy during tragic events that tear his family apart. The characters in the movie face the pain of losing a loved one, discover truths they are not ready for,...
Joining Bakalova in the cast of What Stays After are leading Bulgarian actors Zachary Baharov, Elena Telbis (Losers) and Margita Gosheva (The Father), with young actor Yan Lozov as the lead.
Written by Bulgarian filmmakers Georgiev and Mariy Rosen, What Stays After tells the coming-of-age story of a boy during tragic events that tear his family apart. The characters in the movie face the pain of losing a loved one, discover truths they are not ready for,...
- 3/23/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova is returning to Bulgaria for a dark comedy based on wildly true events.
The “Borat 2” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” actress is set to star in and produce “Triumph,” inspired by the aftermath of the fall of Communism in the 1990s when Bulgarian army officials teamed up with psychics to find a rumored alien artifact to change the course of history and restore Bulgaria’s honor. Deadline first reported the news.
Bakalova and Julian Kostov (“Shadow and Bone”) will produce “Triumph” through their company Five Oceans. “Triumph” is their first production through Five Oceans, which aims to showcase Bulgarian, Balkan, and Slavic stories on an international scale.
Academy Award-nominated directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (2019’s “The Father”) will helm the feature and collaborate with Bakalova once more. “Triumph” is part of the trilogy by Grozeva and Valchanov that also includes 2014’s “The Lesson” and 2016’s “Glory.
The “Borat 2” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” actress is set to star in and produce “Triumph,” inspired by the aftermath of the fall of Communism in the 1990s when Bulgarian army officials teamed up with psychics to find a rumored alien artifact to change the course of history and restore Bulgaria’s honor. Deadline first reported the news.
Bakalova and Julian Kostov (“Shadow and Bone”) will produce “Triumph” through their company Five Oceans. “Triumph” is their first production through Five Oceans, which aims to showcase Bulgarian, Balkan, and Slavic stories on an international scale.
Academy Award-nominated directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (2019’s “The Father”) will helm the feature and collaborate with Bakalova once more. “Triumph” is part of the trilogy by Grozeva and Valchanov that also includes 2014’s “The Lesson” and 2016’s “Glory.
- 8/25/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: It’s a homecoming for Maria Bakalova who is starring in and producing Triumph, the first movie she has done in her native Bulgaria following her breakout role in Borat 2, which launched her Hollywood career. Bakalova has joined the cast of Triumph alongside another Bulgarian actor who has found success internationally, Shadow and Bone‘s Julian Kostov. The duo will produce through their company Five Oceans.
The darkly comedic Triumph (Триумф) is directed by award-winning Bulgarian filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, whose most recent movie The Father featured Bakalova and was selected as Bulgaria’s 2021 International Oscar entry after winning the Grand Prix at the 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
Bakalova, who will play the lead, and Kostov join leading Bulgarian actors Julian Vergov and The Father star Margita Gosheva in Triumph, a military satire inspired by well-known, wild real-life events from the 1990s when, in the chaotic...
The darkly comedic Triumph (Триумф) is directed by award-winning Bulgarian filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, whose most recent movie The Father featured Bakalova and was selected as Bulgaria’s 2021 International Oscar entry after winning the Grand Prix at the 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
Bakalova, who will play the lead, and Kostov join leading Bulgarian actors Julian Vergov and The Father star Margita Gosheva in Triumph, a military satire inspired by well-known, wild real-life events from the 1990s when, in the chaotic...
- 8/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Borat 2 star Maria Bakalova will chair the committee selecting Bulgaria’s best international film submission for the 2022-23 Oscar race, the country’s National Film Center has confirmed.
Bakalova was Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated in the 2020-21 awards season for her performance as Borat’s daughter along Sacha Baron Cohen. She is now busy forging a career in Hollywood where subsequent credits have included The Bubble, Bodies Bodies Bodies and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
She has remained loyal to her native Bulgaria where she cut her acting teeth in its independent arthouse cinema scene.
Bakalova’s arrival on the Bulgarian Oscar selection committee follows controversy last year, after the selection of Ivaylo Hristov’s drama Fear over Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Women Do Cry, by Vesela Kazakova and Mina Mileva’s and starring Bakalova, prompted accusations of foul play.
Bakalova will be joined by director Kristina Grozeva,...
Bakalova was Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated in the 2020-21 awards season for her performance as Borat’s daughter along Sacha Baron Cohen. She is now busy forging a career in Hollywood where subsequent credits have included The Bubble, Bodies Bodies Bodies and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
She has remained loyal to her native Bulgaria where she cut her acting teeth in its independent arthouse cinema scene.
Bakalova’s arrival on the Bulgarian Oscar selection committee follows controversy last year, after the selection of Ivaylo Hristov’s drama Fear over Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Women Do Cry, by Vesela Kazakova and Mina Mileva’s and starring Bakalova, prompted accusations of foul play.
Bakalova will be joined by director Kristina Grozeva,...
- 8/8/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Upcoming animation from ’My Life As A Courgette’ director Claude Barras also among recipients.
Berlin Golden Bear winner Radu Jude’s upcoming feature A Case History is one of 24 features to receive a share of €6.5m (6.87m) in the latest round of Eurimages co-production support funding.
The film, a co-production between Romania and Croatia, has received €150,000 and marks the Romanian filmmaker’s next feature after winning the Golden Bear in 2021 with Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn.
Produced by Ada Solomon and Adrian Sitaru of Bucharest-based 4Proof Film, the story will be told in two parts. The first follows a...
Berlin Golden Bear winner Radu Jude’s upcoming feature A Case History is one of 24 features to receive a share of €6.5m (6.87m) in the latest round of Eurimages co-production support funding.
The film, a co-production between Romania and Croatia, has received €150,000 and marks the Romanian filmmaker’s next feature after winning the Golden Bear in 2021 with Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn.
Produced by Ada Solomon and Adrian Sitaru of Bucharest-based 4Proof Film, the story will be told in two parts. The first follows a...
- 6/27/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Bulgaria, a small Eastern European country of 7 million, is having a moment. For only the second time, Bulgarian is a main spoken language in a big Hollywood film. Joining 2004’s The Terminal is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, with Bulgarian the language spoken by Borat’s daughter Tutar, played by Maria Bakalova in one of the breakout performances of 2020. The comedy has catapulted the unknown Bulgarian actress into global superstardom and major awards contention, with a slew of year-end awards to her name already.
