KARLOVY VARY FESTIVAL FOCUS “Last year, about a third of the pro-
gramme was first-time films,” he explains. “We had in town many young film-makers who stayed for the entire festival, watched each other’s films, dis- cussed them with our audience, and pitched their projects to film profes- sionals — they have become a part of the festival in a way. “Our aim is to continue supporting
up-and-coming directors, to contribute to their artistic development and to fol- low their careers.” UK film-maker Jes Benstock, whose
feature documentary debut The British Guide To Showing Off screened in the Documentary Films In Competition section last year, believes Karlovy Vary was crucial in helping his film receive greater recognition. “It was an amazing festival to pre-
miere in as it has a strong international media and film festival presence in par- ticular,” he says. “There was a good press office that responded well to
‘Our aim is to continue supporting up-and-coming directors and contribute to their artistic
development’ Karel Och, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
requests and led us to be reviewed and interviewed by TV, radio and press rang- ing from German Arts Radio to Brazil HBO. We were invited to several other festivals — mostly European — and were adopted by a festival circuit regular who loved the film and connected us to several festivals and press reviews.” For Aleksandra Biernacka, the head
of festivals at Polish broadcaster and sales company TVP, the festival has proved a key event for launching its work into the international market. “We have had some significant suc-
cesses thanks to Karlovy Vary,” she says. “The Big Animal by Jerzy Stuhr — after being awarded the KV Special Jury Prize in 2000 — travelled to over 80 countries and scored a theatrical distri- bution deal in the US; Hi, Tereska by Robert Glinski (2001) was sold to over 60 territories after the enormous suc- cess in KV; and just recently, Declara- tion Of Immortality by Marcin Koszalka (2010) — awarded the best short docu-
mentary prize last year — has been shown at more than 60 film events around the world and got almost 30 international prizes.” The key for many is the festival’s abil-
ity to seem low key while still making a noise throughout the film industry. “Karlovy Vary is a human-size festival,” says French producer Guillaume De Seille, who has attended Karlovy Vary with films such as 2009’s Crab Trap. Meanwhile, though Karlovy Vary
does not have a market, it offers plenty of networking opportunities, with its fair share of swanky parties often held at the ornate Grandhotel Pupp or infor- mal coffees at the Thermal Hotel. “The festival is the networking
place,” says Andrea Szczukova, who heads the Karlovy Vary industry office. “You really have time to meet and talk. The festival wants to be a platform where you meet and make acquaint- ances, which is often impossible at festi- vals like Cannes and Berlin.” n
s
www.screendaily.com
June-July 2012 Screen International 13 n
presents The Paris Cinema IFF coproduction platform
PARIS PROJECT JULY 2 TO 4, 2012
Discover the project selection and book your meetings at
www.pariscinema.org
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