Bakalova, 24, also has a small part in the Bulgarian Oscar entry The Father, giving a visibility boost to the Karlovy Vary-winning title. What’s more, The Father and its directors contributed to Bakalova’s big break in Borat 2.
In a Zoom chat conducted in their native tongue, Bakalova (whose last name is pronounced bah-kah-loh-vah) shares her Cinderella story with fellow Bulgarian expat, Deadline’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Nellie Andreeva,...
Bakalova, 24, also has a small part in the Bulgarian Oscar entry The Father, giving a visibility boost to the Karlovy Vary-winning title. What’s more, The Father and its directors contributed to Bakalova’s big break in Borat 2.
In a Zoom chat conducted in their native tongue, Bakalova (whose last name is pronounced bah-kah-loh-vah) shares her Cinderella story with fellow Bulgarian expat, Deadline’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Nellie Andreeva,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Tragedy is punctured by comedy from the start of The Father. At a funeral in rural Bulgaria, mourners prepare to say goodbye to Valentina as the priest delivers an elegy over her grave. Suddenly, a cellphone starts ringing with the sound of a beeping frog — it belongs to Valentina’s son, Pavel (Ivan Barnev). As the open coffin is lowered into the ground, Pavel’s elderly father, Vassil (Ivan Savov), demands that his son take a picture of the corpse with his camera. Initially, the son refuses, causing a mild scene. This sets the tone for a film that juxtaposes trivial obsessions with macabre matters, set amid a strained father-son relationship. The effect is gently comic, though it strays into poignant territory in the film’s affecting conclusion.
Filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov formed Abraxas Film to produce work that’s “equal parts amusing, upsetting and touching.
Filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov formed Abraxas Film to produce work that’s “equal parts amusing, upsetting and touching.
- 2/2/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Maria Bakalova landed the role of a lifetime when she was just a young, aspiring actress in Bulgaria. And it wasn’t for “Borat 2.”
She was cast in Bulgaria’s Oscar submission “The Father” in a tiny but important role, and in speaking with TheWrap, Bakalova described her casting as something of a dream come true.
“They are actually my real teachers, so to work with them was my biggest dream to be part of their movies,” Bakalova told TheWrap’s Steve Pond of “The Father” directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. “I was praying one day to be part of something that they were going to make…When I heard back from them that I could be part of it, I was like ‘Jesus Christ this is the best day of my life!'”
Though she broke out this year and is even earning Oscar buzz for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,...
She was cast in Bulgaria’s Oscar submission “The Father” in a tiny but important role, and in speaking with TheWrap, Bakalova described her casting as something of a dream come true.
“They are actually my real teachers, so to work with them was my biggest dream to be part of their movies,” Bakalova told TheWrap’s Steve Pond of “The Father” directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. “I was praying one day to be part of something that they were going to make…When I heard back from them that I could be part of it, I was like ‘Jesus Christ this is the best day of my life!'”
Though she broke out this year and is even earning Oscar buzz for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
While the Academy has not yet released the full official list, these are the films Variety has learned have been submitted by various countries in the international film race. The shortlist will be announced Feb. 9 and the nominations on March 15. The Academy Awards ceremony takes place on April 25.
Albania Open Door
Director: Florenc Papas
Key Cast: Luli Bitri, Jonida Vokshi, Gulielm Radoja
Logline: Pregnant woman and her sister try to find a man to pretend to be the mom-to-be’s husband before visiting their traditional father.
Prodco: Bunker Film Plus
Algeria Héliopolis
Director: Djaâfar Gacem
Key cast: Souhila Mallem, Mehdi
Ramdani, Cesar Duminil
Logline: Algerians fight for independence punctuated by the 1945 massacre in the ancient city of Héliopolis.
Prodco: Centre Algérien de Développement du Cinéma
Argentina The Sleepwalkers
Director: Paula Hernández
Key Cast: Érica Rivas, Ornella D’elía, Marilu Marini, Daniel Hendler
Logline: A family drama encompasses the sexual awakening...
Albania Open Door
Director: Florenc Papas
Key Cast: Luli Bitri, Jonida Vokshi, Gulielm Radoja
Logline: Pregnant woman and her sister try to find a man to pretend to be the mom-to-be’s husband before visiting their traditional father.
Prodco: Bunker Film Plus
Algeria Héliopolis
Director: Djaâfar Gacem
Key cast: Souhila Mallem, Mehdi
Ramdani, Cesar Duminil
Logline: Algerians fight for independence punctuated by the 1945 massacre in the ancient city of Héliopolis.
Prodco: Centre Algérien de Développement du Cinéma
Argentina The Sleepwalkers
Director: Paula Hernández
Key Cast: Érica Rivas, Ornella D’elía, Marilu Marini, Daniel Hendler
Logline: A family drama encompasses the sexual awakening...
- 12/23/2020
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
- 11/9/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The audience crowned Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s film their winner, while Réka Szabó’s The Euphoria of Being scoops the Best Documentary accolade. The 31st edition of the Trieste Film Festival will this evening award the Trieste Prize for Best Feature Film in Competition, as voted upon by the audience, to the Bulgarian film The Father by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov; a work which explores a father and son’s bereavement by way of an absurd and ramshackle emotional journey steeped in feelings of guilt and broken ties. The Alpe-Adria Cinema Award for Best Documentary in Competition, meanwhile, went to The Euphoria of Being by Hungarian filmmaker Réka Szabó; a work on the extraordinary Éva Fahidi, who is the only person in her family to have returned to the concentration camp Auschwitz Birkenau, and who is now – seventy years later – playing the lead role in a theatrical production.
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov win the Golden Atlas. The Silver Atlas goes to Marko Skop for Let There Be Light and the Audience Award goes to Federico Bondi’s Dafne. The competition jury of the 20th Arras Film Festival, chaired by French filmmaker Thierry Klifa, has bestowed the Golden Atlas - Grand Jury Prize upon The Father by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. Already crowned Best Film at Karlovy Vary and screened in Toronto, the third feature from the Bulgarian duo, after The Lesson and Glory, has also won in Arras the Critics’ Award and the Youth Jury Award. Written by the two directors with their usual partner Decho Taralezkov, the tender and hilarious film recounts the misadventures of a son (Ivan Barnev) trying his best to desperately contain the whims of his father (Ivan Savov) following the death of his mother. Produced by Bulgarian company Abraxas and co-produced by.
- 11/18/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov and Decho Taralezhkov will be in the spotlight, alongside Anca Damian, Adina Dulcu, Miha Mazzini, Robert Budina, Uta Beria and Nana Janelidze. Running within the 20th Arras Film Festival (scheduled from 8 to 17 November 2019 – read our news), the 8th edition of Arras Days will unveil seven projects currently being written which are set to be pitched to a jury of three professionals on Saturday 16 November, and which will be battling it out for two development grants. Also intended to act as a coproduction and funding platform, Arras Days will provide any producers, distributers and sales agents interested in these projects with an opportunity to discover them in situ. One project which stands out amongst others in the running is Triumph, written by the Bulgarians Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov and Decho Taralezhkov, which...
- 10/22/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Rounds, The Pig, Sister and Cat in the Wall were also among the winners of this year’s edition. After winning the Crystal Globe at this year's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov's The Father has picked up several awards at the 37th edition of the Golden Rose Film Festival, including Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actor (for Ivan Barnev and Ivan Savov). With one exception, all of the awards and Special Mentions were given to films that have already been seen at international film festivals, such as Stephan Komandarev’s Rounds, Dragomir Sholev’s The Pig, Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Sister, and Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova’s Cat in the Wall. The international jury was led by Bulgarian director Milko Lazarov. Thirteen features and 17 short films competed at this edition of the festival, which was organised by the country's National Film Center. Many of.
Other winners at the 17th edition of the Albanian event included Take Me Somewhere Nice, Cold November and A Decent Man, while the Iranian short Tattoo qualified for Oscars. Bulgarian directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov's Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe winner The Father scooped the main award, the Golden Owl for Best Feature Film, at the 17th Tirana International Film Festival (23-29 September). Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Ena Sendijarević picked up Best Director for her Heart of Sarajevo winner Take Me Somewhere Nice, while Ismet Sijarina and Arjan Krasniqi pocketed Best Screenplay for Cold November (Kosovo/Albania). The Best Eye on Tiff Prize for Best Debut Film went to Hadrian Marcu's A Decent Man (Romania), and Tonia Mishiali received a Special Mention for Pause (Cyprus/Greece). Aga's House by Kosovar filmmaker Lendita Zeqiraj bagged the Audience Award. As of this year's edition, the Tirana Iff is one of the qualifying festivals for the Academy.
Having breakfast in the special El Gouna Film Festival atmosphere of friendliness and open discussions with new acquaintances, I began an interesting conversation with the Bulgarian actor Ivan Barnev the costar (with Ivan Savov) of ‘The Father’.
I had seen his film The Father already and though actors are far from my area of expertise as my experience stems from the business of films and not from production, we discussed acting and his part in The Father, the winner of the Grand Prix Crystal Globe Prize of Us$ 25,000 at Karlovy Vary, the top Eastern European Film Festival, which was for many years my favorite film festival.
The Father is an intimate family comedy about the difficulties of connecting with those close to us. Told with an “Eastern European” accent and in the particularly droll style of the Bulgarian filmmaking duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, the story opens at a funeral.
I had seen his film The Father already and though actors are far from my area of expertise as my experience stems from the business of films and not from production, we discussed acting and his part in The Father, the winner of the Grand Prix Crystal Globe Prize of Us$ 25,000 at Karlovy Vary, the top Eastern European Film Festival, which was for many years my favorite film festival.
The Father is an intimate family comedy about the difficulties of connecting with those close to us. Told with an “Eastern European” accent and in the particularly droll style of the Bulgarian filmmaking duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, the story opens at a funeral.
- 10/1/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
13 Bulgarian productions and co-productions are about to compete for the festival's awards. Thirteen features and 17 short films will screen in the official competition of the 37th edition of the Golden Rose Film Festival, a true who's who of Bulgarian cinema organised by the country's National Film Center. The competing features are Svetla Tsotsorkova's Sister (Bulgaria/Qatar), Lachezar Avramov's A Picture with Yuki (Bulgaria/Japan), Stanislav Donchev's Letters from Antarctica (Bulgaria), Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov's The Father (Bulgaria/Greece), Dragomir Sholev's The Pig (Bulgaria/Romania), Marian Valev's Bad Girl (Bulgaria), Borislav Mihailovski's Love, Boyden (Bulgaria), Stephan Komandarev's Rounds (Bulgaria/Serbia), Radoslav Iliev's Action (Bulgaria), Anri Koulev's Once Upon a War (Bulgaria/Monaco), Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova's Cat in the Wall (Bulgaria/UK/France), Iliya Kostov's A Travelling Cinema (Bulgaria) and one minority co-production, Mahmut Fazil Coşkun's The Announcement...
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s Bulgarian family drama is screening in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema strand.
Urban Distribution has acquired French rights to Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s Bulgarian family drama The Father, which is screening in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema strand.
It won the Crystal Globe for best film at Karlovy Vary earlier this summer.
Wide has also sold Pupi Avati’s Italian horror title Il Signor Diavolo to Rocket Releasing for Russia and the Cis.
Urban Distribution has acquired French rights to Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s Bulgarian family drama The Father, which is screening in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema strand.
It won the Crystal Globe for best film at Karlovy Vary earlier this summer.
Wide has also sold Pupi Avati’s Italian horror title Il Signor Diavolo to Rocket Releasing for Russia and the Cis.
- 9/7/2019
- by Louise Tutt
- ScreenDaily
Private market screening at the Tiff Bell Lightbox on Monday.
Paris-based Wide Management has picked up sales rights to Polish auteur Lech Majewski’s fantasy drama Valley Of The Gods starring Josh Hartnett and John Malkovich, and kicks off talks with buyers in Toronto this week.
Loïc Magneron’s sales company will host a private market screening at the Tiff Bell Lightbox on Monday (September 9). Wide holds worldwide rights excluding Middle East, Scandinavia, and former Yugoslavia, and represents North America with producers Angelus Silesius and Royal Road Entertainment.
Wide previously handled sales on Majewski’s The Mill And The Cross starring the late Rutger Hauer,...
Paris-based Wide Management has picked up sales rights to Polish auteur Lech Majewski’s fantasy drama Valley Of The Gods starring Josh Hartnett and John Malkovich, and kicks off talks with buyers in Toronto this week.
Loïc Magneron’s sales company will host a private market screening at the Tiff Bell Lightbox on Monday (September 9). Wide holds worldwide rights excluding Middle East, Scandinavia, and former Yugoslavia, and represents North America with producers Angelus Silesius and Royal Road Entertainment.
Wide previously handled sales on Majewski’s The Mill And The Cross starring the late Rutger Hauer,...
- 9/5/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Tiff Co-Heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente added several more films in the Gala and Special Presentations sections of the 44th Toronto International Film Festival that runs September 5-15.
Here are the new ones:
Gala Premieres
The Tom Harper-directed Aeronauts will make its Canadian premiere, with Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne starring.
The Giuseppe Capotondi-directed Burnt Orange Heresy will make its North American premiere.
Special Presentations
The Kenny Leon-directed American Son makes its world premiere.
The Quentin Dupieux-directed Deerskin ( Le Daim ) makes its international premiere.
The Gregor Jordan-directed Dirt Music makes its world premiere.
The Geetu Mohandas-directed The Elder One makes its world premiere
Guns Akimbo, directed by Jason Lei Howden, makes its world premiere
Human Capital, directed by Marc Meyers, makes its world premiere;
Jungleland, directed by Max Winkler makes its world premiere;
Lucy in the Sky, directed by Noah Hawley, makes its world premiere;
Lyrebird, directed by Dan Friedkin,...
Here are the new ones:
Gala Premieres
The Tom Harper-directed Aeronauts will make its Canadian premiere, with Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne starring.
The Giuseppe Capotondi-directed Burnt Orange Heresy will make its North American premiere.
Special Presentations
The Kenny Leon-directed American Son makes its world premiere.
The Quentin Dupieux-directed Deerskin ( Le Daim ) makes its international premiere.
The Gregor Jordan-directed Dirt Music makes its world premiere.
The Geetu Mohandas-directed The Elder One makes its world premiere
Guns Akimbo, directed by Jason Lei Howden, makes its world premiere
Human Capital, directed by Marc Meyers, makes its world premiere;
Jungleland, directed by Max Winkler makes its world premiere;
Lucy in the Sky, directed by Noah Hawley, makes its world premiere;
Lyrebird, directed by Dan Friedkin,...
- 8/13/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The French firm is selling the second feature film by Swiss director Basil Da Cunha which will be vying for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. Building on the success of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it negotiated on behalf of The Father, the work by Bulgarian directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov which walked away with the Crystal Globe for Best Film, the French international sales company Wide Management will be travelling to the 72nd Locarno Film Festival (running 7 to 17 August) with yet another impressive asset in its line-up: O fim do mundo by Swiss filmmaker Basil Da Cunha, which finds itself in the running for the Golden Leopard. Discovered in 2013 in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight (where his short films Sunfish and The Living Also Cry had previously been selected in 2011 and 2012) with his first full-length film After the Night, the 1985-born...
Winners include Bulgarian-Greek comedy ‘The Father’ and Jan-Ole Gerster’s ‘Lara’.
Bulgarian-Greek comedy The Father won the Grand Prix - Crystal Globe at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 – July 6), which closed yesterday with its annual awards ceremony.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, The Father was selected by grand jury comprising Annemarie Jacir, Štěpán Hulík, Sergei Loznitsa, Angeliki Papoulia and Charles Tesson. The Crystal Globe comes with $25,000 prize money.
The film tells the story of a middle-aged man (Ivan Barnev) attempting to stop his widowed...
Bulgarian-Greek comedy The Father won the Grand Prix - Crystal Globe at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 – July 6), which closed yesterday with its annual awards ceremony.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, The Father was selected by grand jury comprising Annemarie Jacir, Štěpán Hulík, Sergei Loznitsa, Angeliki Papoulia and Charles Tesson. The Crystal Globe comes with $25,000 prize money.
The film tells the story of a middle-aged man (Ivan Barnev) attempting to stop his widowed...
- 7/7/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
In the middle of the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary stands a massive Brutalist building, the Hotel Thermal, which has housed the Karlovy Vary Int’l Film Festival since the late ’70s.
It is here in the Thermal, on one of Europe’s biggest screens, where I have seen movies that rival those debuting at Cannes six weeks earlier — discoveries such as German director Jan-Ole Gerster’s demanding-mother drama “Lara,” winner of two prizes, and Hong Khaou’s “Monsoon,” a subtle, soulful rumination on the many facets of identity, starring “Crazy Rich Asians” heartthrob Henry Golding as a Vietnamese refugee raised abroad, struggling to reconnect with his mother country.
Karlovy Vary is the first major stop after Cannes where the great French festival’s most essential films (such as Palme d’Or winner “Parasite”) can be seen by non-industry audiences, many of them curious young cinephiles — open-minded twentysomethings from...
It is here in the Thermal, on one of Europe’s biggest screens, where I have seen movies that rival those debuting at Cannes six weeks earlier — discoveries such as German director Jan-Ole Gerster’s demanding-mother drama “Lara,” winner of two prizes, and Hong Khaou’s “Monsoon,” a subtle, soulful rumination on the many facets of identity, starring “Crazy Rich Asians” heartthrob Henry Golding as a Vietnamese refugee raised abroad, struggling to reconnect with his mother country.
Karlovy Vary is the first major stop after Cannes where the great French festival’s most essential films (such as Palme d’Or winner “Parasite”) can be seen by non-industry audiences, many of them curious young cinephiles — open-minded twentysomethings from...
- 7/7/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The 2019 installment of the sprawling Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 – July 6), held for more than 50 years at the sunny resort hub of the Czech Republic, boasted 12,521 accredited attendees, including 395 filmmakers, 1158 global industry professionals, and 605 journalists. They watched a selection of 177 films at 497 screenings.
Karlovy Vary, run by president Jiří Bartoška and artistic director Karel Och, runs three competitive categories. “The Father,” from Bulgaria and Greece, took home the Grand Prix, and “Lara,” from Germany, won three awards. The full list of winners is below.
Official Selection – Competition
Jury: Štěpán Hulík (Czech Republic), Annemarie Jacir (State of Palestine),Sergei Loznitsa (Ukraine), Angeliki Papoulia (Greece), Charles Tesson (France)
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s “The Father”
Special Jury Prize
Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Director Award
Tim Mielants for “Patrick” (Belgium)
Best Actress Award
Corinna Harfouch, star of Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Actor Award
Milan Ondrík,...
Karlovy Vary, run by president Jiří Bartoška and artistic director Karel Och, runs three competitive categories. “The Father,” from Bulgaria and Greece, took home the Grand Prix, and “Lara,” from Germany, won three awards. The full list of winners is below.
Official Selection – Competition
Jury: Štěpán Hulík (Czech Republic), Annemarie Jacir (State of Palestine),Sergei Loznitsa (Ukraine), Angeliki Papoulia (Greece), Charles Tesson (France)
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s “The Father”
Special Jury Prize
Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Director Award
Tim Mielants for “Patrick” (Belgium)
Best Actress Award
Corinna Harfouch, star of Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Actor Award
Milan Ondrík,...
- 7/6/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 2019 installment of the sprawling Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 – July 6), held for more than 50 years at the sunny resort hub of the Czech Republic, boasted 12,521 accredited attendees, including 395 filmmakers, 1158 global industry professionals, and 605 journalists. They watched a selection of 177 films at 497 screenings.
Karlovy Vary, run by president Jiří Bartoška and artistic director Karel Och, runs three competitive categories. “The Father,” from Bulgaria and Greece, took home the Grand Prix, and “Lara,” from Germany, won three awards. The full list of winners is below.
Official Selection – Competition
Jury: Štěpán Hulík (Czech Republic), Annemarie Jacir (State of Palestine),Sergei Loznitsa (Ukraine), Angeliki Papoulia (Greece), Charles Tesson (France)
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s “The Father”
Special Jury Prize
Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Director Award
Tim Mielants for “Patrick” (Belgium)
Best Actress Award
Corinna Harfouch, star of Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Actor Award
Milan Ondrík,...
Karlovy Vary, run by president Jiří Bartoška and artistic director Karel Och, runs three competitive categories. “The Father,” from Bulgaria and Greece, took home the Grand Prix, and “Lara,” from Germany, won three awards. The full list of winners is below.
Official Selection – Competition
Jury: Štěpán Hulík (Czech Republic), Annemarie Jacir (State of Palestine),Sergei Loznitsa (Ukraine), Angeliki Papoulia (Greece), Charles Tesson (France)
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe
Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s “The Father”
Special Jury Prize
Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Director Award
Tim Mielants for “Patrick” (Belgium)
Best Actress Award
Corinna Harfouch, star of Jan-Ole Gerster’s “Lara” (Germany)
Best Actor Award
Milan Ondrík,...
- 7/6/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Patricia Clarkson on the red carpet for tonight’s prize-giving ceremony at Karlovy Vary Photo: Film Servis Karlovy Vary
The Bulgarian-Greek road comedy The Father took top honours, winning a Crystal Globe in tonight’s gala closing ceremony at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The films tells of a long-suffering photographer trying to cope with his father’s weird behaviour in the wake of his wife’s death. It is the fourth team project by writer-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov.
The Spanish film The August Virgin has won this year´s Award of The International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci). The citation read: "The award goes to a modest, unpretentious film, skilfully opening a number of issues and tackling a range of emotions while maintaining an inspiringly positive worldview."
The jury also honoured German psychological family drama Lara by Jan-Ole Gerster, which follows a protective mother’s...
The Bulgarian-Greek road comedy The Father took top honours, winning a Crystal Globe in tonight’s gala closing ceremony at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The films tells of a long-suffering photographer trying to cope with his father’s weird behaviour in the wake of his wife’s death. It is the fourth team project by writer-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov.
The Spanish film The August Virgin has won this year´s Award of The International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci). The citation read: "The award goes to a modest, unpretentious film, skilfully opening a number of issues and tackling a range of emotions while maintaining an inspiringly positive worldview."
The jury also honoured German psychological family drama Lara by Jan-Ole Gerster, which follows a protective mother’s...
- 7/6/2019
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Bulgarian duo's new film received the Crystal Globe, while the other big winner of this edition was Lara by German filmmaker Jan Ole Gerster, taking home two awards. “The film is entitled The Father, but it is in fact dedicated to the mother.” With these words, Bulgarian directorial duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov clarified what lies behind their latest film, the winner of the Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. A sort of road movie dealing with loss, religion and family relations (and quince jam), The Father won over the jury comprising Critics’ Week artistic director Charles Tesson, actress Angeliki Papoulia, directors Sergei Loznitsa and Annemarie Jacir, and screenwriter Štěpán Hulík. This feat marks the biggest achievement in the duo’s career since they world-premiered their first feature, The Lesson, at San Sebastián, where they won the New Directors Award. The other.
Bulgarian drama Father, directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, took the Crystal Globe for Grand Prix at the closing Saturday of the 54th edition of the Karlovy Vary film festival.
An intimate family drama about a grieving father who has lost his wife of many years, the Bulgarian-Greek co-production contained elements of dark farce.
A special jury prize went to the producer and director of German director Jan-Ole Gerster's Lara about a mother attending her son's piano recital — something that has surprising unpredictable results. Corinna Harfouch, who played the title role, picked up best actress.
Best director ...
An intimate family drama about a grieving father who has lost his wife of many years, the Bulgarian-Greek co-production contained elements of dark farce.
A special jury prize went to the producer and director of German director Jan-Ole Gerster's Lara about a mother attending her son's piano recital — something that has surprising unpredictable results. Corinna Harfouch, who played the title role, picked up best actress.
Best director ...
Bulgarian drama Father, directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, took the Crystal Globe for Grand Prix at the closing Saturday of the 54th edition of the Karlovy Vary film festival.
An intimate family drama about a grieving father who has lost his wife of many years, the Bulgarian-Greek co-production contained elements of dark farce.
A special jury prize went to the producer and director of German director Jan-Ole Gerster's Lara about a mother attending her son's piano recital — something that has surprising unpredictable results. Corinna Harfouch, who played the title role, picked up best actress.
Best director ...
An intimate family drama about a grieving father who has lost his wife of many years, the Bulgarian-Greek co-production contained elements of dark farce.
A special jury prize went to the producer and director of German director Jan-Ole Gerster's Lara about a mother attending her son's piano recital — something that has surprising unpredictable results. Corinna Harfouch, who played the title role, picked up best actress.
Best director ...
The 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has come to an end and that means the competition jury has awards to hand out. This year’s five-member jury surprised by honoring Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s dramedy “The Father” with the festival’s top prize, the Crystal Globe. Jonás Trueba’s “The August Virgin,” which was honored with a Special Jury Mention, and Hong Khaou’s “Monsoon” were thought to be in contention by the critics attending the fest.
Continue reading ‘The Father’ & ‘Lara’ Take Top Competition Prizes At Karlovy Vary Film Festival at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Father’ & ‘Lara’ Take Top Competition Prizes At Karlovy Vary Film Festival at The Playlist.
- 7/6/2019
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has wrapped today and set its winners with Bulgarian road-trip comedy The Father taking home the top prize Grand Prix Crystal Globe, which comes with cash prize of $25,000. Scroll down for a full list of winners.
The Czech festival’s special jury prize went to German drama Lara, while best director went to Tim Mielants for Belgian feature Patrick. Milan Ondrík won best actor for his role in Czech film Let There Be Light and Corinna Harfouch won the best actress accolade for the aforementioned Lara.
This year’s competition jury comprised Štěpán Hulík, Annemarie Jacir, Sergei Loznitsa, Angeliki Papoulia and Charles Tesson. As previously revealed, there were career Crystal Globes for Julianne Moore and Patricia Clarkson.
Full List Of Winners:
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe (25 000 Usd)
The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
The Father / Bashtata
Directed by: Kristina Grozeva,...
The Czech festival’s special jury prize went to German drama Lara, while best director went to Tim Mielants for Belgian feature Patrick. Milan Ondrík won best actor for his role in Czech film Let There Be Light and Corinna Harfouch won the best actress accolade for the aforementioned Lara.
This year’s competition jury comprised Štěpán Hulík, Annemarie Jacir, Sergei Loznitsa, Angeliki Papoulia and Charles Tesson. As previously revealed, there were career Crystal Globes for Julianne Moore and Patricia Clarkson.
Full List Of Winners:
Grand Prix – Crystal Globe (25 000 Usd)
The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
The Father / Bashtata
Directed by: Kristina Grozeva,...
- 7/6/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Family angst and off-the-wall humor dominated the 54th Karlovy Vary film fest prize race, with Bulgarian-Greek road comedy “The Father” scoring the Crystal Globe Saturday eve in a gala closing ceremony at the Hotel Thermal.
The story of a long-suffering photographer trying to manage his father’s increasingly unhinged behavior in the wake of his wife’s death, the film is the fourth team project by writer-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov.
The jury also honored German psychological family drama “Lara” by Jan-Ole Gerster, which follows a protective mother’s frustrations as her aloof son faces an upcoming piano recital. Lead actress Corinna Harfouch took the actress prize for her tortured turn in the film.
Tim Mielants won the director prize for “Patrick,” his study of hammer obsession by a socially challenged maintenance man for a Belgian nudist camp, while Milan Ondrik won the actor prize for Slovak-Czech family drama “Let There Be Light,...
The story of a long-suffering photographer trying to manage his father’s increasingly unhinged behavior in the wake of his wife’s death, the film is the fourth team project by writer-directors Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov.
The jury also honored German psychological family drama “Lara” by Jan-Ole Gerster, which follows a protective mother’s frustrations as her aloof son faces an upcoming piano recital. Lead actress Corinna Harfouch took the actress prize for her tortured turn in the film.
Tim Mielants won the director prize for “Patrick,” his study of hammer obsession by a socially challenged maintenance man for a Belgian nudist camp, while Milan Ondrik won the actor prize for Slovak-Czech family drama “Let There Be Light,...
- 7/6/2019
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, the sunny proverb goes. But what if life gives you inedibly sour quinces instead? The father-son odd-couple road trip comedy gets an appealingly deadpan, Bulgarian makeover in Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s third feature, a film that takes the bittersweet fruits of its funny, sad, silly situations, and eventually, after many a comical false start, makes jam.
Not all filmmakers can say they’ve carved out a distinctive niche for themselves after just three features, but the Bulgarian writing-producing-directing duo are among the few who can. So while “The Father” occupies a lighter, gentler register than jet-black fables “The Lesson” and “Glory,” it shows the same affinity for screw-tightening stories of fundamentally decent people caught in an escalating series of thankless dilemmas, through no malicious intent of their own. In the Grozeva/Valchanov Cinematic Universe, no good deed goes unpunished, but this...
Not all filmmakers can say they’ve carved out a distinctive niche for themselves after just three features, but the Bulgarian writing-producing-directing duo are among the few who can. So while “The Father” occupies a lighter, gentler register than jet-black fables “The Lesson” and “Glory,” it shows the same affinity for screw-tightening stories of fundamentally decent people caught in an escalating series of thankless dilemmas, through no malicious intent of their own. In the Grozeva/Valchanov Cinematic Universe, no good deed goes unpunished, but this...
- 7/5/2019
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Writer-director duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov are two of Bulgaria’s most acclaimed filmmakers, earning critical plaudits with their award-winning features “The Lesson” (2014) and “Glory” (2016). Part of their Newspaper Clippings Trilogy, the films were inspired by sensationalist media stories depicting the absurdity of life in post-communist Bulgaria.
Grozeva and Valchanov took a break from the trilogy to shoot their latest feature, “The Father,” which has its world premiere Tuesday in competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Inspired by a mysterious, real-life event, the film follows a bereaved husband and son who discover that the deceased has been persistently calling a neighbor’s phone since her passing. When Vassil (Ivan Savov) decides to visit a famous medium to unravel the supernatural mystery, his estranged son Pavel (Ivan Barnev) is forced to tag along to keep him out of trouble — a tragicomic road trip that could ultimately bring the distant duo closer together.
Grozeva and Valchanov took a break from the trilogy to shoot their latest feature, “The Father,” which has its world premiere Tuesday in competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Inspired by a mysterious, real-life event, the film follows a bereaved husband and son who discover that the deceased has been persistently calling a neighbor’s phone since her passing. When Vassil (Ivan Savov) decides to visit a famous medium to unravel the supernatural mystery, his estranged son Pavel (Ivan Barnev) is forced to tag along to keep him out of trouble — a tragicomic road trip that could ultimately bring the distant duo closer together.
- 7/2/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The 54th Karlovy Vary Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled the first titled in its 2019 lineup, featuring 10 world premieres in its competition section including the Hong Khaou’s drama Monsoon starring Crazy Rich Asians‘ Henry Golding and the lone U.S. feature, Martha Stephens’ black-and-white drama To the Stars starring Kara Hayward.
The fest, which runs June 28-July 6, also unveiled films set for its East of the West, Documentary and Out of Competition sections. The latter lineup includes the world premiere of Martin Krejčí’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy, a U.S. film starring starring Jaeden Martel, Eve Hewson and John Turturro, and the European premiere of Mystify: Michael Hutchence, a documentary about the life of the lead singer of Aussie rock band INXS.
The Documentary section includes the European premiere of Apollo 11, the Todd Douglas Miller
feature-length pic that launched in March in the U.S. tied to...
The fest, which runs June 28-July 6, also unveiled films set for its East of the West, Documentary and Out of Competition sections. The latter lineup includes the world premiere of Martin Krejčí’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy, a U.S. film starring starring Jaeden Martel, Eve Hewson and John Turturro, and the European premiere of Mystify: Michael Hutchence, a documentary about the life of the lead singer of Aussie rock band INXS.
The Documentary section includes the European premiere of Apollo 11, the Todd Douglas Miller
feature-length pic that launched in March in the U.S. tied to...
- 5/28/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Selection includes Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, Jan-Ole Gerster’s Lara and Damjan Kozole’s Half-Sister.
The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 - July 6) has unveiled the first competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.
Scroll down for full line-ups
The 12-strong main competition will include 10 world premieres and two international premieres.
UK director Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, his follow up to his 2014 Sundance debut Lilting, is among the world premieres. Backed by BBC Films, Monsoon stars Henry Golding, best known for Crazy Rich Asians, as a man struggling with his return to...
The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (June 28 - July 6) has unveiled the first competition titles in its Official Selection, East of the West and Documentary sections.
Scroll down for full line-ups
The 12-strong main competition will include 10 world premieres and two international premieres.
UK director Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, his follow up to his 2014 Sundance debut Lilting, is among the world premieres. Backed by BBC Films, Monsoon stars Henry Golding, best known for Crazy Rich Asians, as a man struggling with his return to...
- 5/28/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, the leading movie event in Central and Eastern Europe, unveiled its competition lineup Tuesday with a geographically diverse selection, which includes 10 world and two international premieres.
Cambodia-born British filmmaker Hong Khaou brings the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Sundance debut “Lilting” with a moving drama about a young man of Vietnamese descent rediscovering his roots in “Monsoon,” starring “Crazy Rich Asians” actor Henry Golding.
Germany’s Jan-Ole Gerster follows his well-received debut, “Oh Boy,” winner of the European Film Academy’s European Discovery Award, with the world premiere of “Lara,” a psychological study starring Corinna Harfouch.
Kara Hayward, best-known for “Moonrise Kingdom,” stars in U.S. director Martha Stephens’ 1960s Oklahoma-set drama “To the Stars,” which premiered at Sundance and makes its international premiere at Karlovy Vary.
Spain’s Jonás Trueba “combines lightness and charm with intense existential emotions,” according to Kviff, in “August Virgin.
Cambodia-born British filmmaker Hong Khaou brings the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Sundance debut “Lilting” with a moving drama about a young man of Vietnamese descent rediscovering his roots in “Monsoon,” starring “Crazy Rich Asians” actor Henry Golding.
Germany’s Jan-Ole Gerster follows his well-received debut, “Oh Boy,” winner of the European Film Academy’s European Discovery Award, with the world premiere of “Lara,” a psychological study starring Corinna Harfouch.
Kara Hayward, best-known for “Moonrise Kingdom,” stars in U.S. director Martha Stephens’ 1960s Oklahoma-set drama “To the Stars,” which premiered at Sundance and makes its international premiere at Karlovy Vary.
Spain’s Jonás Trueba “combines lightness and charm with intense existential emotions,” according to Kviff, in “August Virgin.
- 5/28/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Buenos Aires — Celebrating its 10th anniversary with a huge hike in attendance to over 4,000 accredited delegates, the 2018 Ventana Sur will go down in history on multiple counts: Sales and pick-ups on movies which combined social comment and entertainment value, increasingly the new foreign-language movie standard; new sections, led by a Proyecta co-production forum and in-house doc Incubadora; and a reinvigorated conference strand.
Thierry Fremaux’s Cannes Festival Cinema Week also sold out, some sessions in just two hours, a sign he said in his opening keynote to Ventana Sur of a resilient theatrical audience for films.
With three Netflix executives in attendance, plus Amazon’s Pablo Lacoviello, 2018’s Ventana Sur suggested how the function of major film events is expanding in an Ott age. The battle for Ott supremacy will be fought over talent.
Much of the real industry dealing at Ventana Sur was and will be in the future...
Thierry Fremaux’s Cannes Festival Cinema Week also sold out, some sessions in just two hours, a sign he said in his opening keynote to Ventana Sur of a resilient theatrical audience for films.
With three Netflix executives in attendance, plus Amazon’s Pablo Lacoviello, 2018’s Ventana Sur suggested how the function of major film events is expanding in an Ott age. The battle for Ott supremacy will be fought over talent.
Much of the real industry dealing at Ventana Sur was and will be in the future...
- 12/15/2018
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
No good deed goes unpunished in this lugubrious realist fable about a Bulgarian railway linesman who hands in some cash he finds scattered on the tracks
If it’s black humour and fatalism with a stiff shot of misanthropy you’re looking for, search no further than this cruel but compelling drama from Bulgaria. Elegantly written and assembled by co-directors Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva (with script assistance from Decho Taralezhkov), this realist fable revolves around railway linesman Tzanko (a soulful Stefan Denolyubov), a shy loner with a stammer.
One day, Tzanko finds cash scattered all over the tracks he tends to, and reporting it to the authorities sets off an all-too-plausible chain of mishaps that rebound on Tzanko most of all.
Continue reading...
If it’s black humour and fatalism with a stiff shot of misanthropy you’re looking for, search no further than this cruel but compelling drama from Bulgaria. Elegantly written and assembled by co-directors Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva (with script assistance from Decho Taralezhkov), this realist fable revolves around railway linesman Tzanko (a soulful Stefan Denolyubov), a shy loner with a stammer.
One day, Tzanko finds cash scattered all over the tracks he tends to, and reporting it to the authorities sets off an all-too-plausible chain of mishaps that rebound on Tzanko most of all.
Continue reading...
- 1/5/2018
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Glory, Bulgaria's official entry in the foreign-language Oscar race.
Though Petar Valchanov and his wife and co-director, Kristina Grozeva, didn't set out to channel Kafka, he says, "Kafka is very much the reality in Bulgaria."
The directing team's second narrative feature, Glory tells the story of Tzanko Petrov (Stefan Denolyubov), a railway lineman with an innate idealism, a terrible stutter and a thick beard he cannot shave because he "made an oath," the backstory of which is never revealed. Each day, Tzanko wakes...
Though Petar Valchanov and his wife and co-director, Kristina Grozeva, didn't set out to channel Kafka, he says, "Kafka is very much the reality in Bulgaria."
The directing team's second narrative feature, Glory tells the story of Tzanko Petrov (Stefan Denolyubov), a railway lineman with an innate idealism, a terrible stutter and a thick beard he cannot shave because he "made an oath," the backstory of which is never revealed. Each day, Tzanko wakes...
- 12/11/2017
- by Shannon L. Bowen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With 92 countries in the running and not a clear frontrunner, this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race is wide open for surprises, snubs, and possibly a country without previous wins taking the prize. The 9-film shortlist is expected to be announced this week and there are plenty of strong candidates, which means a few of the bigger titles may get shut out — as is the case every year.
Based on my recollections from screenings, conversations, and precursor awards nominations, I’ve put together a list of 20 films that, in my opinion, appear to be the ones most likely to make it to the next phase of the competition. I’ve listed some reasons for these picks, but like with all awards, nothing is certain. I’ve also included five more films that have the merits to sneak in, but that are long shots at this point.
Top 20 Contenders
Argentina
Zama (Dir.
Based on my recollections from screenings, conversations, and precursor awards nominations, I’ve put together a list of 20 films that, in my opinion, appear to be the ones most likely to make it to the next phase of the competition. I’ve listed some reasons for these picks, but like with all awards, nothing is certain. I’ve also included five more films that have the merits to sneak in, but that are long shots at this point.
Top 20 Contenders
Argentina
Zama (Dir.
- 12/11/2017
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Berlinale Talents
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- 11/17/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
European Film Promotion highlights 28 European films for the 90th Academy AwardsPutting a spotlight on a record number of 28 European Oscar® entries, Efp (European Film Promotion) offers additional screenings of the films in L.A. for Academy members, journalists, U.S. distributors and international buyers. With the special support of the Efp member organizations, the event helps the productions to stand out among a record number of 92 submissions for the 90th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This year the Efp Screenings Of Oscar® Entries From Europe were held from November 2–15 at the state of the art Dick Clark Screening Room. The campaign is financially supported by the Creative Europe — Media Programme of the European Union and the participating Efp member organizations.
Many of the European Oscar submissions feature European Shooting Stars or were made by Efp-related filmmakers. Notably four films were realized by participants of this year’s edition...
This year the Efp Screenings Of Oscar® Entries From Europe were held from November 2–15 at the state of the art Dick Clark Screening Room. The campaign is financially supported by the Creative Europe — Media Programme of the European Union and the participating Efp member organizations.
Many of the European Oscar submissions feature European Shooting Stars or were made by Efp-related filmmakers. Notably four films were realized by participants of this year’s edition...
- 11/17/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Bulgaria has selected Petar Valchanov's and Kristina Grozeva's Glory as its candidate for the best foreign-language Oscar.
A modern morality tale, the film is the story of a reclusive railway worker who hands in millions in cash he finds piled on the tracks. However, his honesty is only rewarded with dishonesty when a transport ministry PR woman decides to use him and the find as a diversion from a corruption scandal, turning his life upside down.
Glory, which has already won dozens of awards worldwide since its international premiere in Antalya last October, including best international feature at this year's...
A modern morality tale, the film is the story of a reclusive railway worker who hands in millions in cash he finds piled on the tracks. However, his honesty is only rewarded with dishonesty when a transport ministry PR woman decides to use him and the find as a diversion from a corruption scandal, turning his life upside down.
Glory, which has already won dozens of awards worldwide since its international premiere in Antalya last October, including best international feature at this year's...
- 9/13/2017
- by Nick Holdsworth
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
10 films selected for award announced at Karlovy Vary.
The films selected for the 11th edition of the European Parliament’s Lux Film Prize have been revealed at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff).
At an event hosted at Karlovy Vary’s Grandhotel Pupp on Sunday (July 2), the 10 films were unveiled by Helga Trüpel, vice chair of the committee on culture and education, Martina Dlabajova, vice chair of the committee on budgetary control, Bogdan Wenta, member of the committee on culture and education and Doris Pack, Lux Film Prize coordinator.
The films are:
The Last Family (Ostatnia Rodzina), Jan P. Matuszyński (Poland)Glory (Slava), Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (Bulgaria, Greece)Western, Valeska Grisebach (Germany, Bulgaria, Austria)King Of The Belgians, Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth (Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria)A Ciambra, Jonas Carpignano (Italy, Brazil, United States, France, Germany, Sweden)Bpm (Beats per Minute), Robin Campillo (France)Heartstone, Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson (Iceland, Denmark)Sámi Blood...
The films selected for the 11th edition of the European Parliament’s Lux Film Prize have been revealed at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff).
At an event hosted at Karlovy Vary’s Grandhotel Pupp on Sunday (July 2), the 10 films were unveiled by Helga Trüpel, vice chair of the committee on culture and education, Martina Dlabajova, vice chair of the committee on budgetary control, Bogdan Wenta, member of the committee on culture and education and Doris Pack, Lux Film Prize coordinator.
The films are:
The Last Family (Ostatnia Rodzina), Jan P. Matuszyński (Poland)Glory (Slava), Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (Bulgaria, Greece)Western, Valeska Grisebach (Germany, Bulgaria, Austria)King Of The Belgians, Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth (Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria)A Ciambra, Jonas Carpignano (Italy, Brazil, United States, France, Germany, Sweden)Bpm (Beats per Minute), Robin Campillo (France)Heartstone, Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson (Iceland, Denmark)Sámi Blood...
- 7/4/2017
- by orlando.parfitt@screendaily.com (Orlando Parfitt)
- ScreenDaily
Daphne, Glory also scoop prizes.
Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country has won the top prize at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The well-received drama, which premiered in Sundance and had its UK premiere in Edinburgh, took the Michael Powell Award for best British feature film.
The prize was awarded by a jury consisting of composer David Arnold, International Film Festival Rotterdam artistic director Bero Beyer, and Bafta-nominated film and television writer Andrea Gibb.
The jury commented: “We present the Michael Powell Award to God’s Own Country, directed by Francis Lee, a film with a singularity of storytelling and consistency of vision. Assured direction with raw and endearing performances result in a film that has an authenticity that is both tender and brutal, a juxtaposition of landscape and emotion, which explores the question of what it means to be a man.”
On hearing the news, director Francis Lee said: “I am thrilled with this...
Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country has won the top prize at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The well-received drama, which premiered in Sundance and had its UK premiere in Edinburgh, took the Michael Powell Award for best British feature film.
The prize was awarded by a jury consisting of composer David Arnold, International Film Festival Rotterdam artistic director Bero Beyer, and Bafta-nominated film and television writer Andrea Gibb.
The jury commented: “We present the Michael Powell Award to God’s Own Country, directed by Francis Lee, a film with a singularity of storytelling and consistency of vision. Assured direction with raw and endearing performances result in a film that has an authenticity that is both tender and brutal, a juxtaposition of landscape and emotion, which explores the question of what it means to be a man.”
On hearing the news, director Francis Lee said: “I am thrilled with this...
- 6/30/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
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